How to Play Spider Solitaire: Rules & Strategy

Spider Solitaire uses 2 decks (104 cards) on 10 tableau columns, with a stock of 50 cards dealt 10 at a time. Build complete K-A sequences in suit to remove them. Microsoft first shipped Spider Solitaire in the Microsoft Plus! 98 add-on, then included it with Windows ME and XP. Here’s the strategy that turns 1-suit into easy wins and 4-suit into beatable.

Key takeaways

You win by building eight full King-to-Ace runs in one suit; each finished run leaves the board.
Any card can go on a card one rank higher, but only same-suit runs move as a group.
Empty columns are your most valuable resource, and every column needs a card before you deal.
Learn on 1 suit, then step up to 2 and 4 suits once you win regularly.

How to play spider solitaire: the rules

The setup

Two decks are shuffled together. The first four columns get six cards each and the other six columns get five, for 54 cards on the table. Only the top card of each column is face up. The remaining 50 cards form the stock, which you deal in five rows of ten.

Moving cards

You may place any face-up card on a card exactly one rank higher, in any suit. A 7 of hearts can go on an 8 of spades.
A run of cards that descends in order and is all one suit can be moved together. A mixed-suit run cannot.
When you move the last face-up card off a column, the face-down card beneath it turns over.
An empty column accepts any card or any movable same-suit run, not just a King.
Aces are low, and there is no foundation to build on. Cards only leave the table as complete King-to-Ace runs.

Dealing and winning

When you run out of useful moves, deal from the stock: one card goes face up onto every column. Once you build a full King-to-Ace run in one suit, it is removed from play. Clear all eight runs and you win.

The three difficulty levels

1 suit: All 104 cards are spades. Easiest variant: almost every deal can be won with careful play. Use this to learn the mechanics.

2 suit: Spades + Hearts. A real step up, because you now have to keep the two suits apart.

4 suit: All four suits. Solver studies suggest many deals are winnable in principle, but human win rates are far lower. The serious challenge.

Level	Suits in play	Cards per suit	Main challenge
1 suit	Spades only	8 of each rank	Learning when to deal and how to use empty columns
2 suits	Spades and hearts	4 of each rank per suit	Keeping runs in suit so they stay movable
4 suits	All four	2 of each rank per suit	Untangling mixed piles with very few spare spaces

Rule 1: Build descending in same suit when possible

Spider Solitaire’s secret rule: you can move sequences of cards within the same suit much more efficiently than mixed sequences. A King-Queen of hearts can move together; a King of hearts + Queen of spades cannot move together.

Maintain same-suit sequences. In Spider you may place any card on a card one rank higher, whatever its suit, but only a same-suit sequence can be moved as a group. A mixed-suit pile can only be taken apart one card at a time, so don’t build off-suit just because it’s legal.

Rule 2: Clear columns aggressively

An empty column accepts ANY card or movable same-suit sequence, not just a King. It’s the most valuable resource in Spider. Trade aggressively to create empty columns.

Once you have an empty column, you can use it to break sequences, store temporary cards, or set up sequences in other columns.

Aim first at the columns with the fewest face-down cards. Turning over the last hidden card in a short column is the quickest way to an empty one, and every face-down card you reveal gives you more options.

Rule 3: Plan before dealing the stock

The stock deals 10 cards at a time onto your existing columns. If a column is empty, the deal will fail (game rule: every column must have at least 1 card before you can deal).

Before requesting a stock deal: ensure no columns are empty. Make sure your existing columns are stacked in a way that the new top cards don’t disrupt important sequences.

If you have to fill an empty column just to deal, put the least useful card there, such as a lone high card you cannot otherwise place, rather than breaking up a good run.

Rule 4: The 4-suit endgame is exponential

By the time you’ve dealt the last 10 cards from stock, you have a lot of cards on the board. A small error early in the endgame cascades into 10+ trapped cards.

Use the undo button aggressively in 4-suit endgames. Try a move; if it doesn’t lead anywhere productive within 3-4 follow-ups, undo and try a different move.

Rule 5: K-A sequences clear instantly

When you complete a K-A sequence in suit, it’s removed from play; in Microsoft-style scoring (which our game uses: start at 500, minus 1 per move, plus 100 per completed sequence) it earns 100 points. Always prioritize completing these: fewer cards on board = easier to plan.

Each cleared sequence also empties a column (or part of one). Compounding benefit.

Your first ten moves: a simple routine

Look at all ten face-up cards before touching anything.
Make same-suit moves first, since they never cost you flexibility.
Next, make moves that turn over a face-down card, preferring short columns.
When two cards could go on the same target, pick the one whose move reveals a hidden card.
Avoid off-suit moves that bury a card you will need soon.
Deal only when no useful move remains, and never with an empty column.

Common mistakes

Dealing the stock too early: wait until you’ve optimised your tableau, otherwise new deals trap your existing setup. Breaking suit sequences for off-suit moves that look productive but lock cards together. Not using undo: Spider rewards experimentation; rewinding bad moves is part of the game.

Two more to watch for: parking a King in an empty column too soon, which can tie up your best spare space for the rest of the game, and ignoring the face-down cards. A move that reveals a hidden card is usually worth more than one that only tidies a pile.

Playing Spider on dinogame.gg

Our Spider Solitaire opens on 2 suits; pick 1 suit or 4 suits from the menu to change level. Drag a card or run to move it, or tap it once and the game moves it for you, preferring a same-suit destination. Click the stock (or press Space) to deal a row.

The Hint button (or the H key) flashes a suggested source and target column, and Undo (or Ctrl/Cmd+Z) steps back, including through a deal. Undoing counts as a move and costs a point, so experiment freely while learning and save the clean runs for when you are chasing a score.

Frequently asked questions

How do you win spider solitaire?

Build eight complete runs from King down to Ace, each in a single suit. Every finished run is removed from the table, and the game is won when all eight are gone.

Can you put any card in an empty column in Spider?

Yes. Unlike Klondike, Spider lets any card or same-suit run fill an empty column. That freedom is why empty columns matter so much.

Why can’t I deal more cards?

Every column needs at least one card before you can deal from the stock. Move a card into any empty column, then deal. Once the five rows of the stock are used up, there is nothing left to deal.

Is every game of spider solitaire winnable?

No. Some deals cannot be won however you play, especially at 4 suits. One-suit games are winnable most of the time with careful play, which is why it is the best place to learn. Our guide to types of solitaire compares Spider with other patience games.

What is the difference between Spider and Klondike?

Klondike uses one deck, builds in alternating colours and sends cards to four foundations. Spider uses two decks, ten columns and no foundations, and clears cards only in full same-suit runs. Try Klondike Solitaire or FreeCell for a change of pace, or read more on Wikipedia’s Spider page.

Practice

Play our Spider Solitaire at 1 suit. Win a few games in a row before moving to 2 suits. Then 4 suits. Don’t skip difficulties: the 4-suit strategy requires the muscle memory built at lower levels. And when you need a break from card-counting, the Chrome Dino game on our homepage is pure reflex.

How to Play Spider Solitaire — 1-Suit to 4-Suit Strategy