Spider Solitaire Rules: How to Play All Variants (1, 2 & 4 Suits)

Spider Solitaire is one of the most popular solitaire card games in the world — second only to Klondike in name recognition, and arguably more strategic. The game gets its name from the eight completed sequences you must build to win, a nod to the eight legs of a spider.

Unlike Klondike, Spider uses two full decks of 52 cards each, spread across ten tableau columns. Your goal is to assemble eight complete same-suit sequences from King down to Ace, which are automatically removed from the table when completed. The game ends when all eight sequences have been built and removed.

What makes Spider compelling is its range of difficulty. Three variants — using one, two, or four suits — take you from a highly winnable beginner experience to one of the most challenging mainstream solitaire games available.

Setting Up the Game

Spider uses two standard 52-card decks for a total of 104 cards. The setup creates ten tableau columns with a stock pile held in reserve.

The tableau consists of ten columns arranged side by side:

• Columns 1–4: 6 cards each (5 face down, 1 face up on top)
• Columns 5–10: 5 cards each (4 face down, 1 face up on top)

That accounts for 54 cards in the tableau at the start of play. Only the top card of each column is face up — everything beneath it is hidden until uncovered through play.

The stock pile holds the remaining 50 cards, face down. These are dealt in five rounds of ten cards — one card dealt to each column per round. You can only deal from stock when all ten columns contain at least one card.

There are no foundation piles. When you complete a full sequence (King down to Ace, same suit), it is automatically removed from the tableau. Those eight removed sequences are the victory condition.

The Rules of Spider Solitaire

Goal

Build and remove all eight complete same-suit sequences. A complete sequence runs from King (high) down to Ace (low) in a single suit — all thirteen cards in order. Once you complete one, it leaves the tableau automatically.

Tableau Stacking

Cards in the tableau stack in descending order — you place a lower card on the next higher card. A 7 can go on an 8, a Queen on a King, and so on.

Crucially, suit does not matter for stacking. You can place a red 6 on a black 7, or a spade Jack on a heart Queen. The only rule is that the rank must be one lower than the card you're placing it on.

Moving Sequences

Here is the key distinction that separates Spider from most solitaire games: you can only move a group of cards together if they form a same-suit descending sequence.

If you have a stack of cards that runs 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠, you can move that entire group as one unit. But if you have 8♠ 7♥ 6♠ 5♦ — descending in rank but mixed in suit — you cannot move that group together. You can only move the top card (5♦) as a single card.

This is the central tension of Spider: mixed-suit stacks are easy to build but hard to escape from.

Dealing from the Stock

When you click the stock pile, one card is dealt face up onto each of the ten tableau columns. This is unavoidable — all ten columns receive a card simultaneously. You cannot choose which columns to deal to.

Because of this, you should try to have at least one empty column before dealing. Columns that are already well-organized will have a new card dropped on top, potentially disrupting your work.

You cannot deal from stock if any column is completely empty — fill all empty columns before dealing.

Completed Sequences

When a complete same-suit sequence (K through A) sits at the bottom of any tableau column with no cards beneath it — or when you assemble one through moves — it is removed from play automatically. The column it came from may become empty if no other cards were beneath the sequence.

The Three Variants: 1, 2 & 4 Suits

Spider's three variants use different numbers of suits. More suits means more complexity, because you need same-suit sequences to move groups and to complete the game, but it's harder to keep suits organized when more are in play.

1 Suit (Spades Only) — Easiest

In the 1-suit variant, all 104 cards are spades. Because every card is the same suit, every descending sequence you build is automatically a same-suit sequence and can be moved as a group. There is no mixed-suit problem.

This makes the game highly manageable. Your focus is entirely on card ordering and column management — the suit constraint is completely removed. Win rate with good play is approximately 99%. Nearly every game is winnable; the challenge is doing it efficiently.

1 suit is the ideal starting point for anyone new to Spider.

2 Suits (Hearts & Spades) — Medium

The 2-suit variant uses hearts and spades — two suits represented twice each across the two decks (26 hearts, 26 spades, 26 hearts, 26 spades). Now you must manage which suit you're building.

Mixed-suit stacks become a real problem: you might have a perfect 9-8-7-6 sequence, but if it alternates between hearts and spades, you cannot move it together. This forces much more deliberate play.

Win rate drops to roughly 50-60% with good strategy, making it a meaningful challenge. Read our full 2-suit strategy guide once you've mastered the basics.

4 Suits (All Suits) — Hardest

The standard 4-suit variant uses all four suits — clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades — distributed across the two decks. This is the version most people mean when they say "Spider Solitaire."

Now you're managing four suits simultaneously, and keeping sequences pure requires constant attention. Mixed-suit stacks proliferate quickly and become very hard to untangle. Win rate with skilled play is roughly 33%, meaning even experienced players lose two out of three games.

Key Strategies

Understanding the rules is only the beginning. These principles will help you move from understanding how to play to actually winning.

Build same-suit sequences whenever possible. Even when you don't need to move a group right now, building same-suit runs sets you up for flexibility later. A mixed-suit stack looks productive but will eventually block you.

Guard your empty columns. Empty columns are your most powerful resource. They let you temporarily park any card or sequence while rearranging the tableau. Once you have an empty column, think carefully before filling it — it may be more useful empty.

Don't deal from stock until you've exhausted useful moves. Each deal from stock covers all ten columns, disrupting your organized stacks. Make every possible beneficial move first.

Prioritize uncovering face-down cards. Hidden cards are uncertainty. Every face-down card you flip reveals new options (or constraints). Target columns where uncovering the bottom card is close.

Think about the stock pile. You have exactly five deals of ten cards each — 50 cards total. These are fixed. Planning around what deals remain changes how aggressively you need to organize before each deal.

Common Mistakes

Building mixed-suit sequences carelessly. It's tempting to make any valid move to clear space. But stacking a heart 7 on a spade 8 might feel like progress while actually locking both cards into an immovable mixed pile.

Dealing from stock too early. Once you deal, there's no undoing it (short of using undo). Exhausting your options in the tableau first often reveals moves you missed.

Filling empty columns reflexively. An empty column is one of the most powerful tools in Spider. Don't rush to fill it. Ask yourself: is there a more strategic use for this space?

Ignoring sequence completion opportunities. If you're close to completing a K→A sequence, prioritizing finishing it often frees up significant column space and momentum.

Spider vs Other Solitaire Games

Spider is part of a broader family of solitaire games, each with its own character.

Klondike is simpler — one deck, seven columns, alternating-color stacking, and a foundation you're building toward. Spider is the step up from Klondike in terms of scale and complexity.

FreeCell shares Spider's emphasis on planning, but all cards are face-up from the start and it uses a single deck with free cells as temporary holding spaces. FreeCell has no luck element once dealt; Spider retains some due to face-down cards.

Pyramid Solitaire is completely different in structure — no sequences, just matching pairs that sum to 13. It's faster and more luck-dependent than Spider.

Of these, Spider rewards careful, methodical play the most. If you enjoy the feeling of untangling complexity and planning several moves ahead, Spider is likely the solitaire variant you'll find most satisfying.

FAQ: Spider Solitaire Rules

How many cards are in Spider Solitaire?

Spider Solitaire uses 104 cards — two standard 52-card decks combined. In 1-suit, all 104 cards are the same suit; in 2-suit, there are 52 of each of two suits; in 4-suit, 26 cards of each of the four suits.

Can you move cards of different suits onto each other?

Yes — you can stack cards of any suit on top of each other in descending order. However, you can only move a group of cards together if every card in that group forms a same-suit descending sequence. Mixed-suit stacks cannot be moved as a unit.

What happens when you complete a sequence?

When a complete sequence from King to Ace in the same suit is formed at the exposed end of a tableau column, it is automatically removed from the tableau. The column may then become shorter (or empty if nothing was below the sequence).

How many times can you deal from the stock?

The stock pile contains 50 cards, dealt in five rounds of ten cards each — one card to each of the ten tableau columns per deal. Once all 50 cards have been dealt, there is no more dealing. The stock is gone.

Do you need an empty column before dealing?

You need all ten columns to have at least one card before you can deal. If any column is empty, you must fill it first. This is actually one of the game's hidden costs — you're sometimes forced to fill a useful empty column just to be able to deal.

Is Spider Solitaire harder than Klondike?

Yes, generally. The 4-suit variant in particular is significantly harder than Klondike Turn 1. Spider's 4-suit win rate (~33%) is lower than Klondike's (~82%), and the game requires more multi-step planning. The 1-suit Spider variant, however, is easier than Klondike for most players.