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Spider Solitaire Rules

These rules also cover the following solitaire games.

Spider one suit

Spider two suit

Three deck spider

Three deck spider one suit

Three deck spider two suit

Four deck spider

Four deck spider one suit

Four deck spider two suit

This page covers the base rules for spider solitaire. To learn rules to the variants, read the main rules, then see the bottom of this page for the variant rules for the game you are learning.

Basic Rules

Spider solitaire is one of the most popular solitaire card games played today. It is played mostly on computers as opposed to the traditional deck of cards on the dining room table. One reason for this is the fact that playing on a computer is much easier than moving large piles around by hand on a table. Another reason spider is played on computers is because the game became well known by a computer operating system called Microsoft Windows.

The rules for spider are fairly simple and straightforward. The main goal is to create spaces as soon as possible and clean up the 'mess' created by dealing one card to each of the ten tableau piles. Finally, the player needs to remove full 13 card sequences of the same suit from the layout to free space and eventually win the game.

Game Statistics

Playing time on average takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete, however, some harder games can take up to a full hour to finish.

The game is fairly easy to learn and play.

The skill level is very high since the game involves planning moves several levels in advance. This is one reason spider is so popular.

If played well, the chance of winning spider solitaire is about one in four games, however, skilled players can win over half of the games played.

What is Needed to Win

To win spider solitaire the player needs to create eight 13 card sequences running downward from king to ace in order and in suit. These piles are then removed from the layout. The computer versions remove the piles for you.

The Main Layout

Spider is unique that its tableau piles actually double as foundations. The player builds on the tableau to arrange cards for further play, but at the same time builds to complete piles in winning sequences like foundations. Not having separate foundations means less room to maneuver cards which makes spider somewhat difficult.

There are ten tableau piles in spider. Four six card piles and six five card piles. The top card is face up and the rest face down.

Build down in rank in any suit, but try to build in suit if possible.

The top card can be played to any other tableau pile.

All cards built in sequence and in suit can be moved as a unit to another tableau pile.

Kings cannot be built on another card and no card can be built on an ace.

Any card or sequence can be placed in an empty space, so making spaces is very important in this game.

When a 13 card sequence in suite is created all 13 cards are removed form the tableau. Remove all eight sequences and you win the game.

The stock

The only other part to spider is the stock. The stock the rest of the deck and in spider contains 50 cards.

When all possible moves are made, ten more cards, one to each tableau pile, are dealt from this pile a total of five times. Only deal these cards when all moves are made.

IMPORTANT: The cards can only be dealt when all spaces have been filled with at least one card.

Once the cards are used up, there is no more dealing from the stock.

Tips to Win

Try to get as many spaces as possible. You basically need at least two spaces freed at one point before dealing out the first set of ten cards to really have a chance to win.

Try to get an early 13 card sequence. This will remove 13 cards from the layout freeing space for more moves.

Try to get as many builds in sequence as possible, even if this requires making several extra moves to do so.

Finally, try to avoid burying any cards under more than three sets of sequences as they will become very difficult to retrieve later.

Game variants

Spider solitaire has a tremendous amount of variants. This includes different amounts of decks, suits used, free cells to play cards to and many more.

Here is a list of the major spider solitaire variants.

Minor Spider Solitaire Variants

Spider one suit only uses one suit. Build, move and remove cards regardless of suit.

Spider two suit only uses two suits. Build, move and remove cards in the same color.

Three deck spider uses three decks instead of two. There are 13 piles of six cards each in the tableau and 78 cards in the stock which is dealt six times.

Three deck spider one suit only uses one suit but three decks (see above).

Three deck spider two suit only uses two suits but three decks (see above).

Four deck spider uses four decks instead of two. There are 16 piles of seven cards each in the tableau and 112 cards in the stock which is dealt six times.

Four deck spider one suit only uses one suit but four decks (see above).

Four deck spider two suit only uses two suits but four decks (see above).