Objective
Build eight complete sequences, each running from king down to ace in a single suit. Each finished sequence is lifted off the table. When all eight are gone, you have won. Spider is one of the most popular solitaires there is, and in its full four-suit form it is one of the hardest.
Setup
Shuffle the two decks together. Deal 54 cards into ten columns, left to right: the first four columns get six cards each and the other six columns get five. Turn the top card of each column face up and leave the rest face down.
The remaining 50 cards form the stock. You will deal them later, ten at a time, in five rounds.
How to play
You can move the top card of any column onto a card one rank higher in any other column, whatever the suit: a seven of hearts onto an eight of clubs is legal. You can also move a group of cards together, but only if the group runs in order and all its cards are the same suit.
When you uncover a face-down card, turn it face up. When a column empties, you can fill it with any card or any movable group. You are not limited to kings.
When you complete a sequence from king to ace in one suit, remove it from the table.
When you run out of useful moves, deal ten cards from the stock, one face up onto each column. Then carry on. The game ends when all eight suits are cleared, or when the stock is gone and you are stuck.
- 1Move a card onto one rank higher, any suit
- 2Move groups only when they share a suit
- 3Fill empty columns with any card or group
- 4Deal ten from the stock when you are stuck
Scoring
At the table, Spider is simply won or lost. Many players keep score the way most computer versions do, which rewards finishing suits and penalizes wasted moves.
| Event | Points |
|---|---|
| Starting score | 500 |
| Each move | −1 |
| Each completed suit | +100 |
Clearing all eight suits is a win, whatever the score. Keep your best score and try to beat it.
Variations
One suit: use eight sets of spades instead of two full decks. Every card can move with every other, and most games are winnable. A good way to learn.
Two suits: use four sets each of spades and hearts. It is noticeably harder than one suit and much easier than four.
Spiderette: a one-deck version dealt in seven columns like Klondike, with the same building rules.
Tips from the table
Turning over face-down cards matters more than almost anything else. Choose the move that uncovers a card over one that just tidies a column.
Empty columns are your most powerful tool. Use them to break up mixed-suit stacks and rebuild them in one suit, and don’t fill one casually.
When you have a choice, build in the same suit. The seven of hearts on the eight of hearts is worth far more than the seven of clubs, because only same-suit runs can move together.
Before you deal from the stock, make every helpful move first. Ten new cards will bury what is underneath.
Video Guides Are on the Way
We’re filming Game Guides that walk through full hands at the table, from the deal to the score.
Frequently asked
Can I move a run of mixed suits?
Not as a group. A mixed-suit run has to be moved one card at a time, which usually needs empty columns.
What can go in an empty column?
Any card, or any group of same-suit cards in sequence. Unlike Klondike, you are not limited to kings.
Can I deal from the stock with an empty column?
No. Every column must have at least one card before you deal.
How often can Spider be won?
The four-suit game is very hard, and even strong players lose many hands. The one-suit version is won far more often.
New rules every month
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