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Spider Solitaire

Build complete suited sequences across ten columns with one, two or four suits.

Rules of the game

Remove all 104 cards by assembling 8 complete same-suit sequences from King down to Ace.

  1. Cards can be placed on the next higher rank, regardless of suit.
  2. A group can move together only when all its cards descend in the same suit.
  3. A completed same-suit King-to-Ace sequence leaves the tableau automatically.
  4. The stock deals one card to every column, but only when no column is empty.

Understand the layout

Tableau

54 cards are dealt into 10 columns. The first 4 contain 6 cards and the other 6 contain 5, with only the top cards face up.

Stock

50 cards remain as 5 deals of 10. A new row cannot be dealt while a tableau column is empty.

Suit modes

Choose 1, 2 or 4 suits. The movement and completion rules remain the same.

Concrete move examples

Legal move

Place any 8 on any 9, or move an entire descending same-suit run together.

Illegal move

Move a mixed-suit group as one unit, or deal a stock row while a column is empty.

How to play well

Judge an opening move by the hidden cards it can expose. Mixing suits is acceptable when it opens the tableau, but avoid covering a long same-suit run that was already movable.

An empty column is your strongest working space because it can hold any card or valid run. Use it to separate mixed stacks, then decide how to refill it before the next stock deal.

A new row adds 10 cards and cannot be undone by another stock action. Deal only after checking every useful move and confirming that all 10 columns are occupied.

Useful tips

  • Expose face-down cards before dealing a new row.
  • Keep at least one empty column whenever possible.
  • Use the one-suit mode to learn the rhythm before adding suits.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Do not cover a long same-suit run with an unrelated card.
  • Do not deal a new row while useful moves remain.

How the game ends

You win after eight complete same-suit King-to-Ace sequences leave the tableau. You lose when no legal move remains and no stock row can be dealt.

Common questions

Can different suits be stacked?

Yes, ranks may be stacked in descending order, but only a same-suit run moves together and completes.

What can enter an empty column?

Any single card or valid movable same-suit run.

When does a sequence disappear?

A complete same-suit sequence from King through Ace is removed automatically.

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