Solitaire is one of the most commonly played single-player card games in the world, with most players being well-acquainted with the Klondike variant. However, if you, like me, have sunk countless hours into Klondike and want to amp up the difficulty, then you can start grinding more difficult variants out there.
Spider Solitaire is one such variant that is notoriously known not only for being difficult but for having two more subvariations reserved for those seeking the pinnacle of difficulty. So, if you’ve been hooked by the brief description of this game and want to learn about it, from rules to strategies, then keep reading!
Introduction to Spider Solitaire
While most of the Solitaire variants we talk about are good for both newbies and seasoned veterans alike, Spider Solitaire, unfortunately, is not as friendly towards beginners. At best, I would recommend newer players who’ve won a few Klondike games to try out 4 Suit Spider, but 2 Suit and 4 Suit are just too big of an ask.
Spider Solitaire emerged in the early 20th Century and truly became mainstream when it was published with the enhancement of Microsoft Plus 98 for Windows 98. Up till that point, Windows users were only familiar with Klondike. If you, too, find yourself in the same boat (i.e., transitioning from Klondike to Spider), check out the differences below:
| Spider Solitaire | Klondike |
| Played with two decks of 52 cards | Played with one deck of 52 cards |
| The objective is to build eight Foundation piles | The objective is to build four Foundation piles |
| A card can be moved from one pile to another as long as it is one rank lower | A card can be moved from one pile to another as long as it is one rank lower and of the opposite color |
| A sequence of cards can be moved to another pile as long as the first card is one rank lower and the entire sequence consists of cards of the same suit | A sequence of cards can be moved to another pile as long as the first card is one rank lower and of the opposite color |
| Tableau consists of ten piles | Tableau consists of seven piles |
| Using the Stock means drawing ten cards and placing each on top of one pile | Using the Stock means drawing the top three cards and placing them in the Waste pile |
| Any card or group of cards can be moved to an empty pile | Only a King or a group of cards starting with a King can be moved to an empty pile |
How to Play Spider Solitaire
If the unique aspects of Spider Solitaire have caught your attention, then keep reading to learn how you can start playing it in your free time.
Objective
The objective of Spider Solitaire is to complete the eight foundation piles. In the 1 Suit variation, you treat every card to be of the same suit (typically Spades), so you end up building eight Foundations of Spades. In the 2 Suit variation, you treat all red cards to be of the Hearts suit and all black cards to be of the Spades suit, so you end up building four Foundations of Hearts and four Foundations of Spades. Finally, in the 4 Suit variation, you treat each card to be as it is, so you build two Foundations for each suit: Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs.
Setup and Dealing
If you’ve chimed in on digital Spider Solitaire, whether it be on an online website or on an application, the setup will be done for you. However, if you want to keep things authentic and play with your deck of cards, then keep reading:
- Take two decks of 52 cards and combine them into one big deck. Shuffle this deck to the best of your abilities – the more random the shuffle, the better the experience.
- Lay out ten piles of four face-down cards each. Add one more face-down to the first four piles, meaning the first four piles should have five cards while the remaining piles should have four cards.
- Flip up the top-most card of each pile in the Tableau.
- Set the remaining cards aside; these will make up the Stock
- Set aside some space for the eight Foundation piles, and you will be good to go!
Gameplay Rules
Now that you’ve successfully set up a game of Spider Solitaire, how do you actually go about playing it? Well, the following are the official rules for Spider Solitare that dictate what you can and can not do.
- A face-up card can be moved from one pile to another as long as it ranks lower than the card being moved. This rule applies to moving individual cards regardless of suit.
- A group of cards can be moved from one pile to another as long as the first card in the group is one rank lower than the card being moved to and the group itself comprises of cards of the same suit.
- In 1 Suit Spider, this does not mean much, as all cards are considered to be Spade cards.
- In 2 Suit Spider, you can interpret this rule as the group of cards comprising of the same color (since both Hearts and Diamonds are considered to be Hearts and both Spades and Clubs are considered Spades).
- If a face-down card happens to be at the top of a pile, it is flipped up. This typically happens when you move a card or group of cards across the Tableau or into the Foundation piles.
- If there is an empty pile in the Tableau, any card or group of cards can be moved to it.
- If you choose to use the Stock, whether it be because you have no more possible moves left to make or just want a set of fresh new cards, then take the top ten cards of the Stock and distribute them across the Tableau face-up.
- However, the Stock can not be utilized if there are empty piles on the Tableau. Hence, consider populating those vacant piles before using the Stock.
Tips and Strategies for Spider Solitaire
If you think you’re ready to start grinding Spider Solitaire, not so fast! You may understand the game’s objective, how it’s set up, and the rulings behind it, but you’ll quickly find yourself lost the moment you step foot in your first game. So, let me share some tips and strategies that have helped me master the formidable Spider Solitaire variant.
Uncover Cards As Fast as Possible
The more face-down cards you flip up, the more possible moves are made available for you, easing up the building process. This tip becomes all the more imperative as you engage in harder subvariations of Spider Solitaire, with 4 Suit Spider being the hardest of them all. For example, if you flip up an Ace of Spades, send it immediately to the Foundation Pile to uncover the card underneath.
Vacate Your First Pile Quickly
While vacant piles may be a nightmare for someone who’s overly reliant on the stock, vacating even one pile opens up opportunities to store cards not only for easier rearrangements but also to uncover any other face-down card in the Tableau. Of course, assuming that the face-down card is at the top of its respective pile.
Sequence on Higher Cards First
As the game opens, look first at how you can build on the higher face-up cards that are visible instead of the other way around. This is because if you start with a low card, it won’t take long before you finish the sequence and place an Ace on top – this could become an issue since you can’t place any card on top of the Ace. Hence, aim to draw out your sequences by building on higher cards first.
Use the Stock Sparingly
People generally give this advice to Klondike, but it becomes all the more important for Spider Solitaire. This is because, unlike Klondike, where the Stock cards go into a Waste pile, Stock cards in Spider directly replace all cards from each pile in the Tableau. Hence, if you use the Stock without thinking, you can end up losing out on some really potent moves that would later be difficult to rediscover.
There Is No Shame in Undo-ing
Due to the sheer difficulty of Spider Solitaire, you should not feel ashamed for needing to use the Undo feature if available. Due to the ten piles in front of you, it can understandably become difficult to keep track of the different sequences and moves available. So, if you do end up slipping up and making a move just as you stop an even better one, don’t shy away from using the undo feature to make that better move – every move counts!
Conclusion
Spider Solitaire is a very challenging variant to get the hang of, but that’s also why it’s widely popular amongst Solitaire fans. If you’re a relatively new player to Solitiare, then I’d recommend playing the 1 Suit variant if you’re dying to try out Spider. Of course, make sure to follow along with our tips to improve your mastery at the game so that one day, you can even take on the 4 Suit variation!
