How to Play Spider Solitaire

The goal

You win by clearing all 104 cards from the table. To do that, you build eight complete sequences that each run from King down to Ace in a single suit. Every time you finish one of these full King-to-Ace runs, it is removed from the table. Assemble all eight, and the table is empty and the game is won.

Setting up the board

The game uses 104 cards (two standard decks). 54 cards are dealt face down into ten columns to start: the first four columns get six cards each and the remaining six columns get five cards each, with only the top card of each column turned face up. The 50 leftover cards form the stock, which is dealt out later in five rounds of ten cards each.

How to play, step by step

1. Understand the goalYou are trying to build eight runs that each go from King down to Ace in the same suit. Each completed run leaves the table, and clearing all of them wins the game.
2. Build downward in numberMove a card onto another card that is exactly one rank higher, such as placing a 7 on an 8 or a Jack on a Queen. When you build this way, the value always steps down by one.
3. Know what suit rules applyYou may place a card on any higher card regardless of suit, so a red 7 can sit on a black 8. Suit only matters when you want to move several cards at once or finish a run.
4. Move stacks of the same suitYou can pick up and move a group of cards together only if they are already in order and all the same suit. A mixed-suit stack can only be moved one card at a time.
5. Turn over and empty columnsWhen you move the top face-up card off a pile, flip the face-down card beneath it. Emptying a column entirely is valuable because you can place any card or any valid stack into the open space.
6. Complete and remove a full suitWhen a column shows an unbroken same-suit sequence from King all the way down to Ace, that run is complete and is automatically taken off the table. Removing runs frees up space and brings you closer to winning.
7. Deal from the stock when stuckWhen you run out of useful moves, deal a new row from the stock. One card is added face up to every column at once, so plan before you deal because it can break up sequences you were building.

Beginner tips

• Start on one suit. With a single suit, any in-order stack can be moved together, which makes it far easier to learn the flow before adding more suits.
• Prioritize turning over face-down cards and emptying columns, since both open up new options that hidden cards keep locked away.
• Try to keep cards of the same suit together as you build, because same-suit sequences are the only ones you can move as a group or eventually remove.
• Before dealing from the stock, make every move you can first, as a fresh row often blocks sequences and you cannot undo a deal.
• Keep an empty column open as a workspace when possible; it lets you temporarily relocate cards and untangle awkward piles.
• Look a few moves ahead and avoid burying low cards like Aces and 2s under higher ones, since you need them to finish runs.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Dealing from the stock too early, before exhausting all the moves already available on the table.
• Stacking cards without watching suits, leaving sequences too mixed to move as a group or ever complete.
• Filling an empty column with a single random card instead of saving that space for an ordered stack or a card you really need to relocate.
• Burying Aces and low cards under bigger ones, making it impossible to extend a run all the way down.
• Forgetting to flip a newly exposed face-down card, or overlooking that you cannot deal from the stock while any column sits empty.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cards are in Spider Solitaire?

It uses 104 cards, which is two full standard decks combined. 54 are dealt into the ten columns at the start, and the remaining 50 sit in the stock to be dealt later.

What is the difference between 1-suit, 2-suit, and 4-suit Spider?

They set the difficulty. One suit is the easiest because every card matches, two suits is moderate, and four suits is the hardest since you must keep all four suits separated to finish runs. The building and removal rules are the same; only the number of suits changes.

Can I move more than one card at a time?

Yes, but only if the cards are already in descending order and all the same suit. A run that mixes suits can only be moved one card at a time.

How do I remove cards from the table?

Build a complete same-suit sequence from King down to Ace in a single column. Once it is finished, that run is automatically lifted off the table, and clearing all eight runs wins the game.

When can I deal from the stock?

You can deal a new row only when every one of the ten columns has at least one card in it. If any column is empty, you must fill it first before dealing.

Is every game of Spider Solitaire winnable?

Most one-suit deals can be won with good play, but as you add suits the games get much harder and many four-suit deals are very difficult or not solvable. Even winnable games often require careful planning and a willingness to undo and rethink.

What is the hardest part for beginners?

Managing suits while building. It is easy to create long stacks that are out of order or mixed across suits, which then cannot be moved or completed, so thinking ahead about suit and sequence is the main skill to develop.