Spider Solitaire

Spider is one of the most popular and challenging patience games, second only to Klondike in worldwide recognition. Unlike most solitaire games that use a single deck, Spider uses two full 52-card decks shuffled together. That 104-card challenge is spread across ten tableau columns.

If you are new to solitaire, start with our beginner's guide to solitaire before tackling Spider.

The game gets its name from the eight foundation piles that must be completed — one for each leg of a spider. Players build descending sequences in the tableau, aiming to form complete King-to-Ace runs of a single suit. When a full 13-card sequence of one suit is formed, it is automatically removed from play.

Spider comes in three difficulty levels based on the number of suits used. One-suit Spider uses only spades and is highly winnable — perfect for beginners. Two-suit Spider adds hearts and significantly increases complexity. Four-suit Spider uses all four suits and is one of the hardest common solitaire variants, with win rates around 6-10% even for skilled players.

Spider rewards deep tactical thinking and planning several moves ahead. Unlike Klondike, where luck plays a big role, Spider's larger tableau and dual-deck setup give skilled play more room to overcome bad card distributions.

One of Spider's most satisfying moments comes when a completed suit sequence sweeps off the board all at once. That visual reward — thirteen cards lifting away in a single motion — keeps players coming back even through tough losses.

Setup: Shuffle two standard 52-card decks together. Deal 54 cards into ten tableau columns — the first four columns get six cards each, and the remaining six get five each. Only the top card of each column is face-up. The remaining 50 cards form the stock pile.

On each turn:

1. Move cards in the tableau. Move a face-up card onto another column if the card being moved is exactly one rank lower than the card it lands on. In one-suit and two-suit variants, suit doesn't matter for placement. In four-suit Spider, you can place on any card of the correct rank, but only single-suit sequences can move as a group.
2. Deal from the stock. When you can't or don't want to make more moves, deal a new row of ten cards from the stock — one on each column. Important: you cannot deal if any column is empty. All columns must have at least one card before dealing.
3. Complete sequences. When a full descending sequence from King to Ace of a single suit forms in a column, it is automatically removed. Continue until all eight sequences are removed (a win) or no more moves are possible. Empty columns can be filled with any card or valid sequence.

• Keep columns flexible. Never fill all ten columns with immovable cards. Keep at least one or two columns relatively clear for use as temporary storage during rearrangements.
• Build same-suit sequences whenever possible. A same-suit sequence can move as a unit; a mixed-suit sequence cannot. That mobility difference becomes critical in the mid-game when space is tight.
• Create an empty column before dealing from the stock. Empty columns are your most valuable resource — use them to store cards while reorganizing. Many players fall into the trap of dealing when a column is empty, which the rules forbid.
• In four-suit Spider, focus on completing one or two suits early. Spreading effort across all four suits leaves you stuck. Completing a single suit frees up significant column space and improves your position dramatically.

Spider predates its digital fame, with roots in traditional card game collections dating back to the early 1900s. The game appeared in various card game books throughout the 20th century but stayed relatively obscure compared to Klondike and FreeCell.

Spider's popularity surged when Microsoft included it in the Microsoft Plus! 98, then made it a standard feature in Windows XP in 2001. That implementation offered one-suit, two-suit, and four-suit variants, opening the game to players of all skill levels.

The digital version's success led to studies of Spider's mathematical properties. Researchers found that one-suit Spider is solvable roughly 85-90% of the time, while four-suit Spider is winnable only about 6-10% of the time — making it one of the most challenging common solitaire variants.