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How to Play Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is a fascinating twist on classic solitaire, challenging you to arrange 104 cards into eight foundation piles. The goal is to meticulously sort cards within the tableau, building sequences in descending order. The game offers three distinct difficulty levels: 1 Suit (the easiest introduction), 2 Suits (medium challenge), and 4 Suits (the ultimate test for solitaire experts).
Objective of Spider Solitaire
Your primary objective in Spider Solitaire is to strategically organize and sequence cards within the tableau columns. You must arrange them in descending order, starting from King and descending to Ace. As you successfully create these King-to-Ace sequences, they are automatically moved from the tableau to one of the eight foundation piles. Victory is achieved when all eight foundations are filled with complete, suit-stacked card sequences, and the tableau is entirely cleared.
Setting Up Your Spider Solitaire Game
Tableau: The tableau is composed of ten columns, holding a total of 54 cards at the start of the game. The first four columns each contain six cards, while the remaining six columns have five cards each. This is where the main action happens – your card arranging and sequencing efforts will be focused here.
Stockpile: After dealing the initial tableau, the remaining 50 cards form the stockpile. When you run out of moves within the tableau, you can draw ten cards from the stockpile. These cards are dealt face-up, one to each of the ten tableau columns, providing new opportunities to continue building sequences.
Foundation: These are the eight piles where completed King-to-Ace sequences are automatically placed. Filling all eight foundation piles with sequenced cards is your path to winning the game.
Spider Solitaire terms
Mastering Your Moves in Online Spider Solitaire
- Building Card Sequences: In the tableau columns, you can move any face-up card onto another face-up card of the next higher rank. For example, a 9 of spades can be placed on top of a 10 of spades, regardless of suit color in some variations, but typically same suit is preferred for efficient sequence building in standard Spider Solitaire.
Nine on ten
- Moving Card Groups: You can move a sequenced group of cards within a column as a single unit to another column, but only if the top card of the group can be legally placed on the target card. Crucially, in standard Spider Solitaire, you can only move groups if they are of the same suit. In the example below, the 10 and 9 of Spades can be moved together onto the Jack of Spades because they are a sequenced run of the same suit.
Moving cards in a bunch
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Revealing Hidden Cards: As you move face-up cards, you may uncover face-down cards beneath them in a column. When only face-down cards remain at the bottom of a column, the topmost face-down card is automatically turned face-up, revealing a new playable card and opening up more strategic possibilities.
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Dealing from the Stockpile: If you reach a point where no more moves are apparent in the tableau, it’s time to draw from the stockpile. Clicking the stockpile deals ten new cards, face-up, one to each tableau column. You can draw from the stockpile a total of five times throughout a game. Remember, you can only draw when there are no empty columns in the tableau.
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Handling Blocked Cards: Drawing from the stockpile can sometimes create situations where cards become temporarily blocked. In the example below, the Ace is on top of the 10. The 10 and Jack sequence cannot be moved as a group until the Ace is moved, because the Ace is disrupting the descending order of that potential group. Not all cards in a column are always movable as a single unit.
Moving cards in a bunch
- Sequencing Around Blocks: Even when a card is blocking a sequence, you can continue to build sequences below the blocked card. In the example, even though the Queen is currently blocked, you can still place a Jack on top of it. Once this is done, you’ll need to strategically move the Queen and Jack sequence to eventually access the 9 and continue building further down.
sequence after block
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Utilizing Empty Columns: If you manage to clear an entire tableau column, it becomes an empty column. Empty columns are incredibly valuable as they can serve as temporary holding spots for any single card or a sequenced group of cards. You can strategically move cards into empty columns to free up other columns or to help you reorganize and build longer sequences elsewhere. However, you cannot deal cards from the stock pile if any column is empty.
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Completing and Foundationing Sequences: As you skillfully make moves and arrange cards in descending order within the tableau columns, aim to build complete King-to-Ace sequences of the same suit. Once you successfully complete such a sequence, those cards are automatically whisked away to one of the foundation piles. Achieving victory in Spider Solitaire means filling all eight foundation piles with these complete suit sequences. If you exhaust the stockpile and no further moves are possible, the game concludes, often resulting in a loss.
Stepping Up the Challenge: 2 Suits and 4 Suits Spider Solitaire
Once you’ve become comfortable with 1 Suit Spider Solitaire, you can elevate the challenge by trying the 2 Suits or 4 Suits Spider Solitaire variations.
The fundamental layout and rules remain largely consistent across all difficulty levels. All variations use two decks of cards. In 2 Suits Spider Solitaire, two suits (hearts and spades are common) are used, totaling 104 cards. 4 Suits Spider Solitaire utilizes all four suits, with 26 cards from each, also totaling 104 cards. The initial tableau setup is identical to the 1 Suit version. The key differences lie in how suits impact card movement and sequence completion:
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Consistent Card Movement Rules: The basic rules for moving individual cards remain the same across all suit variations. You still build descending sequences.
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Suit-Specific Group Movement: In 2 and 4 Suits Spider Solitaire, you are only able to move a group of cards as a single unit if they are in sequential order and of the same suit. This adds a significant layer of complexity compared to 1 Suit, where suit is less critical for moving groups.
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Sequencing Different Suits, Movement Restrictions: You can sequence cards of different suits on top of each other within the tableau columns. For example, you could place a 4 of Hearts on a 5 of Spades. However, this is where the challenge intensifies. While sequencing different suits is allowed to help uncover cards, you cannot move these mixed-suit sequences as a group. If you place a 4 of Hearts on a 5 of Spades, the 5 of Spades is effectively blocked from being moved as part of a group until the 4 of Hearts is removed. They are not considered a movable unit together because they are not the same suit.
sequence after block
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Empty Column Flexibility: Just like in 1 Suit Spider Solitaire, empty columns in 2 and 4 Suits variations can be filled with any single card or a same-suit sequence of cards that you wish to relocate.
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Winning in Multi-Suit Variations: The win condition remains the same: fill all foundation piles with complete King-to-Ace suit sequences. In 4 Suits Spider Solitaire, this means completing two foundation piles for each of the four suits. In 2 Suits Spider Solitaire, you’ll complete four foundation piles for each of the two suits in play.
The addition of more suits dramatically increases the difficulty of Spider Solitaire. It demands meticulous planning and foresight, as a single misstep can trap crucial cards and significantly reduce your chances of winning. As you increase the number of suits, the probability of winning naturally decreases, making it a true test of your solitaire skills.
For a deeper dive, explore our comprehensive guide on how to play Spider Solitaire.
Spider Solitaire Strategy to Enhance Your Gameplay
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Prioritize Uncovering Face-Down Cards: Revealing hidden cards is paramount. It provides vital information about available cards, potential sequences, and unlocks new move options. Before resorting to drawing from the stockpile, exhaust every possibility to reveal face-down cards within the tableau. This strategic card reveal is key to informed decision-making.
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Strategically Create Empty Columns: Empty columns are powerful assets. Whenever an opportunity arises to create an empty column, seize it. You can use empty columns to temporarily relocate cards or sequences, free up congested columns, and maneuver towards building complete suit sequences.
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Favor Higher Ranking Cards for Empty Columns: When utilizing empty columns, prioritize moving higher-ranking cards, particularly Kings, into them. Placing lower-ranking cards in empty columns limits their utility. For instance, if you move a 3 to an empty column, you can only subsequently place a 2 and then an Ace there. In contrast, a King in an empty column allows you to build a much longer descending sequence, maximizing the column’s potential and aiding in arranging same-suit sequences from King down to Ace.
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Don’t Hesitate to Use the Undo Button: Spider Solitaire can be complex, and miscalculations happen. If you make a move that hinders your progress or leads to a dead end, don’t hesitate to use the undo button. Backtracking allows you to explore alternative moves, correct errors, and refine your strategy to maximize your chances of winning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spider Solitaire Online
What are the Odds of Winning 1 Suit Spider Solitaire When Playing Online?
1 Suit Spider Solitaire is considered the easiest difficulty level. Analyzing a substantial sample of 932,087 random games played on our platform, we observed that 487,429 games were won. This translates to a win rate of approximately 52.29%. This statistic underscores that 1 Suit Spider Solitaire is significantly more winnable than the more challenging variations. It’s over three times easier to win than 2 Suits Spider Solitaire (which has a win rate around 16.6%) and a staggering eight times easier than 4 Suits Spider Solitaire (with a win rate of approximately 6.2%).
It’s important to remember that in Spider Solitaire, not every game is winnable, regardless of skill or strategy. Luck of the draw plays a role. However, implementing effective strategies can demonstrably increase your probability of success and improve your win rate.
What Games Online are Similar to Spider Solitaire?
If you enjoy Spider Solitaire, you might also find these online solitaire variations engaging:
- Klondike Solitaire (Classic Solitaire): The most iconic and widely recognized solitaire game.
- FreeCell Solitaire: Known for its high winnability rate when played strategically.
- Pyramid Solitaire: A solitaire variation focused on pairing cards to clear a pyramid-shaped tableau.
- Spiderette Solitaire: A simpler, single-deck version of Spider Solitaire, often considered a good stepping stone to the full Spider Solitaire game.
These games offer diverse solitaire experiences while retaining the strategic card-based gameplay that makes Spider Solitaire so appealing.
What is the History Behind Spider Solitaire?
The name “Spider Solitaire” is inspired by the spider’s eight legs, directly correlating to the eight foundation piles that must be filled to achieve victory in the game. While the modern version we play today gained prominence around 1949, the earliest documented mention of “Spider” dates back to Games Digest magazine in 1937 Games Digest. This publication described a game remarkably similar to modern Spider Solitaire, albeit with a slightly smaller tableau of 50 cards instead of 54. However, the 1937 article already referred to Spider as a “well-known game,” suggesting its origins likely trace back even further, possibly to the early 1930s or even earlier.
Spider Solitaire’s widespread popularity surged with its inclusion in Microsoft Windows in 1998. This integration introduced the game to a massive global audience and solidified its place as a beloved digital pastime.
What Other Popular Solitaire Games Can I Play Online?
Beyond Spider Solitaire, a vast library of captivating solitaire games awaits you online. Here are a few more popular options to explore:
- Yukon Solitaire: A challenging solitaire variation known for its open tableau and strategic card movement.
- Forty Thieves Solitaire: A two-deck solitaire game with a limited number of tableau columns and reserve piles, demanding careful planning.
- Golf Solitaire: A simpler solitaire game where you aim to clear cards from the tableau by matching them in sequence to a waste pile.
For even more entertainment, discover our extensive collection of over 500+ free online games. Challenge yourself daily with our daily Solitaire challenges to hone your skills and earn rewards. If you prefer app-based gaming, we’ve compiled a list of the best Spider Solitaire apps available here.
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