Spider Solitaire Rules

Spider Solitaire is a popular single-player card game that offers a challenging and engaging experience. This game is suitable for players aged 13 and above. To play Spider Solitaire, you will require two standard 52-card decks.

Game Overview

Spider Solitaire is played by a single player, and the only material you need is two standard 52-card decks shuffled together. It is one of the best known two-deck solitaires, and its appeal comes from the long chains of cards you gradually assemble on the tableau.

Objective

The objective of Spider Solitaire is to assemble 13 cards of a suit, in ascending sequence from Ace through King, on top of a pile. When a full suit of 13 cards is assembled, it is lifted off and discarded from the game. The game is won if all eight suits are played out.

Setup

To set up Spider Solitaire, shuffle the two decks together to create a single 104-card deck. Ten piles of five cards each are dealt by rows. The first four cards of each pile are dealt face down, the top cards face up. The cards that remain after this deal are kept aside as the stock, and will be dealt out later in further rows of ten.

How to Play

Players can move the top card of a pile, along with all face-up cards below it that follow in ascending suit and sequence. A sequence of available cards may be broken at any point by leaving some cards behind. For example, if a pile from top down shows 4, 5, 6, 7, either the first one, two, or three cards may be moved as a unit, but the 7 may not be moved until the covering three cards are removed.

A movable unit of cards may be placed either in a space or on a card of the next-higher rank to the bottom card of the unit, regardless of color or suit. For instance, if the bottom card of a unit is the J, it may be moved onto any one of the four queens.

A king can be moved only onto a space. Alternatively, the spaces may be filled with any movable unit.

When all possible or desired moves come to a standstill, the player deals another row of ten cards face up. However, before such a deal may be made, all spaces must be filled. The final deal consists of only four cards, which are placed on the first four piles.

Scoring and End of Game

There are no points scored in Spider Solitaire. The game ends when all eight suits are played out, signifying a win. If it's impossible to make any more moves, the game is a loss.

Common Variants

The best known variations change how many suits are in play. Computer versions in particular are usually offered in a one-suit, two-suit or four-suit setting: with a single suit the sequences you build are automatically of the same suit and the game becomes much easier, while the four-suit game — the full version described above — is the hardest. Single-deck relatives of Spider, dealt on fewer columns, also exist.

What Makes It So Appealing

Spider is a solitaire of patience rather than speed. Every row you deal from the stock buries the work already done, so the whole game turns on one question: how many face-down cards can you uncover before you are forced to deal again? Completing a full ace-to-king suit and lifting those thirteen cards off the tableau is the moment players come back for.

Where to Get the Game

Two standard decks are all you need to start playing. 2 decks of playing cards on Amazon

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Moving cards out of sequence: Beginners often struggle with moving cards out of sequence, leading to blocked moves. Always ensure that the cards you move are in ascending suit and sequence.
2. Filling spaces prematurely: Filling spaces with cards that can't be moved later in the game can lead to a standstill. Be strategic about filling spaces and only do so when necessary.
3. Dealing from the stock too soon: every new row of ten covers the cards you have already arranged. Exhaust the moves available on the tableau first — and remember that all spaces must be filled before a new row may be dealt.

FAQ

1. How many decks do I need? Two standard 52-card packs, shuffled together.

2. How many cards are dealt in each pile at the start of the game? Ten piles of five cards each are dealt at the start of the game, four cards face down and the top card face up.

3. Does a card have to match the suit of the card it is played on? No. A movable unit may be placed on a card of the next-higher rank regardless of colour or suit — a jack goes onto any queen. Matching suits only matters within the unit you are moving, and for the thirteen-card sequence you are trying to complete.

4. How do I win at Spider Solitaire? The game is won when all eight suits are played out, with 13 cards of a suit, in ascending sequence from Ace through King, on top of a pile.

5. What happens if I can't make any more moves? If it's impossible to make any more moves, the game is a loss.

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