Solitaire Arcade
Learn how to play Spider Solitaire with two decks, 10 columns, same-suit King-to-Ace sequences, 1/2/4 suit modes, stock deals, and winning strategy.
Spider Solitaire is the bigger, more patient cousin of Klondike Solitaire. You play with two decks and ten columns, and instead of four Ace-up foundations you build full same-suit runs from King down to Ace and clear them off the tableau.
The rules click quickly. Winning takes longer: flip buried cards, keep same-suit runs intact when you can, and treat empty columns like scarce workspace. You can play Spider Solitaire online on Solitaire Arcade while you learn.
Spider uses two standard decks (104 cards) dealt across 10 tableau columns, with a stock that drops a fresh card onto every column when you deal.
Difficulty comes from how many suits are in play. 1 Suit is the friendliest place to learn the rhythm, 2 Suit is the middle ground, and 4 Suit is the classic hard mode. The move rules barely change; what changes is how hard it is to keep a clean same-suit sequence together.
Clear the tableau by completing eight same-suit sequences from King down to Ace. When a full King-through-Ace run in one suit is finished, it leaves the board. Win when all eight are gone.
Fifty-four cards start in the tableau: the first four columns get six cards each, the last six get five. Only the top card of each column is face-up; everything underneath stays hidden until you dig it out. The other 50 cards sit in the stock. Each deal puts one new card on the bottom of every column.
Scan the ten face-up cards first. You can drop a card onto another that is one rank higher: 9 on 10, Queen on King, 4 on 5. Colour does not matter here the way it does in Klondike; mixed suits are legal for single-card builds.
Same-suit runs are still what win. A clean 9♠-8♠-7♠ can travel as a group. A descending 9♠-8♥-7♠ can help as temporary scaffolding, but it will not move together and it will not clear.
Flipping buried cards is the early-game priority. Move the face-up card off a column, turn the hidden one up, and suddenly you have new options. Even a messy mixed-suit move can be right if it opens information you did not have before.
When the tableau is truly stuck, deal from the stock. That drops ten new cards at once, one onto each column, which can create moves or bury the exact run you were nursing.
Check the whole board first: flips, empty columns, same-suit joins. In standard rules you also cannot deal while any column is empty, so fill gaps before you hit Deal. For timing depth, read When to Deal From the Stock in Spider Solitaire.
An empty column is premium workspace. You can usually park any card or valid sequence there to reshuffle the board, dig for flips, or set up a safer deal. Do not dump the first available card into it. A good empty-column move should reveal something, relocate a long run, tighten a same-suit build, or clear the path for stock.
1 Suit is the teaching mode: every descending stack is already same-suit, so you can focus on flips, empty columns, and stock timing without suit juggling.
2 Suit adds real planning. Mixed builds are still legal, but only same-suit runs move cleanly and clear. It is the best step up once 1 Suit feels automatic.
4 Suit is the hard classic. Mixed stacks form easily and stick around; patience, empty-column discipline, and careful deals matter more. Compare modes in Spider 1 Suit vs 2 Suit vs 4 Suit.
Solitaire Arcade Spider includes 1 Suit, 2 Suit, and 4 Suit, plus smart hints, unlimited undo/redo, and standard stock rules. Drag a legal same-suit run, or tap to select and tap a highlighted column. Deal adds one card to each column when you need fresh options, but not while any column is empty.
Start on 1 Suit to learn the rhythm, then step into 2 Suit and 4 Suit when you want more suit management.
Prefer same-suit placements when you have a choice. An 8♠ on 9♠ usually beats an 8♠ on 9♥, because clean runs are what clear.
Chase flips early. Hidden cards are locked information. Create an empty column before a deal when you can; that breathing room often saves a hand that would otherwise clog. Delay the stock until the tableau is honestly out of useful work. Keep long clean runs intact unless splitting them clearly buys a flip or an empty column.
For run-building habits, see How to Build Same-Suit Runs in Spider Solitaire.
Dealing too early is the easiest way to bury progress. Ten new cards can interrupt the exact sequences you were building. Check the tableau first.
Leaning on mixed-suit stacks for too long traps cards, especially in 2 Suit and 4 Suit; use mixed builds as scaffolding, not the final structure. Filling an empty column without a plan wastes your best reorganisation tool. Ignoring face-down cards leaves the board looking tidy while half of it stays locked. Splitting a strong same-suit run for a cosmetic tidy-up is rarely worth it.
Klondike uses one deck, seven columns, and Ace-to-King foundations by suit. Spider uses two decks, ten columns, and eight King-to-Ace same-suit clears. Klondike cares about alternating colours and foundation timing; Spider cares about same-suit runs, empty columns, and patience before each deal.
If you already know Klondike, our How to Play Solitaire guide covers those rules. For other strategic layouts, try How to Play FreeCell or How to Play Tri Peaks.
How many decks are used in Spider Solitaire?
Two standard decks, 104 cards.
How many tableau columns are there?
Ten.
How many cards are in the stock pile?
Fifty after the initial deal.
Can you build cards regardless of suit?
Yes. Rank must step down by one; suit can differ for single-card builds.
Can mixed-suit sequences move together?
Usually no. A group move needs the same suit throughout.
What happens when you complete King to Ace in the same suit?
That sequence is removed from the tableau.
Which Spider version is easiest?
1 Suit. 2 Suit is medium; 4 Suit is the hardest standard mode.
Spider rewards players who think a few moves ahead. You are not just stacking any descending cards. You are nursing same-suit runs that can move, finish, and clear.
Flip early. Protect empty columns. Deal late. Learn the flow in 1 Suit, then bring that patience into 2 Suit and 4 Suit.
Ready to try it? Play Spider Solitaire online, or explore How to Play Solitaire, How to Play FreeCell, and How to Play Tri Peaks.
Win more 4 Suit Spider Solitaire games with same-suit discipline, empty-column control, contained mixed stacks, and careful stock timing — the habits that keep a crowded board flexible long enough to finish.
Win more 2 Suit Spider Solitaire games with same-suit run discipline, early reveals, smart empty-column use, and stock timing — the habits that keep the board alive without overthinking every move.
Learn when to deal from the stock in Spider Solitaire — reveal hidden cards first, protect same-suit runs, use empty columns, and deal only when the tableau stops improving.
Learn how to build clean same-suit runs in Spider Solitaire — when mixed suits help, when to protect partial runs, and how empty columns and stock deals fit in.
Solitaire Arcade
Learn how to play Spider Solitaire with two decks, 10 columns, same-suit King-to-Ace sequences, 1/2/4 suit modes, stock deals, and winning strategy.
Spider Solitaire is the bigger, more patient cousin of Klondike Solitaire. You play with two decks and ten columns, and instead of four Ace-up foundations you build full same-suit runs from King down to Ace and clear them off the tableau.
The rules click quickly. Winning takes longer: flip buried cards, keep same-suit runs intact when you can, and treat empty columns like scarce workspace. You can play Spider Solitaire online on Solitaire Arcade while you learn.
Spider uses two standard decks (104 cards) dealt across 10 tableau columns, with a stock that drops a fresh card onto every column when you deal.
Difficulty comes from how many suits are in play. 1 Suit is the friendliest place to learn the rhythm, 2 Suit is the middle ground, and 4 Suit is the classic hard mode. The move rules barely change; what changes is how hard it is to keep a clean same-suit sequence together.
Clear the tableau by completing eight same-suit sequences from King down to Ace. When a full King-through-Ace run in one suit is finished, it leaves the board. Win when all eight are gone.
Fifty-four cards start in the tableau: the first four columns get six cards each, the last six get five. Only the top card of each column is face-up; everything underneath stays hidden until you dig it out. The other 50 cards sit in the stock. Each deal puts one new card on the bottom of every column.
Scan the ten face-up cards first. You can drop a card onto another that is one rank higher: 9 on 10, Queen on King, 4 on 5. Colour does not matter here the way it does in Klondike; mixed suits are legal for single-card builds.
Same-suit runs are still what win. A clean 9♠-8♠-7♠ can travel as a group. A descending 9♠-8♥-7♠ can help as temporary scaffolding, but it will not move together and it will not clear.
Flipping buried cards is the early-game priority. Move the face-up card off a column, turn the hidden one up, and suddenly you have new options. Even a messy mixed-suit move can be right if it opens information you did not have before.
When the tableau is truly stuck, deal from the stock. That drops ten new cards at once, one onto each column, which can create moves or bury the exact run you were nursing.
Check the whole board first: flips, empty columns, same-suit joins. In standard rules you also cannot deal while any column is empty, so fill gaps before you hit Deal. For timing depth, read When to Deal From the Stock in Spider Solitaire.
An empty column is premium workspace. You can usually park any card or valid sequence there to reshuffle the board, dig for flips, or set up a safer deal. Do not dump the first available card into it. A good empty-column move should reveal something, relocate a long run, tighten a same-suit build, or clear the path for stock.
1 Suit is the teaching mode: every descending stack is already same-suit, so you can focus on flips, empty columns, and stock timing without suit juggling.
2 Suit adds real planning. Mixed builds are still legal, but only same-suit runs move cleanly and clear. It is the best step up once 1 Suit feels automatic.
4 Suit is the hard classic. Mixed stacks form easily and stick around; patience, empty-column discipline, and careful deals matter more. Compare modes in Spider 1 Suit vs 2 Suit vs 4 Suit.
Solitaire Arcade Spider includes 1 Suit, 2 Suit, and 4 Suit, plus smart hints, unlimited undo/redo, and standard stock rules. Drag a legal same-suit run, or tap to select and tap a highlighted column. Deal adds one card to each column when you need fresh options, but not while any column is empty.
Start on 1 Suit to learn the rhythm, then step into 2 Suit and 4 Suit when you want more suit management.
Prefer same-suit placements when you have a choice. An 8♠ on 9♠ usually beats an 8♠ on 9♥, because clean runs are what clear.
Chase flips early. Hidden cards are locked information. Create an empty column before a deal when you can; that breathing room often saves a hand that would otherwise clog. Delay the stock until the tableau is honestly out of useful work. Keep long clean runs intact unless splitting them clearly buys a flip or an empty column.
For run-building habits, see How to Build Same-Suit Runs in Spider Solitaire.
Dealing too early is the easiest way to bury progress. Ten new cards can interrupt the exact sequences you were building. Check the tableau first.
Leaning on mixed-suit stacks for too long traps cards, especially in 2 Suit and 4 Suit; use mixed builds as scaffolding, not the final structure. Filling an empty column without a plan wastes your best reorganisation tool. Ignoring face-down cards leaves the board looking tidy while half of it stays locked. Splitting a strong same-suit run for a cosmetic tidy-up is rarely worth it.
Klondike uses one deck, seven columns, and Ace-to-King foundations by suit. Spider uses two decks, ten columns, and eight King-to-Ace same-suit clears. Klondike cares about alternating colours and foundation timing; Spider cares about same-suit runs, empty columns, and patience before each deal.
If you already know Klondike, our How to Play Solitaire guide covers those rules. For other strategic layouts, try How to Play FreeCell or How to Play Tri Peaks.
How many decks are used in Spider Solitaire?
Two standard decks, 104 cards.
How many tableau columns are there?
Ten.
How many cards are in the stock pile?
Fifty after the initial deal.
Can you build cards regardless of suit?
Yes. Rank must step down by one; suit can differ for single-card builds.
Can mixed-suit sequences move together?
Usually no. A group move needs the same suit throughout.
What happens when you complete King to Ace in the same suit?
That sequence is removed from the tableau.
Which Spider version is easiest?
1 Suit. 2 Suit is medium; 4 Suit is the hardest standard mode.
Spider rewards players who think a few moves ahead. You are not just stacking any descending cards. You are nursing same-suit runs that can move, finish, and clear.
Flip early. Protect empty columns. Deal late. Learn the flow in 1 Suit, then bring that patience into 2 Suit and 4 Suit.
Ready to try it? Play Spider Solitaire online, or explore How to Play Solitaire, How to Play FreeCell, and How to Play Tri Peaks.
Win more 4 Suit Spider Solitaire games with same-suit discipline, empty-column control, contained mixed stacks, and careful stock timing — the habits that keep a crowded board flexible long enough to finish.
Win more 2 Suit Spider Solitaire games with same-suit run discipline, early reveals, smart empty-column use, and stock timing — the habits that keep the board alive without overthinking every move.
Learn when to deal from the stock in Spider Solitaire — reveal hidden cards first, protect same-suit runs, use empty columns, and deal only when the tableau stops improving.
Learn how to build clean same-suit runs in Spider Solitaire — when mixed suits help, when to protect partial runs, and how empty columns and stock deals fit in.
