How do you win Spider solitaire?

Spider rewards patience and tidy columns. A handful of habits separate a game that clears smoothly from one that seizes up halfway through.

Quick answer: Win Spider by prioritizing same-suit sequences, uncovering face-down cards early, and emptying a column whenever possible so you have room to maneuver. Never deal a new row from the stock until you've made every useful move first, and start on one suit while you learn.

Favor same-suit builds

In Spider, only same-suit runs move as a group, so a mixed-suit sequence quickly becomes dead weight. Whenever you have a choice, build in suit even if it's a little slower. This keeps your runs mobile and gets you closer to the complete King-to-Ace sequences that clear the board.

Empty columns and uncover cards

An empty column is Spider's most valuable resource, a free space to park any card or run while you reorganize. Work to clear the shortest columns, and always uncover face-down cards before committing to a deal from the stock. Remember you can't deal a new row while any column is empty, so time it well.

Deal only when stuck

Every deal drops a card on all ten columns and can bury progress, so exhaust your moves first. Beginners should start on one suit to learn these rhythms before adding difficulty, as our Spider overview and the strategy guide both recommend.

Play Spider Solitaire

Related questions

What is Spider solitaire?

Spider is a popular two-deck solitaire played across ten tableau columns. You build cards down in sequence and complete full King-to-Ace runs of a single suit, which then clear the board. Winning needs eight complete runs. You pick 1, 2 or 4 suits, which sets the difficulty from easy to brutal.

What is the hardest solitaire game?

Russian Solitaire, Forty Thieves and 4-suit Spider are the hardest common variants - under one deal in ten falls even to strong players. Russian demands same-suit builds with free-wheeling moves; Forty Thieves gives one pass through the stock; 4-suit Spider needs eight full same-suit runs.

How do you get better at solitaire?

Improve by uncovering hidden cards as early as possible, planning several moves ahead before committing, and not rushing cards to the foundations. Use undo to study why a deal was lost, and practice full-information games like FreeCell where every loss teaches a clear lesson.