What is Spider solitaire?
Spider is the big, sprawling cousin of Klondike, played with two decks and no separate foundations. It's a favorite for players who want a longer, more strategic game.
How Spider works
Spider deals 54 cards into ten columns from a 104-card double deck, with the rest as the stock. You build down in rank regardless of suit, but a run only lifts as a group if it's the same suit. Complete a full King-to-Ace sequence in one suit and it clears automatically. Assemble all eight and you win. There are no draw-and-discard foundations, everything happens in the tableau.
Choosing your suit count
The suit count is the difficulty dial. One-suit Spider is very forgiving and great for beginners. Two-suit is a solid middle ground. Four-suit Spider, with every suit in play, is one of the hardest solitaire games, won well under 20% of the time without undo. Read how to win Spider for tactics.
The dealing rule that bites
When you draw from the stock, Spider deals one card to every column at once, and you can only draw when no column is empty. That forces you to keep columns workable, because a badly timed deal can bury a run you were close to completing. Our Spider strategy guide covers the pitfalls.
Related questions
How do you win Spider solitaire?
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.
How many cards are used in solitaire?
Most solitaire games, including Klondike, FreeCell, Pyramid and TriPeaks, use one standard 52-card deck with no jokers. A few use two full decks shuffled together, 104 cards in all: Spider and Forty Thieves are the best-known double-deck games.
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.