Play Spider Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

This popular game got its name back in 1949 when it was created. Like the spider, it has eight "legs" - in the game's case, meaning the foundation piles, where all the cards end up if you win the game.

It has ten columns in the tableau, so there's a lot to keep track of. We recommend starting out with the one-suit version. This Itsy Bitsy Spider will make you feel invincible. Then, go on to the Spider Solitaire 2 Suits. You might find that spider puts up quite a bit of resistance. And if you feel like a true Spiderman from there, go on and tackle the Spider Solitaire 4 Suits. That's a real brain-buster!

You can always choose a winning deal, but remember there are no guarantees. A winning deal is a deal that can be won, a deal that is solvable. It might be called a winning deal, but my goodness, you have to be on your toes all the time to win the deal. The only thing guaranteed is that you will have a good time.

Have fun, and stay sharp!
Holger

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How to play Spider Solitaire 1 Suit

This summary is for all of you who have played the game before but need a refresher on how to play. If you're a beginner, check out my guide on how to play Spider Solitaire complete with illustrations and a video tutorial.

Unlike most solitaire games, this one is played with two decks of playing cards. The goal of the game is to move all cards from the tableau onto the foundation piles.

The layout of the game can be divided into three main areas:

• The tableau: This is where you'll make most of your moves.
• The stock: This is the pile of cards face down from which you draw.
• The foundation: This is where you want all your cards to end up ordered by suit and rank. It is the spider's eight legs.

To get cards from the tableau onto the foundation, you have to rank them from king to ace on the tableau. A card can always be moved onto the card one rank above it. In the one-suit game every card is a spade, so if you have a seven, you can put it on any eight.

The game's goal is to make runs of cards from king to ace in the same suit. Once you have a complete sequence of cards, they will be moved to the foundation. Only if the sequence of cards is of the same suit will this happen.

Since every card in the one-suit game is a spade, any cards that sit in perfect descending order can be moved together. For example, if you have the eight, seven, and six of spades in a row, you can click and drag all three onto any nine. Cards that are not in sequence still have to be moved one at a time.

You can move any card or partial run to an empty tableau spot if you have one.

When you have no more moves to make on the tableau, you can click on the stock in the top left corner. That will move ten cards from the stock down to the tableau, placing one card on each tableau. We don't recommend doing this before you're completely sure there are no moves left.

Good luck playing!

Spider Solitaire Strategy

One suit is the kind, gentle spider, but a few good habits will win you a lot more deals - and they carry straight over into the tougher two- and four-suit games.

Flip the face-down cards first

A Spider deal hides 44 of its 54 tableau cards, so most of the board starts out unknown. Prefer any move that digs a hidden card out over reshuffling ones you can already see. If sliding your 8♠ onto a 9♠ frees the face-down card underneath it, take that move rather than one that just shuffles visible cards around.

Build long runs down in order

In the one-suit game every card is a spade, so any run that goes down in rank, say 10♠-9♠-8♠-7♠, counts as a matching sequence you can pick up and move as a single block. Keep your columns neatly ordered and you can shift big stacks in one go, and that's the whole trick that makes one-suit so forgiving.

Keep a column empty, and save it for a King

An empty column is the most valuable spot on the board. A King is the one card with nothing to sit on, so an empty column is often the only way to move one and dig out whatever it's burying. When you clear a column, don't stuff it with a low card straight away. Hold it open for a stranded King, like a K♠ that's pinning down half a pile.

Never deal from the stock while a column is empty

Most Spider games, ours included, won't even let you deal a new row while a column sits empty, and even where it's allowed, you still shouldn't. Dealing drops one fresh card onto all ten columns at once, filling that hard-won empty space and burying your neat runs under new cards.

Race to complete a King-to-Ace run

Clearing a full K♠-down-to-A♠ run lifts thirteen cards off the board and onto a foundation, and it often frees a whole column too. That payoff is worth more than almost any other move, so when you're close, say the run is down to the 3♠ and 2♠, go get the A♠ that finishes it before you start anything new.

Look a few moves ahead before you commit

Spider punishes hasty moves that bury a card you'll want two turns later. Play the line out in your head first, and use Undo to try an idea before you're sure of it. If your 5♠ can go onto either of two 6♠s, pick the one that keeps a longer run together or turns over a face-down card, not just the first legal move your eye lands on.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If your questions aren't answered by our FAQ below, feel free to reach out at contact@online-solitaire.com, and we'll do our best to help you.

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