The two-deck solitaire — build 8 foundations from King to Ace
Spider Solitaire is one of the most popular and strategically rich solitaire card games ever devised. Unlike Klondike Solitaire, which uses a single 52-card deck, Spider uses two full decks — 104 cards in total — spread across 10 tableau columns and a stock pile that can be dealt five times during the game. The objective is to build eight complete King-to-Ace sequences of the same suit within the tableau columns. Each completed sequence is automatically removed to a foundation pile, and when all eight foundations are filled, you win. The game gets its evocative name from the spider's eight legs — representing the eight foundation piles that must be completed to achieve victory. First published in 1949 in the United States Playing Card Company's Official Rules of Card Games, Spider gained mainstream popularity through its inclusion in Microsoft Windows as part of the Plus! Pack and later as a built-in feature of Windows XP. Today it remains one of the three most-played solitaire variants worldwide, alongside Klondike and FreeCell. Spider's defining feature is its three-tier difficulty system. In 1-Suit mode (Easy), all 104 cards are treated as the same suit — spades — meaning any descending sequence can be moved as a group. This produces win rates of around 52% and is ideal for learning the game mechanics. In 2-Suit mode (Medium), the deck uses two suits — spades and hearts — and only same-suit sequences can be moved together. Win rates drop to approximately 16.6%. The 4-Suit mode (Hard) uses all four suits with the full rule set, and win rates fall to just 6.2%, making it one of the most challenging single-player card games available. The tableau setup places 54 of the 104 cards across the 10 columns at the start: the first four columns receive 6 cards each (five face-down, one face-up on top) and the remaining six columns receive 5 cards each (four face-down, one face-up). The remaining 50 cards form the stock pile, organized into five packets of 10 cards that can be dealt one round at a time. Each deal places one new face-up card onto every tableau column simultaneously. Movement rules in Spider are both simpler and more complex than Klondike. Any single face-up card can be placed on any column whose top card is exactly one rank higher — suit is irrelevant for single-card moves. However, only a same-suit consecutive sequence can be moved as a group. This distinction is central to Spider strategy: you can build long descending sequences across multiple suits, but you cannot move those mixed-suit sequences once built. Maintaining same-suit sequences requires careful planning and is the key skill that separates casual players from expert ones. Empty tableau columns are the most powerful resource in Spider. Any single card or moveable same-suit sequence can be placed in an empty column, making empty columns essential for reorganizing the board and sorting mixed-suit stacks into same-suit sequences. Creating and wisely using empty columns is the primary strategic challenge in intermediate and advanced difficulty modes. The dealing restriction is another critical rule: you cannot deal from the stock pile if any tableau column is completely empty. This forces players to fill empty columns before dealing, adding a layer of planning around when to use empty columns versus when to deal. Managing the five available deals carefully can mean the difference between winning and losing a game. Scoring follows the standard formula: you start with 500 points, lose 1 point for each move made, and gain 100 points for each of the eight completed King-to-Ace sequences. A perfect game completed in 70 moves would score 500 − 70 + (8 × 100) = 1,230 points. The hint system highlights valid moves by cycling through available options. Unlimited undo lets you explore alternative lines of play freely. Statistics are tracked per difficulty mode in your browser's local storage, recording games played, wins, win rate, current streak, best streak, best time, and best score.
Understanding Spider Solitaire
What Is Spider Solitaire?
Spider Solitaire is a two-deck solitaire card game played on a 10-column tableau. Using 104 cards (two standard 52-card decks), the goal is to build eight complete King-to-Ace same-suit sequences within the tableau. Completed sequences are automatically removed to foundation piles, and filling all eight foundations wins the game. The name comes from the spider's eight legs, representing the eight foundations. Spider was popularized globally through Microsoft Windows XP, where it became one of the most-played computer games of the early 2000s.
How Does the Game Work?
At the start, 54 cards are dealt to 10 columns — columns 1 through 4 receive 6 cards each with 5 face-down and 1 face-up, while columns 5 through 10 receive 5 cards each with 4 face-down and 1 face-up. The remaining 50 cards form the stock in five packets. You move face-up cards in descending rank order — any card can go on a card one rank higher (suit doesn't matter for single moves), but only same-suit consecutive sequences can be moved as a group. When a column's top card changes, any face-down card directly below it flips face-up automatically. A complete King-through-Ace same-suit sequence is removed automatically to a foundation. You can deal from the stock up to five times, adding one card to each column per deal.
Strategy and Tips
The key to winning Spider is maintaining same-suit sequences whenever possible, since only same-suit sequences can be moved as groups. Before building across suits, consider whether you have a way to later separate them. Empty columns are your most valuable resource — use them to temporarily hold cards while you reorganize other columns, not just to park any available card. Avoid dealing from the stock until you have exploited every possible move on the current board, since each deal constrains the board further and uses one of your five deals permanently. In 4-Suit mode, treat every same-suit sequence as precious and never break one apart unless absolutely necessary.
Difficulty Modes and Win Rates
Spider's three difficulty modes differ dramatically in win rates based on data from nearly one million sampled games. 1-Suit (Easy) uses all cards as the same suit (spades), allowing any descending sequence to move as a group — win rate approximately 52%. 2-Suit (Medium) uses spades and hearts, requiring same-suit matching for group moves — win rate approximately 16.6%. 4-Suit (Hard) uses all four suits, demanding precise suit management throughout the game — win rate approximately 6.2%. If you are new to Spider, start with 1-Suit to learn the mechanics before attempting the harder modes.
How to Play Spider Solitaire
Choose Your Difficulty and Start
Select 1 Suit (Easy, ~52% win rate), 2 Suits (Medium, ~17% win rate), or 4 Suits (Hard, ~6% win rate). A new game is automatically dealt with 10 tableau columns — columns 1–4 have 6 cards each and columns 5–10 have 5 cards each, with only the top card face-up. The remaining 50 cards form the stock pile for five deals. Click New Game at any time for a fresh deal.
Move Cards on the Tableau
Click a face-up card to select it (it highlights with a glow), then click a destination column to move it. A card can be placed on any column whose top card is exactly one rank higher — suit does not matter for single cards. However, only a same-suit consecutive sequence (e.g., 7♠–6♠–5♠) can be selected and moved as a group. Mixed-suit sequences are built in place but cannot move together. Empty columns accept any card or valid same-suit sequence. Face-down cards automatically flip face-up when exposed.
Deal from Stock and Complete Sequences
When you run out of moves on the current board, click Deal (or press D) to deal one new card onto each of the 10 tableau columns. You have 5 deals total. Important: you cannot deal if any column is empty — fill all empty columns first. When you complete a King-to-Ace same-suit sequence (all 13 cards in order, same suit), it is automatically removed to a foundation pile. Complete all 8 foundations to win.
Use Undo, Hints, and Auto-Complete
Press Ctrl+Z or click Undo to reverse your last move — undo is unlimited and free. Press H or click Hint to highlight a suggested valid move; press again to cycle to the next available hint. When all cards are face-up and no stock remains, auto-complete activates and finishes the game by moving each sequence to its foundation automatically, giving you a satisfying visual payoff. Use the statistics panel to track your progress across all difficulty modes.
Domande Frequenti
Why can't I deal from the stock pile?
Spider Solitaire enforces a rule that prevents dealing when any tableau column is completely empty. Before clicking Deal, you must fill all empty columns with at least one card. This rule is intentional — it prevents players from perpetually cycling through deals without making progress. If you have an empty column and want to deal, place any card or a moveable same-suit sequence into the empty column first. This restriction adds strategic depth: you must plan your use of empty columns carefully, balancing their value as temporary holding spots against the need to eventually fill them before dealing.
What is the difference between 1-Suit, 2-Suit, and 4-Suit modes?
The modes differ in which suits are used and how sequences can be moved. In 1-Suit mode, all 104 cards are treated as spades — this means any descending sequence can be moved as a group since they all share the same suit, and win rates are around 52%. In 2-Suit mode, spades and hearts are used — only same-suit sequences can move together, making the game significantly harder with a ~17% win rate. In 4-Suit mode, all four suits are active — precise suit management is required throughout and win rates drop to ~6%. Start with 1-Suit to learn the mechanics, then progress to harder modes as your skill improves.
How do same-suit sequences work and why do they matter?
A same-suit sequence is a group of face-up cards in a single column that are consecutive in rank and all share the same suit — for example, King of Spades → Queen of Spades → Jack of Spades. This sequence can be selected and moved as one unit to any column whose top card is an Ace of any suit... wait, actually to any column whose top card is one rank higher than the King, which is impossible, so a same-suit K-to-lower sequence moves to empty columns or onto the next higher card. Mixed-suit sequences (like red 7 on black 8) can be built but cannot move as a group — only the individual cards at the top can be moved one at a time. In 2-Suit and 4-Suit modes, maintaining pure same-suit sequences is critical for making progress and eventually completing foundations.
How is scoring calculated?
Spider Solitaire uses a standard scoring formula shared across most implementations. You begin with 500 points. Every move you make subtracts 1 point from your score. Each time you complete a King-to-Ace same-suit sequence and it moves to a foundation, you earn 100 points. The formula is: Final Score = 500 − (moves made) + (sequences completed × 100). For example, completing a game in 70 moves with all 8 sequences gives 500 − 70 + 800 = 1,230 points. Scores below 500 indicate more moves were made than sequences completed early. Your best score per difficulty is saved to your browser's local storage.
When does auto-complete trigger and what does it do?
Auto-complete triggers automatically when all tableau cards are face-up and the stock pile has been completely used (0 deals remaining). At this point, every card on the board is visible and all remaining moves will result in sequences being moved to foundations. The game detects this condition and begins moving cards sequentially — one card at a time — to complete the remaining foundations, giving you the satisfying visual of sequences flying home. Auto-complete cannot start while any face-down cards remain in the tableau or while deals remain in the stock, because hidden or undealt cards may require tableau rearrangement. If auto-complete cannot finish (rare in 4-Suit mode with complex arrangements), it stops and lets you continue manually.
How do I use empty columns strategically?
Empty columns are the most powerful resource in Spider Solitaire, especially in 2-Suit and 4-Suit modes. They function as free temporary storage — you can move any card or same-suit sequence into an empty column to get it out of the way while you reorganize other columns. The most effective use is to create an empty column, then use it to sort a mixed-suit pile into pure same-suit sequences. However, remember that you cannot deal from the stock while any column is empty, so you must balance how long you keep columns empty. In 4-Suit mode, having two empty columns simultaneously gives you enough flexibility to rearrange entire sections of the board — this is often the key breakthrough needed to complete difficult games.