Play Spider Solitaire Online - The Ultimate Solitaire Challenge
Spider Solitaire is one of the most popular and challenging solitaire games. Play completely free with no ads or downloads. Choose from three difficulty levels - 1 suit for beginners, 2 suits for intermediate, or 4 suits for experts seeking the ultimate challenge!
How to Play Spider Solitaire
Objective: Remove all cards from the table by creating eight sequences of cards in descending order from King to Ace, all in the same suit.
Game Setup
- Tableau: 10 columns - first 4 columns have 6 cards each, last 6 columns have 5 cards each
- Stock: 50 cards remaining that can be dealt 10 at a time (one to each column)
- Completed Sequences: Area where completed King-to-Ace sequences are moved
Basic Rules
- Build sequences in descending order (King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace)
- Any card can be placed on another card one rank higher, regardless of suit
- However, you can only move groups of cards if they're in the same suit
- Complete sequences (King to Ace) in the same suit are automatically removed
- Empty columns can be filled with any card or sequence
- When stuck, deal 10 more cards from the stock (one to each column)
Difficulty Levels
1 Suit (Easy): All cards are spades. Perfect for beginners learning Spider Solitaire. Completing sequences is straightforward since all cards match. Win rate: ~25-30%
2 Suits (Medium): Uses spades and hearts. Requires more strategic planning. You need to separate suits while building sequences. Win rate: ~10-15%
4 Suits (Expert): Uses all four suits. Extremely challenging! Only 1-2% of games are winnable even with perfect play. For experienced players seeking the ultimate challenge.
Winning Strategy Tips
- Build on higher cards first - Start sequences on Kings and Queens when possible
- Keep suits together - Try to build sequences in the same suit to enable moving large groups
- Empty columns are gold - Use empty spaces strategically to rearrange sequences
- Expose all face-down cards - Priority should be revealing hidden cards
- Don't deal too early - Explore all moves before dealing 10 new cards
- Plan several moves ahead - Think about how sequences will connect
- Be patient - Spider requires methodical, careful play
Advanced Techniques
Creating Empty Columns
Empty columns are your most powerful tool in Spider Solitaire. Use them to temporarily store cards while rearranging sequences or to "dig out" cards you need.
Suit Isolation
In 2 and 4 suit games, try to keep different suits in separate columns when possible. This makes it easier to eventually combine them into complete sequences.
Sequence Planning
Before making a move, visualize how you'll complete the sequence. Sometimes keeping cards separated is better than partially combining them.
Why Play Our Spider Solitaire?
- Three Difficulty Levels - 1, 2, or 4 suits
- Completely Free - No ads or premium features
- Play Anywhere - Desktop, tablet, or mobile
- Beautiful Cards - Clean, professional design
- Smooth Animations - Satisfying card movements
- Track Progress - Statistics for each difficulty level
- No Signup - Start playing immediately
History of Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire was invented in 1949 and gets its name from the eight foundations (like a spider's eight legs) that must be completed to win. It gained massive popularity when Microsoft included it in Windows 98, introducing millions to this challenging variant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Spider Solitaire so hard?
Spider requires more strategic planning than Klondike. You need to think several moves ahead and manage empty columns wisely. The 4 suit version is considered one of the hardest solitaire games!
What's the best strategy for Spider Solitaire?
Focus on creating empty columns early, expose all face-down cards as priority, keep suits together when possible, and don't rush to deal new cards from the stock.
Can I win every Spider game?
No. In 1 suit, about 1 in 3 games are winnable. In 2 suits, about 1 in 10. In 4 suits, less than 1% are winnable even with perfect play. Most games come down to the initial deal!
Ready for the challenge? Start playing Spider Solitaire now!
