Spider Solitaire looks complicated at first glance. Two decks of cards, ten columns, and a bunch of face-down cards staring at you like they're hiding secrets. But here's the thing: once you understand the basic setup and rules, the game clicks into place pretty quickly.

This guide covers everything you need to know to start playing. We'll walk through the exact card layout, explain why you're building sequences from King down to Ace (not the other way around like in Klondike Solitaire), and break down the mechanics that trip up most beginners.

By the end, you'll understand not just the rules, but why they work the way they do. That understanding is what separates players who stumble through games from players who actually win them.

What You're Working With: The 104-Card Deck

Spider Solitaire uses two complete standard decks shuffled together. That's 104 cards total. This matters more than you might think, because it means you'll encounter duplicate cards constantly.

In a single-deck game, once you play the Queen of Spades, that's the only one. In Spider Solitaire, there are eight Queens of Spades floating around (two decks times four suits equals eight copies of every rank). This creates both opportunities and headaches.

The opportunity: more cards means more chances to complete sequences. The headache: keeping track of which cards you've seen and which are still buried becomes genuinely challenging.

Why Two Decks?

The dual-deck setup exists because of the game's objective. You need to build eight complete sequences from King to Ace. With only one deck (52 cards, 13 ranks), you'd only have four Kings and four Aces. That's not enough raw material. Two decks give you exactly eight of each rank, which is precisely what you need to complete eight sequences.

The math here is elegant. 104 cards divided by 13 ranks equals 8. And 8 complete King-to-Ace sequences equals victory. The game's design isn't arbitrary, it's architecturally sound.

The Tableau: Your 10-Column Battlefield

The tableau is where all the action happens. It's a grid of ten columns where you'll move cards around, flip hidden cards, and build your sequences. Understanding this layout is essential.

Initial Deal Breakdown

When you start a new game, here's exactly what happens:

• Columns 1 through 4: Six cards each (24 cards total). The top card is face-up, the other five are face-down.
• Columns 5 through 10: Five cards each (30 cards total). The top card is face-up, the other four are face-down.

That's 54 cards dealt to the tableau. The remaining 50 cards go into the stockpile, which we'll cover shortly.

The Face-Down Problem

When you start a game, you can only see 10 cards (one per column). That means 44 cards in the tableau are hidden from you, plus another 50 in the stockpile. You're making decisions with roughly 10% visibility.

This is why uncovering face-down cards is so important. Every card you flip gives you more information to work with. Experienced players prioritize moves that reveal hidden cards over moves that simply look tidy. We'll get deeper into strategy in our strategy guide, but for now, just remember: information is power.

Why the Uneven Distribution?

You might wonder why the first four columns get six cards while the rest get five. It's not random. This creates an imbalanced starting position that forces you to think about which columns to prioritize.

The columns with fewer cards (positions 5 through 10) are generally easier to empty. An empty column is extremely valuable in Spider Solitaire, so many players target these shorter columns first. The four longer columns often become "holding areas" where you stack cards while working to clear the shorter ones.

The Objective: Building King-to-Ace Sequences

Here's what you're trying to do: build eight complete sequences, each running from King down to Ace, all in the same suit. When you complete a sequence, it gets removed from the tableau and stacked in the foundation area. Clear all eight sequences and you win.

The Sequence Order

A complete sequence runs: King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. That's 13 cards. Eight sequences times 13 cards equals 104 cards, which is your entire deck.

Notice the direction. You're building down, not up. This is the opposite of games like Klondike where you build foundation piles from Ace up to King. In Spider Solitaire, Kings are the starting point and Aces are the finish line.

Same-Suit Requirement for Completion

This is crucial: a sequence only gets removed from the tableau when all 13 cards are the same suit. You can't complete a sequence with mixed suits.

However (and this trips up many beginners), you can temporarily stack cards of different suits on top of each other. A 6 of Hearts can go on a 7 of Clubs. But that mixed-suit stack can't be moved as a unit, and it definitely won't count as a completed sequence.

Think of mixing suits as a necessary evil. Sometimes you have to do it to uncover cards or create space, but it creates problems you'll need to solve later. The glossary has more on terminology like "packed" versus "natural" builds.

Moving Cards: The Core Mechanics

Let's get specific about what you can and can't do. These rules seem simple but they have major implications for strategy.

Single Card Moves

You can move any exposed face-up card to another column if the destination card is exactly one rank higher. The suit doesn't matter for this basic move.

• A 7 can go on any 8
• A Queen can go on any King
• An Ace can go on any 2

The "exactly one rank higher" rule is strict. You can't skip ranks. A 5 can't go directly on a 7, even if there's no 6 available. You need to find a 6 first.

Group Moves (Same-Suit Sequences)

Here's where the suit-matching becomes critical. You can move multiple cards as a group, but only if:

1. All the cards in the group are in descending order (10, 9, 8, 7, etc.)
2. All the cards in the group are the same suit
3. The destination card is exactly one rank higher than the top card of your group

For example: if you have a sequence of 8♠-7♠-6♠, you can move all three cards together onto any 9. But if your sequence is 8♠-7♠-6♥, you can only move the 6♥ by itself. The Spades are stuck because the Heart broke the same-suit chain.

Empty Columns

When you move all cards out of a column, that column becomes empty. Empty columns are incredibly valuable because:

• You can place any single card in an empty column (not just Kings, unlike Klondike)
• You can place any valid same-suit sequence in an empty column
• Empty columns let you temporarily "park" cards while you reorganize other columns

The flexibility of empty columns is what separates Spider Solitaire from stricter games. They're your primary tool for untangling mixed-suit messes and completing sequences.

Revealing Hidden Cards

Whenever you move a card that was sitting on top of a face-down card, the face-down card gets flipped up. This is automatic and immediate.

New players often forget this benefit. When choosing between two otherwise equal moves, pick the one that reveals a hidden card. More revealed cards means more options, and more options means better chances of winning.

The Stockpile: Your Last Resort

Those 50 cards that didn't get dealt to the tableau? They're sitting in the stockpile, usually displayed as a stack in the corner of the screen. You'll deal from the stockpile when you run out of moves on the tableau.

How Dealing Works

When you click the stockpile, it deals 10 cards at once, one face-up card onto each column. This happens five times total (50 cards divided by 10 cards per deal equals 5 deals).

The stockpile is not optional. Eventually, you'll exhaust your moves and need to deal. But treat the stockpile like an emergency parachute, not a taxi service.

The Empty Column Rule

Here's a rule that catches people off guard: you cannot deal from the stockpile if any column is empty. Every column must have at least one card before you can deal.

This rule exists to prevent abuse. Without it, you could empty a column, deal, then immediately empty it again, essentially cherry-picking cards from the stockpile. The rule forces you to commit a card to each empty column before getting new cards.

This also means that if you have an empty column and no playable moves, you must fill that column (with any card you choose) before dealing. Choose wisely, because that decision can lock up important cards.

Strategic Considerations

Every deal from the stockpile covers up your carefully arranged sequences with 10 random cards. Some of those cards might help. Many will create new problems.

Before dealing, exhaust every possible move on the tableau. Flip every card you can flip. Make every sequence you can make. The goal is to be in the strongest possible position before that chaos arrives.

Also worth knowing: you can't preview what's coming from the stockpile. The cards are dealt randomly. This is one of the luck elements in Spider Solitaire that you simply have to accept and work around.

Understanding "Dead" Cards

A "dead" card is one that's effectively trapped and can't be used to complete a sequence. This happens when cards get buried under mixed-suit stacks with no practical way to unbury them.

How Cards Become Dead

Picture this scenario: You place a 5 of Hearts on a 6 of Spades because you need to free up another card. Later, you stack more cards on top. Now that 5 of Hearts is buried.

To rescue it, you'd need to:

1. Move all the cards on top of the 5 (which might require empty columns you don't have)
2. Find a 6 of Hearts to place it on (to continue a Heart sequence)
3. Deal with the 6 of Spades that's now orphaned underneath

Sometimes this chain of requirements is so demanding that the card is effectively gone for the game. That's a dead card.

Preventing Dead Cards

The best way to handle dead cards is to avoid creating them. A few guidelines help:

• Build same-suit when possible: Mixed-suit stacking creates problems. Same-suit stacking keeps your options open.
• Use higher ranks for mixing: If you must mix suits, do it on Kings, Queens, and Jacks. These have more "room" underneath for a long sequence before the card becomes buried.
• Maintain empty columns: Empty columns let you temporarily park cards while you fix problems. Without them, mistakes become permanent.

Recognizing a Lost Game

Not every Spider Solitaire game is winnable. Sometimes the cards just don't cooperate. A few signs that you're probably stuck:

• Multiple columns have long mixed-suit stacks with no visible way to separate them
• The stockpile is empty and you have no moves left
• Key cards (like the only exposed King of a suit you need) are buried deep

When you recognize a lost game, there's no shame in starting fresh. Even expert players win only about 50% of 4-suit games. Check out our scoring guide to understand how wins and losses affect your stats.

The Three Difficulty Levels

Spider Solitaire comes in three flavors, each using a different number of suits. The mechanics stay the same, but the difficulty scales dramatically.

Your First Game: Step by Step

Let's walk through the opening moves of a typical game so you can see how these rules work in practice.

Step 1: Survey the Tableau

Look at your 10 exposed cards. Identify any immediate moves. Can any card go on another? Are there any natural same-suit combinations?

Don't just look for moves. Look for good moves. A move that reveals a hidden card is usually better than one that doesn't.

Step 2: Prioritize Uncovering Cards

Your first few moves should focus on flipping face-down cards whenever possible. More information means better decisions later.

If you have a choice between moving a card from a column with 5 hidden cards versus one with 4, choose the larger pile. You'll flip more cards overall.

Step 3: Build Same-Suit When You Can

As you make moves, try to keep sequences in the same suit. If you can place a 7 of Spades on either an 8 of Spades or an 8 of Hearts, choose the Spades. That keeps your sequence mobile.

Step 4: Work Toward Empty Columns

Look at the shorter columns (positions 5 through 10). Can you clear any of them? An empty column early in the game gives you flexibility for the rest of it.

Step 5: Deal When Stuck

When you've made every move you can make, deal from the stockpile. Remember: fill any empty columns first (required by the rules), then deal.

After dealing, repeat the process. Survey, prioritize, build same-suit, work toward empties.

Step 6: Complete Sequences

When you finally assemble a complete King-to-Ace sequence of a single suit, it automatically moves to the foundation. That's 13 cards cleared, one-eighth of the way to victory.

Don't rush to complete sequences though. Sometimes it's better to keep a long sequence on the tableau as a "storage rack" for other cards. This is advanced strategy territory covered in our strategy guide.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Now that you know the rules, here's what to avoid:

Dealing Too Early

The stockpile is tempting. New cards might solve your problems! But dealing before you've exhausted your current options just adds 10 new problems to your existing ones.

Before clicking that stockpile, ask: "Have I tried everything?" Use the undo button to explore different move sequences. Only deal when you're truly stuck.

Ignoring Suit Matching

Yes, you can put any card on a card one rank higher. But just because you can doesn't mean you should. Every mixed-suit stack is a problem you'll have to solve later.

Get in the habit of asking: "Is there a same-suit option?" before making any placement.

Not Valuing Empty Columns

New players often fill empty columns immediately because they can. Experienced players protect their empty columns like precious resources, only using them when absolutely necessary.

An empty column is a tool. Don't waste it.

Tunnel Vision on One Suit

Trying to complete one sequence while ignoring everything else usually fails. You'll run out of moves because you've locked up cards needed elsewhere.

Work on multiple sequences simultaneously. The game rewards balanced progress, not focused obsession.

Forgetting the Goal

The goal isn't to have a pretty, organized tableau. The goal is to complete eight sequences. Sometimes the path to victory looks messy in the middle.

Don't get distracted by aesthetics. Focus on the objective.

Playing With Physical Cards

Spider Solitaire works perfectly with real cards if you have the table space. Here's how to set up a physical game:

What You Need

• Two standard 52-card decks (remove jokers if included)
• A large table or flat surface
• Patience (the game, but also the virtue)

Physical Setup

1. Shuffle both decks together thoroughly
2. Deal 10 columns across the table from left to right
3. First 4 columns: deal 6 cards each (face-down), turn the top card face-up
4. Remaining 6 columns: deal 5 cards each (face-down), turn the top card face-up
5. Place the remaining 50 cards in a neat stack as your stockpile

Physical Advantages

Playing with real cards has benefits the digital version lacks. You can physically spread cards to see what's underneath (in the visible portions of stacks). The tactile experience helps some players think through moves. And there's no temptation to hit undo repeatedly.

The downside: no automatic shuffling, no move counter, and no hint button. Old school has its tradeoffs.