When to Deal Cards in
Spider Solitaire
Avoiding the Stockpile Trap That Kills Your Games
You're cruising along in a game of Spider Solitaire. You've got a couple of nice same-suit runs going. Things are looking good. Then you hit a wall. No obvious moves left. So you click that stockpile and deal out 10 fresh cards.
And just like that, everything falls apart.
That beautiful 9-8-7-6 sequence you'd been building? Buried under a random Jack. That empty column you worked so hard to create? Gone. Filled with a card you can't move anywhere useful.
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Clicking the stockpile at the wrong time is probably the single biggest mistake Spider Solitaire players make. The good news? Once you understand why it's so dangerous and when it's actually safe to deal, your win rate will skyrocket.
Why the Stockpile is So Dangerous
Here's what happens when you click that stockpile button: the game deals one face-up card onto the bottom of each of your 10 tableau columns. That's 10 random cards dumped onto everything you've been organizing.
Think about that for a second. Every sequence you've built gets covered. Every carefully arranged column now has a random card sitting on top that probably doesn't fit the pattern.
The Math Against You
Spider Solitaire uses 104 cards across 10 columns. When you deal, you're adding 10 cards that have no relationship to what's beneath them. The odds that any of those 10 cards will neatly continue your existing sequences? Pretty slim. More likely, you're creating 10 new problems you'll need to solve.
The stockpile isn't evil, but it is essentially a "reset button" on your progress. Every deal erases some of the work you've done and replaces organized structure with chaos. That's why experienced players treat the stockpile like a last resort, not a quick fix.
The Golden Rule of Stockpile Strategy
Never deal from the stockpile until you have exhausted every single move on the tableau.
This sounds simple, but it's harder than you'd think. When you've been staring at the same board for a minute and nothing jumps out at you, it's tempting to just deal and see what happens. Don't.
Before you touch that stockpile, ask yourself these questions:
- Have I moved every card that can be moved?
- Are there any cards I can stack, even if it means mixing suits?
- Can I rearrange existing sequences to free up a face-down card?
- Is there a multi-move sequence I'm missing?
That last point is crucial. Sometimes you need to move A onto B, which lets you move C onto where A was, which frees up D. These chain reactions are often invisible at first glance. Look for them before dealing.
For more on finding these hidden moves, check out our complete Spider Solitaire strategy guide.
5 Stockpile Mistakes Beginners Make
Dealing to "See What's Next"
You're curious what cards are coming. So you deal, even though you have moves available. This is gambling, not strategy. Work with what you have before asking for more.
Dealing to Avoid a Bad Move
Sometimes your only available move seems like a bad one, like mixing suits or breaking up a sequence. It's tempting to deal instead. Don't. A bad move is almost always better than dealing prematurely.
Not Checking All Columns
With 10 columns to scan, it's easy to miss a legal move, especially when cards are stacked high. Slow down. Check each column systematically before deciding to deal.
Ignoring "Useless" Moves
Some moves seem pointless because they don't advance your goals. But moving a 4 onto a 5 (even different suits) might reveal a hidden card or set up a future opportunity. Make the move.
Dealing with Empty Columns
Most Spider Solitaire versions won't let you deal if a column is empty. But if yours does, filling an empty column with a random card is a disaster. That empty column is valuable storage. Don't waste it.
When Dealing is Actually the Right Move
So far I've made the stockpile sound like your enemy. It's not. It's a tool, and sometimes it's exactly what you need. Here's when dealing makes sense:
1. You Genuinely Have No Moves
After checking every column and considering every possible chain reaction, you've got nothing. Zero legal moves. Now you deal. This is the stockpile's purpose: to keep the game moving when you're truly stuck.
2. Your Tableau is Well Prepared
If you've got several same-suit sequences running and most of your face-down cards exposed, dealing becomes less risky. The new cards might actually help by giving you more options. Compare this to dealing when your board is a mess of mixed suits. That just makes a bad situation worse.
3. Early Game Deals
The first one or two stockpile deals are usually less painful than later ones. Early on, you haven't invested much work into organizing. You're still in discovery mode. Later deals, when you've spent 50 moves building sequences, hurt a lot more.
How to Prepare Before You Deal
When you've exhausted all moves and dealing is inevitable, take a moment to prepare your tableau. A few strategic choices now can minimize the damage.
Pre-Deal Checklist
- Fill empty columns: Move a King (or any high card) into empty spaces so you're not wasting them on random dealt cards.
- Consolidate sequences: Stack cards together where possible. A dealt card on top of a 5-card sequence is better than a dealt card on top of a single card.
- Position same-suit runs together: If you have 9-8-7 of Spades, keep them connected. Don't split them across columns before a deal.
- Expose face-down cards first: Make every move that reveals hidden cards. The more information you have, the better you can handle the chaos of a deal.
Think of it like battening down the hatches before a storm. You can't prevent the 10 new cards from landing, but you can make sure your existing progress is as protected as possible.
Recovering After a Deal Gone Wrong
Sometimes you deal and the result is ugly. Cards everywhere, sequences buried, no obvious paths forward. Don't panic. Here's how to recover:
- Survey the damage first. Don't start clicking randomly. Look at all 10 new cards and see which ones create immediate opportunities.
- Prioritize unburying sequences. If one of your good runs is now covered, focus on moving that obstacle card first.
- Accept temporary setbacks. Sometimes you need to break apart a sequence to make progress. It's frustrating, but it's better than staying stuck.
- Look for new chain reactions. Those 10 new cards might have created opportunities that didn't exist before. Fresh eyes, fresh possibilities.
The Bottom Line
The stockpile is the most misused feature in Spider Solitaire. Beginners treat it like a magic button that will solve their problems. In reality, it's more like pressing the scramble button on a Rubik's cube you've been solving.
Master this one principle and you'll instantly become a better player: exhaust every single move before dealing. Check every column. Look for chain reactions. Make the moves that seem pointless. Only when you have literally zero options should you touch that stockpile.
And when you do deal, prepare your board first. Fill empty columns, consolidate sequences, and expose as many hidden cards as possible.
Treat the stockpile with respect, and your win rate will thank you.