Spider Solitaire: 1 Suit vs 2 Suits vs 4 Suits Explained

Spider Solitaire is one of the most popular solitaire games, and it comes with a difficulty setting most other solitaire games do not have: the number of suits. One suit is relaxing. Four suits is famously hard. Here is why, and how to approach each level.

How Spider works

• Spider uses 104 cards, the equivalent of two full decks.
• Cards are dealt into 10 columns: the first four columns get six cards, the other six get five, for 54 cards. Only the top card of each column is face up.
• The remaining 50 cards form the stock. When you are stuck, you deal one new card onto every column (10 at a time), which gives you five deals in total.
• In the traditional rules, you cannot deal from the stock while any column is empty.

Building and moving

• You can place a card on any card one rank higher, regardless of suit (a 6 on any 7).
• But you can only move a group of cards together if they form a sequence in the same suit. A 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ can move as a unit; 7♥ 6♠ 5♥ cannot.
• Any card or same-suit sequence can move into an empty column.

Winning

When you build a full sequence from King down to Ace in one suit, it is removed automatically. Remove all eight sequences to win.

Why suits change everything

In 1-suit Spider, every card is the same suit (for example, all spades). Every build is automatically a same-suit sequence, so every sequence can be moved. It is mostly about uncovering cards.

In 2-suit Spider, half the cards are one suit and half another. Now some of your builds will be mixed, and mixed sequences cannot move together. You must balance quick builds against clean ones.

In 4-suit Spider, mixed builds happen constantly. Long mixed sequences get stuck, and the game becomes a careful puzzle of keeping sequences sorted by suit. Many games cannot be won at this level, even with perfect play.

Strategy for every level

Uncover face-down cards

As in Klondike, revealing hidden cards is usually the most valuable move. Prefer moves that turn over a new card.

Value empty columns highly

An empty column lets you move any sequence, temporarily park cards, and rearrange mixed builds. Try to create one, and think twice before filling it with a single card.

Deal only when you have to

Each stock deal puts a new card on every column, covering your work. Before dealing, make every useful move you can, and try to have no empty columns (since you usually cannot deal with one).

Extra tips for 2 and 4 suits

Build in suit when you can

If you can place a 6 on either a 7 of the same suit or a 7 of a different suit, choose the same suit. It keeps the sequence movable.

Use mixed builds as a temporary tool

Sometimes placing a card off-suit is the only way to reveal a face-down card. That is fine. Just remember that the mixed part will need to be untangled later, ideally using an empty column.

Untangle with empty columns

With an empty column, you can split a mixed sequence: move the top same-suit part into the empty column, rearrange the cards underneath, then put things back in suit order.

Which level should you play?

• 1 suit: great for a relaxing break or for learning the basics.
• 2 suits: the sweet spot for many players: challenging but often winnable.
• 4 suits: for players who enjoy long, careful games and do not mind losing often.

If 4 suits feels impossible, that is normal. Spend some time on 2 suits first; the habits you build there, especially keeping sequences in suit, are exactly what 4 suits demands.