Test - How to Play Spider Solitaire

A fun variation of the classic game, Spider Solitaire puts your strategy and skill to the test. This step-by-step guide explains the rules and gives you some tips for winning.

Spider Solitaire requires two decks of cards with the jokers removed. From here, players take two different approaches to the game. Either they use all of the cards from both decks, or they remove the same suit from each deck and work with that smaller batch of cards only. Regardless of which option you choose, the rest of the game works the same. Here are the rules.

Layout. Deal the cards into 10 columns using the following layout:

Goal. To win, a player must assemble a complete suit in descending order, from king to ace, using the tableaus. Once a suit is complete, it is removed from the tableau and placed in one of the foundation piles above.

Difficulty level. Spider Solitaire can be played using one suit of two decks, two suits of two decks, or all four suits of two decks.

Use the following tips to increase your chances of winning:

• Start building runs with queens, then work your way down to the aces. This makes it easier to complete a run while waiting for a king.
• Build your skill by playing one-suit games at first. Later, as you become familiar with the game rules and strategy, you can gradually increase the difficulty level to two- and four-suit games.
• Utilize the empty columns as temporary storage of unplayable cards or runs. Use it to organize your cards and build a complete suit.
• Use the stock pile with caution - it deals a new card onto every column with each move. That includes potentially useful empty columns.
• For online games, use the ‘hint’ button.