Spider Solitaire, a well-known variant besides the standard Klondike Solitaire, is a classic solo card game that challenges players to build sequences of cards in descending order from King to Ace. The game comes in multiple variations based on the number of decks used, most commonly one, two, or four decks. While the 2-deck version is the standard, the 1-deck and 4-deck variations offer different levels of difficulty and gameplay complexity. In this guide, we break down how to set up and play each version of Spider Solitaire.

How to Set Up and Play 1-Deck Spider Solitaire

The 1-deck version of Spider Solitaire is the simplest and fastest variant, ideal for beginners or a quick game. We’ll explain how to set up the game, how to play, and what the objectives are.

Setup:

• Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Deal 7 tableau piles:
  • Pile 1 gets 1 card, pile 2 gets 2 cards, and so on up to pile 7 with 7 cards.
  • Only the top card in each pile is face-up; the rest are face-down.
• Set the remaining cards aside as the stock pile.

Objective:

• Build sequences of cards in descending order (King to Ace) in the same suit within the tableau.
• Once a full sequence is completed, remove it from play.

Gameplay:

• You can move cards individually or as a group if they are in descending order and of the same suit.
• Empty tableau spaces can be filled with any card.
• When no more moves are available or desired, deal one card to each tableau pile from the stock.

Win Condition:

• You win by forming and removing all full King-to-Ace sequences.

How to Set Up and Play 2-Deck Spider Solitaire

This is the most popular and traditional version of Spider Solitaire, often seen in digital games. If you have played Spider Solitaire that came bundled with Windows OS, this is the version that you’ve played. Here’s how to set up, play, and win this version:

Setup:

• Use two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total).
• Deal 10 tableau piles:
  • The first four piles each get 6 cards, and the remaining six get 5 cards.
  • Only the top card in each pile is face-up; all others are face-down.
• The remaining cards form the stock pile and are placed face-down.

Objective:

• Create 8 complete descending sequences from King to Ace of the same suit.
• Once a full sequence is formed, it is removed from the tableau.

Gameplay:

• Cards can be moved individually or in groups if they are in descending order and of the same suit.
• Empty tableau spaces can be filled with any card or sequence.
• When you’re ready, deal one card face-up to each tableau pile from the stock (only if all piles have at least one card).

Win Condition:

• The game is won when all 8 sequences are built and removed.

How to Set Up and Play 4-Deck Spider Solitaire

The 4-deck version of Spider Solitaire is a much more advanced and challenging variant, suitable for experienced players. We recommend that you try your hand at this version once you feel like you have mastered the 2-deck version. Let’s go through how to set up, play, and win in this variant:

Setup:

• Use four standard 52-card decks (208 cards total).
• Deal 12 tableau piles:
  • Each pile starts with 10 cards, and only the top card is face-up.
• The remaining cards form a large stock pile.

Objective:

• Form 16 complete King-to-Ace sequences of the same suit and remove them from the game.

Gameplay:

• As in other versions, cards can be moved individually or in descending suited sequences.
• Empty spaces can be filled with any card.
• A new card is dealt to each tableau pile from the stock only when all piles have at least one card.

Win Condition:

• Victory is achieved when all 16 sequences have been correctly built and cleared.

A Few Notes and Tips on This Variant:

• Prioritize uncovering face-down cards to gain more flexibility when moving cards.
• Try to build sequences within the same suit to allow easier movement of stacks.
• Use empty tableau spaces to reorganize existing sequences.

---

Spider Solitaire is a versatile version of Solitaire that scales in difficulty with the number of decks used. Between the three main versions of the game, the core mechanics require patience and calculated gameplay. We recommend that you choose the version that best suits your skill level and enjoy the challenge of building perfect sequences until you’re ready to transition to the next difficulty.

If you prefer the classic version, you can play Klondike Solitaire on FRVR here.