Spider Solitaire

Spider Solitaire is one of the most popular two-deck solitaire card games ever made. Originally included with Microsoft Windows, it challenges you to arrange all 104 cards into eight complete King-through-Ace runs of the same suit. Unlike FreeCell, where all cards are visible from the start, Spider begins with many cards face-down — making it a game of both strategy and discovery.

How Spider Solitaire Works

The game uses two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total). Cards are dealt into 10 tableau columns, with the first four columns receiving 6 cards each and the remaining six columns receiving 5 cards each. Only the top card of each column is face-up. The remaining 50 cards form the stock pile.

You build descending sequences in the tableau — a 9 can go on a 10, an 8 on a 9, and so on. You can move any descending run of cards, but only same-suit runs can be moved as a group. When you complete a full 13-card run from King down to Ace in the same suit, it is automatically removed from the table. Clear all eight suits to win.

When you run out of moves, click the stock pile to deal one new card to each of the 10 columns. You can only deal from the stock when every column has at least one card.

Three Difficulty Levels

Spider Solitaire comes in three difficulty settings based on how many suits are in play:

• 1-Suit (Easy): All cards are Spades. Every card matches every other, so you only need to think about sequencing. Win rate: 99%+ with good play.
• 2-Suit (Medium): Cards use Spades and Hearts. You must match suits to move groups and complete runs. Significantly harder than 1-suit. Win rate: ~85–90%.
• 4-Suit (Hard): All four suits in play. The classic challenge. Only same-suit sequences can be moved together. Win rate: ~35–40% even for experienced players.

Spider vs FreeCell

Spider and FreeCell are both solitaire classics, but they play very differently. FreeCell uses one deck with all cards visible — it is a pure logic puzzle. Spider uses two decks with hidden cards — it blends strategy with the uncertainty of what lies beneath. For a detailed comparison, see our FreeCell vs Spider Solitaire guide.

Learn More

• How to Play Spider Solitaire — Complete rules and beginner guide
• Spider Solitaire Strategy — Tips and techniques for every difficulty level
• Types of Solitaire — Explore 20+ solitaire variants