Spider Solitaire Strategy: 10 Tips to Win More Games

The shuffle decides which cards you get, but in Spider Solitaire your choices matter a great deal. Two players with the same deal can get very different results. These tips start with the habits that help in every game and finish with advice for the harder two-suit and four-suit versions. If you're new to the game, read how to play Spider Solitaire first.

1. Turn Over Hidden Cards

At the start, 44 of the 54 cards on the table are face down. Every hidden card you turn over gives you more information and more choices. When you're deciding between two moves, pick the one that uncovers a card.

It also pays to work on the shorter columns. The last six columns start with only five cards, so they are quicker to dig through than the first four.

2. Aim to Empty a Column Early

An empty column is the most powerful thing you can have in Spider. It's a spare space where any card can go, so you can use it to shuffle cards around and untangle mixed-up columns. Look for a short column that you could clear with a few moves, and work toward it.

Once you have an empty column, don't rush to fill it with whatever is handy. Use it as a tool, move cards through it, and keep it free for as long as it's helping you.

3. Build in Suit When You Can

You're allowed to put any card on a card one rank higher. But only cards of the same suit can be moved together later, and only same-suit runs are removed at the end. So when you have a choice, build in suit.

For example, if your 7 of hearts could go on the 8 of clubs or the 8 of hearts, choose the 8 of hearts. A mixed run is fine as a temporary step, but it tends to get stuck where it is.

4. Don't Deal Too Early

A new row puts a card on top of every column, often covering runs you've worked hard to build. Before you tap the stock, check every column for a useful move. Moving a card from one column to another just to tidy up, or to free a card in the right suit, is often worth doing first.

5. But Don't Wait Forever

On the other hand, there's no prize for leaving cards in the stock. If you've made every move that helps, and you're only shuffling the same cards back and forth, it's time to deal. Fresh cards bring fresh chances.

6. Fill Gaps Before You Deal

Under the standard rule, you can't deal while a column is empty. When you're ready to deal, put your least useful card or run into the empty column. A short same-suit run is a good choice, because it can be moved again as a group. Avoid filling the space with a card that will need a lot of help to move later.

Tip: if you'd rather not worry about this, turn on Allow dealing with empty columns in Settings. It's a common house rule and makes the game a little gentler.

7. Think Carefully About Kings

A King can only move into an empty column, because nothing is higher. So placing a King in an empty column is a big decision: once it's there, that column is used up until a full run is finished on it.

The best time to move a King into an empty column is when it uncovers face-down cards, or when you already have the Queen and Jack of the same suit ready to follow it. Moving a King from one empty column to another does nothing for you.

8. Tips for 2-Suit Games

With spades and hearts in play, half of the cards won't match the suit you need. A few habits help:

• Give each suit its own columns where you can. A column of hearts building down is far easier to manage than one that switches back and forth.
• When two cards could take your card, prefer the one in the same suit, even if it means waiting a turn.
• Use your empty columns to swap mixed runs around until the suits line up.

9. Tips for 4-Suit Games

Four suits is the real test, and even good players lose many deals. Be patient and expect to use Undo.

• Turn on four-color cards in Settings. When each suit has its own color, it's much easier to spot same-suit moves at a glance.
• Value empty columns even more. You'll need them to sort out mixed runs, so try hard to keep one or two free.
• Don't build long mixed runs. A long column of mixed suits can be almost impossible to untangle.
• Accept a loss now and then. Some four-suit deals simply can't be won. Starting a new deal isn't giving up; it's part of the game.

10. Use Undo and Hint Without Guilt

Our game has unlimited Undo, and it even works after you deal a new row. Use it to explore. If you're unsure which of two moves is better, try one, see what happens, and undo if it doesn't work out.

The Hint button highlights a useful move and gives a short reason for it. When nothing else helps, it suggests dealing a new row. If you're truly stuck, it will say there are no moves left, so you know to try Undo or a new deal. You can also choose Restart This Deal to try the same cards again from the beginning.

Putting It Together

A simple order of priorities works well in most games: first, moves that turn over a hidden card; second, moves that build in suit; third, moves that empty a column. Deal only when none of those are left. Start with one suit to get the feel of it, then move up to two and four when you're ready.

Enjoy a change of pace? FreeCell rewards the same kind of planning with every card face up, and Klondike Solitaire is the classic one-deck game.