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Play for Free Spider Solitaire Online

Online Spider Solitaire is a single-player card game with several variations, which gained tremendous popularity after its inclusion in the Microsoft Windows' games collection. The game owes its name to the association between the eight legs of a spider and the eight card piles that must be played out in order for the game to end.

The first mention of Spider Solitaire came in a 1937's Games Digest. The game described there differed from the modern version in that it used 52 cards. The solitaire's contemporary version dates back to 1949. In it, the number of piles was increased to ten, and the number of cards in play rose to 104.

Spider Solitaire's initial layout includes:

  • ten (10) card piles: the first four contain five face down cards (blocked), and the other six – four face down cards. The top card of each pile is dealt face up;
  • the stock (hand) pile, placed to the right of the ten piles, which can to be laid out only once.

Spider Solitaire Layout

Variations

Multiple variations of the rules exist. Here are the most popular ones:

The first variation only uses one suit. Most often, it is ♠. The second one uses two suits of the opposite colors: one red (♥), one black (♠). The third one uses all four suits: ♥, ♠, ♣, ♦.

Goal of the game

The objective is to build down eight (8) sequences of the same suit, from King to Ace: King, Queen, Jack, ..., Five, Four, Three, Two, Ace. Meaning, the first sequence might look as follows: ♠K, ♠Q, ♠J, ♠10, ♠9, ♠8, ♠7, ♠6, ♠5, ♠4, ♠3, ♠2, ♠A, with the other seven built in the same way. Each sequence, once completed, is removed from the tableau. The game is won by building and removing all eight of the sequences.

How to Play Spider Solitaire

1 suit

Onto a card, you can place another card of lesser rank (and of the same suit) or a descending sequence, at the bottom of which lies a card of lesser rank (lesser by one increment). For example, onto a ♠10 you can place either ♠9 or ♠9, ♠8, ♠7.

Rules of Spider Solitaire

To unblock the face down cards in a pile, you must move the face up cards to another pile.

It is also allowed to move an ascending pile if the cards are stacked in order with a one point difference. For example if the 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Spades are on top of each other, then you can move all three at the same time to an open 8.

The space left after a pile has been moved can be filled with a card of any rank.

2 and 4 suits

As mentioned earlier, on our website you can find a free spider solitaire online not only a version with one suit, but with two or even four. The rules of the game are very similar to the rules when only one suit of cards is involved in the game.

It is allowed to lay cards on top of each other without taking into account the suit, focusing only on the value of the card. That is, the Jack of Clubs can be moved like a Queen of any suit: ♥, ♠, ♣, ♦. However, an ordered pile of cards with one point difference between them can only be moved if all the cards in that pile are of the same suit. Thus, the sequence ♠10, ♥J, ♠Q cannot be moved entirely. In addition, piles of cards of only one suit are moved to the base. Therefore, it is recommended to collect sequences of the same suit whenever possible.

Strategy

Let us go over strategies you can employ to increase your chances of winning:

  1. Try to exhaust your options with the piles before using the stock. This approach will help you to build longer sequences that need fewer cards to be completed.
  2. Before clicking on "Suggest Move", make sure to examine the tableau to see what moves are still open for you.
  3. Try to empty the piles with the lowest number of cards first: it will free up spaces and open up further moves.

Game Interface

For user convenience, Spider Solitaire (1 suit) has a special UI tab designed to make playing the game more convenient. The UI features the following buttons:

  • "New Game" – generates a new layout with a completely new arrangement of cards in the piles and the stock. Please note, that it also resets the current progress.
  • "Start Over" – reverts the game to the original layout. This option allows to discard the current progress and start the game from the beginning.
  • "Undo Move" – allows the player to undo an unlimited number of moves and revert the game one or multiple steps back. This action increases the overall score, which negatively affects the final result and the player's ranking.
  • "Suggest Move" – shows possible next moves, allowing the player to make a decision on what to do next. Resorting to this action also increases the overall score.

Solitaire's Benefits

Here are just a few benefits Spider Solitaire provides:

  1. Lifts spirits and teaches positive thinking. It is a great way to take a break from mundane problems and the everyday routine. Your mind will feel better, and your outlook will become more positive.
  2. Teaches patience. Players often start off making rash moves with no strategy in mind, in an attempt to quickly clear the tableau. But the key to winning is to exercise patience, deliberate, and employ strategies that increase the chances of success.
  3. Allows to pass the time and relieve boredom. With nothing to do, the human mind becomes restless and sluggish, it craves activity. Spider Solitaire was the first game for the Windows OS. Now, it has become a lifeline for many office workers trying to rid themselves of work-induced stress and boredom. And elimination of boredom is a key to a healthy lifestyle. Now you can play spider solitaire on any platform, including mobile phones.
  4. Cultivates logical thinking and strategic ability. Every move teaches the player how to think several steps ahead and employ various strategies to achieve victory.