Spider Solitaire Strategy That Clears More Deals

You deal the last row of Spider, every column is a jumble of mixed suits, and there is not a single legal move that helps. Most stuck games are lost twenty moves before that moment, through small choices that seemed harmless at the time. A solid Spider Solitaire strategy is mostly about avoiding those choices: keeping columns clean, saving empty spaces for the right moment, and dealing from the stock only when you have done everything else.

These are the habits I have built over a few thousand games on phone and desktop. They work on any standard version of the game, from one suit to four.

The rules that shape every decision

A quick refresher, because a couple of the rules drive the whole strategy. Spider uses two full decks, 104 cards. Ten columns are dealt: the first four get six cards, the other six get five, with only the top card face up. The remaining 50 cards sit in the stock and are dealt ten at a time, one onto each column, five times in total.

You can place any card on a card one rank higher, regardless of suit. But you can only move a group of cards together if they are all the same suit and in order. When you build a full run from King down to Ace in one suit, it leaves the table. Clear all eight runs and the game is done.

That second rule is the key. Mixed-suit stacks are legal, but they are frozen. You cannot move them as a unit, which is why suit discipline separates good players from frustrated ones.

Spider Solitaire strategy for the opening

The first 15 or so moves set the tone. Before touching anything, scan all ten columns and count the available moves. Then prioritize in this order:

Same-suit moves first. A 7 of spades onto an 8 of spades is always better than the same 7 onto an 8 of hearts.
Moves that flip a face-down card. Information is the most valuable thing in the opening. Every hidden card you reveal widens your options.
Moves in the short columns. The six columns with five cards are faster to empty than the four with six.
Off-suit moves only if they uncover a card. Building a mixed stack just because you can is the most common early mistake.

If two moves look equal, pick the one that keeps a higher card on top. A King or Queen sitting at the top of a column is easy to build down from. A 2 is nearly useless.

Empty columns are your most powerful tool

An empty column is worth more than almost any single move. With one free column you can temporarily park cards, reorder a mixed stack into a same-suit one, and move longer runs. With two, the game opens up dramatically.

So do not rush to fill one. Ask what you actually gain. Good reasons to use an empty column:

Moving a King there to start a clean build.
Temporarily holding a card so you can reorder two stacks into suit order.
Uncovering the last face-down card in another column, which may create a second empty column.

A poor reason is dropping a random low card there because nothing else seems available. That spends your best resource for nothing. Remember also that you cannot deal from the stock while any column is empty, so plan to fill spaces deliberately before each deal.

Why "never break a stack" is overrated

A lot of guides say you should never split a same-suit run once you have built it. I disagree. Splitting a clean run is often the move that saves the game, because it lets you reach a buried card or rearrange two columns into longer runs.

Here is a typical example. Column A has a clean run of hearts from 9 down to 5. Column B has an 8 of spades on top with a face-down card beneath it. Move the 7, 6 and 5 of hearts somewhere they fit, the 9 and 8 stay, and suddenly that 8 of spades can join a black 9 elsewhere, revealing the hidden card. You have broken a run, but gained a new card and possibly a new empty column.

The real rule is to never split a run without a clear purpose. If you can say what the split achieves in two or three moves, do it.

Dealing from the stock at the right time

Each deal drops one card on every column, often burying a run you were about to finish. Treat each of the five deals as a reset point and prepare for it:

Exhaust every useful move first, including slow reorganizing moves.
Fill any empty column, ideally with a high card or a long same-suit run.
Try to have as many columns as possible ending on a high card, since a random new card is more likely to fit under it.
Use undo, if your version allows it, to test a line of play before committing.

Good players often get through the first two deals with several clean runs already built. If you are reaching the third deal with ten messy columns, slow down in the early game.

Adjusting for one, two and four suits

Mode	What changes	Main focus
One suit	Every card can stack and move	Empty columns and efficient moves
Two suits	Half of all builds are mixed	Keep reds and blacks separated
Four suits	Most stacks will be mixed	Patience, undo, careful deals

One suit is where you learn the rhythm, and an experienced player can clear the large majority of deals. Four suits is a different game where even strong players clear well under half, and the skill is in damage control. If you are new, play one suit until you finish most games, then step up. For something calmer between sessions, our list of mobile puzzle games for a ten minute break has a few lighter picks, and fans of tile matching might enjoy our Mahjong Solitaire strategy guide.

A short checklist before every move

When you are playing on a phone during a commute, it helps to keep a simple mental list:

Is there a same-suit move?
Does any move flip a hidden card?
Can I empty a column?
Am I spending an empty column for a good reason?
Have I done everything before dealing?

Spider fits nicely into short breaks, and a one-suit game usually takes 5 to 10 minutes, which is why it shows up on our list of five minute puzzle games for waiting rooms and commutes.

Frequently asked questions

Is every game of Spider Solitaire solvable?

No. Most one-suit deals can be cleared with careful play, but a share of four-suit deals cannot be solved no matter what you do. Many apps offer a "solvable deals only" setting if you want to avoid those.

What is the best first move in Spider Solitaire?

The best first move is usually a same-suit build that also flips a face-down card. If no such move exists, choose one that reveals a hidden card in one of the shorter columns. Avoid off-suit moves that do not uncover anything.

Should you use undo in Spider Solitaire?

If the version you play allows it, yes, especially in four-suit games. Undo lets you test a sequence before dealing from the stock and is part of how many experienced players approach hard deals. Some apps lower your score for each undo, so check the scoring if that matters to you.