Spider – Rules

Play Spider against the computer

1. Quick overview

What is it about? Spider is the best-known two-deck patience. In ten columns you arrange the cards in descending order. You may place a card on any card one rank higher – but only sequences in the same suit can be moved together and removed at the end.

2. Cards and material

• Deck: two French decks of 52 cards, no jokers.
• Easier versions: With 1 suit you play eight sequences of spades, with 2 suits four each of spades and hearts.
• Ranking (low → high): A, 2, 3 … 10, J, Q, K.
• No other material needed.

3. Setup and start

1. Shuffle: Shuffle both decks together.
2. Deal: Columns 1–4 get 6 cards each, columns 5–10 get 5 cards each.
3. Turn up: Only the top card of each column is face up.
4. Stock: Put the remaining 50 cards aside face down.

Starting example: Among the top cards are a 9 of spades and a 10 of spades. The 9 goes onto the 10 at once – a card is turned up beneath it.

4. Goal and winning

• Won: All eight King-to-Ace sequences of one suit have been removed.
• Lost: The stock is empty and no useful move is left.

5. Play in detail

Building.

1. A face-up card may be placed on any face-up card that is exactly one rank higher – the suit does not matter (e.g. 7 of hearts on 8 of spades).
2. Several cards may be moved together if they form a descending sequence in the same suit.
3. When a face-down card is freed, it is turned up.
4. An empty column may take any card or fitting sequence.

Dealing from the stock.

• When stuck, deal one card from the stock onto each of the ten columns.
• This is only allowed when no column is empty.

Removing.

• When a column contains a complete sequence King to Ace in one suit, it is removed at once.

Example.

1. You put the 9 of spades on the 10 of spades and turn up a King of hearts beneath.
2. You put the 5 of diamonds on the 6 of spades – the rank fits, the suit does not matter.
3. Now you want to move the 6 of spades and 5 of diamonds: that is not possible together, because the suits differ.
4. Nothing works any more – you deal a new row from the stock.

6. Scoring

• Classically only won or not won counts.
• Computer scoring (variant): start with 500 points, −1 per move, +100 per finished sequence.

7. Special rules and important situations

• Mixed sequences: If different suits lie on top of each other, they can only be taken apart card by card.
• Kings: A King can only go onto an empty column.
• Dealing blocked: As long as a column is empty, you may not deal – put a card into it first.
• Typical mistakes: wasting empty columns on a single low card; dealing too early.

8. Variants

Standard of this description: four suits, two decks.

On cardgames.zone you choose 1, 2 or 4 suits. Moves can be taken back, and the 💡 hint shows a useful next move.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Build in suit: Same-suit sequences can be moved later.
2. Empty columns are gold: Use them to rearrange sequences.
3. Face-down cards first: Prefer turning up cards in columns with many face-down cards.
4. Do not deal too early: Check all moves first.
5. Watch the Kings: They block a column until it is freed.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. Shuffle two decks.
2. Ten columns: four of 6, six of 5 cards.
3. Only the top card face up.
4. Put the rest aside as the stock.
5. Build on a card one rank higher.
6. Only move same-suit sequences together.
7. Turn up freed cards.
8. Fill empty columns with any card.
9. No move: deal a row from the stock.
10. Eight King-to-Ace sequences removed: won.

11. Frequently asked questions

Does the suit matter when building?

No. It only counts when moving cards together and for finished sequences.

May I deal when a column is empty?

No. Every column must have at least one card first.

Is every game solvable?

With one suit almost always, with four suits far less often.

What happens to a finished sequence?

It is removed at once and stays out of play.

Origin & history

Spider appears in American patience books from the 1940s, where it was rated one of the best two-deck patiences. It became world-famous when Microsoft added it to Windows in 1998 – with a choice of one, two or four suits.