Question 1

Why can I not move my run of cards in Spider?

Accepted Answer

Almost certainly because it is not all one suit. Stacking ignores suit — any card can go on the next rank up — but moving several cards at once requires them to be the same suit in descending order. Only the top card of a mixed run can move.

Question 2

How hard is two-suit Spider Solitaire?

Accepted Answer

Around 55–65% of deals are winnable with good play, against 80–90% for one suit and 5–15% for four. It is the version most players find best balanced.

Question 3

What is the most valuable thing on the table in Spider?

Accepted Answer

An empty column. It is the only place you can take a mixed run apart, one card at a time, and rebuild it into something movable. Filling one just to tidy up is the most common way a winnable game becomes unwinnable.

Question 4

Does it matter which suit I build on?

Accepted Answer

Enormously. When a card can go in two places and one of them keeps the run same-suit, take that one. It costs nothing now and pays every time you need to move that run later.

Question 5

What happens when I complete a run?

Accepted Answer

The whole King-to-Ace run lifts off the table automatically and the card beneath it turns over. You need eight of them to win.

Question 6

Can I undo moves in Spider?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as often as you like. Spider hides information, so some decisions are only judgeable after you have seen what a card was — using undo to explore is a legitimate way to learn.

Question 7

Is two-suit Spider Solitaire free to play?

Accepted Answer

Yes. two-suit Spider Solitaire is completely free here — free to play, nothing to install, and nothing that interrupts a game halfway through.

Question 8

Do I need to download anything to play Spider?

Accepted Answer

No. It runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to install and no app to update.

Question 9

Can I play Spider on a phone or tablet?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The layout adapts to the screen, cards can be dragged or tapped, and the whole game works on touch. It is the same site, not a cut-down version.

Question 10

Do I need an account to play Spider?

Accepted Answer

No. Open a game and play — there is nothing to register for. Your settings, statistics and bookmarks are kept in your own browser.

Question 11

Can I undo a move?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as many times as you like, with the Undo button or Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on a Mac). There is no penalty and no limit.

Question 12

Can I replay the same deal?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every game shows a deal number in the bottom-right corner. The same number always deals the same game. You can bookmark it, share it, or send it to us in a bug report.

Question 13

Does Spider work offline?

Accepted Answer

Once the page has loaded, the game itself runs entirely in your browser and does not need the network. Reloading the page does require a connection.

Question 14

Is there a timer, and can I turn it off?

Accepted Answer

There is a timer and a move counter in the bar at the bottom. Both can be hidden from Settings if you would rather play without them.

Question 15

Can I change how the cards look?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Settings offers five table colours, six card backs, and a four-colour deck where each suit gets its own colour — which many colour-blind players find much easier to read.

Question 16

Are there keyboard shortcuts?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Hotkeys button in the top bar lists them all. Every action has both a keyboard route and a mouse route; the keyboard is never the only way to do something.

Question 17

Is there anything I have to sign up for?

Accepted Answer

No. You can open any game and start playing immediately — there is no sign-up step and no paywall. Settings and statistics are kept in your own browser rather than on a server.

Question 18

What happens if I close the tab mid-game?

Accepted Answer

The game is not saved, so closing the tab ends it. If you want to come back to the same deal, note the deal number first — it will deal exactly the same game.

Question 19

What are the rules of Spider Solitaire?

Accepted Answer

Build eight complete King-to-Ace runs in a single suit. Cards stack downward regardless of suit, but a group of cards can only be moved together if it is the same suit in descending order. A finished run clears itself.

Question 20

How many cards are in Spider Solitaire?

Accepted Answer

104 — two full decks. Fifty-four are dealt to ten columns at the start and the remaining fifty form five deals of ten.

Question 21

How many columns does Spider have?

Accepted Answer

Ten. The first four hold six cards each and the rest hold five, with only the bottom card of each face up.

Question 22

What happens when I complete a run in Spider?

Accepted Answer

The whole King-to-Ace run lifts off the table on its own and goes to one of the eight slots at the top. The card underneath turns face up.

Question 23

Why can I not deal from the stock?

Accepted Answer

Every column must hold at least one card before a deal is allowed. If any column is empty, put something in it first.

Question 24

How many deals do I get in Spider?

Accepted Answer

Five. Each deals one card face up onto every column, and there is no recycling — once they are gone, that is all the cards you get.

Question 25

What is the most important Spider strategy?

Accepted Answer

Protect empty columns. An empty column is the only place you can take a mixed run apart and rebuild it into something movable, and filling one carelessly is how most winnable games are lost.

Question 26

Should I build in suit even when I do not have to?

Accepted Answer

Yes, whenever the choice is free. Two placements can look identical now and only one keeps the run movable later. It costs nothing at the time and pays every time you need to relocate it.

Question 27

Does Spider use one deck or two?

Accepted Answer

Two. That means eight of every rank, and it is what makes eight complete runs possible.

Question 28

Can I move a run onto an empty column in Spider?

Accepted Answer

Yes — any card or run can go into an empty column. There is no King restriction, unlike Klondike.

Question 29

How long does a Spider game take?

Accepted Answer

Around twenty minutes, and often longer at four suits. Spider is the slowest of the mainstream solitaires.

Question 30

Which two suits are used in two-suit Spider?

Accepted Answer

Spades and hearts, four copies of each. That gives one black suit and one red, which makes it easy to see at a glance whether a run is movable.

Question 31

Is two-suit Spider a big jump from one suit?

Accepted Answer

It is the biggest jump in the game. At one suit every tidy run moves; at two, half of them do not, and suddenly the neat column you built is stuck. Win rates drop from 80–90% to 55–65%.