Spider Solitaire Strategy: 8 Tips to Win More Games

Spider can feel like a game of luck at first, but good players win far more often than beginners. The difference is in three things: uncovering cards, saving empty columns, and keeping runs in one suit. These tips work for every suit count. The later ones matter most in 2- and 4-suit games. New to the game? Read the rules first.

1. Turn over face-down cards first

At the start, 44 cards are face down. Every card you turn over gives you more choices. When you have several possible moves, prefer the one that uncovers a face-down card. Prefer the column with the fewest face-down cards left, since that's the quickest way to an empty column.

2. Empty columns are your most powerful tool

An empty column lets you move a card out of the way, split a run to reach the card under it, or reorder two columns. Getting the first empty column is the turning point of most games. Don't fill one with a single card unless it gains you something, such as uncovering a card or setting up a long run.

3. Build in suit whenever you can

You may put a 7♥ on any 8, but a 7♥ on the 8♥ keeps the run movable as a block. A 7♥ on an 8♠ blocks it until you take it apart again. When you have a choice of where to put a card, the same suit is almost always right.

4. Move the higher card first

If two cards could both use the same spot, think about which one unlocks more. Kings and Queens are the hardest cards to place, because only an empty column or a King takes them. So clearing a high card away is often worth more than tidying a low one.

5. Don't break a good run without a reason

Taking cards off a long one-suit run to use them elsewhere is legal, but it usually undoes earlier work. Only do it if it uncovers a card or gains an empty column. kawu's hint never suggests a move that just breaks a run or moves a card between two equally good places.

6. Get ready before you deal

A deal puts a new card on every column, burying whatever was there. Before dealing:

• make every move that builds a one-suit run or uncovers a card,
• put a card in each empty column (you have to, to deal at all). Use a card that's going nowhere, ideally a low one,
• try to leave columns ending in high cards. A new card landing on a King or Queen is more likely to fit.

7. In 2 and 4 suits, sort before you build

With more suits you'll often have mixed runs, like 9♠ 8♥ 7♥ 6♠. Use an empty column as a workspace to swap the pieces into one-suit runs. For example, move the 6♠ to the empty column, move the 7♥ onto another 8, then bring the 6♠ back where it belongs. This shuffling is slow but it's how 4-suit games are won.

8. Use undo to explore

Undo is unlimited and every deal can be taken back, so there's no penalty for trying a line of play and returning. In a tricky position, try the move, look at what it reveals, and undo if it's worse. The timer keeps running, but your win counts the same.

Practise

Start with 1 suit until you win most games. Then try 2 suits, which need all of the tips above. The daily deal is a 1-suit game that everyone plays the same day. It's a good way to compare times and move counts.

If you enjoy planning ahead, try FreeCell. Every card is face up, so almost every deal can be won with careful play.

Last updated 2026-10-17