How to play Spider: moves, deals and suit modes
Learn which sequences you can move in Spider Solitaire, when to deal another row and how one, two and four suits change your decisions on Arcajoy.
Placing a card is different from moving a sequence
Build down by rank across ten columns: a seven can go on an eight of any suit. To move several cards together, however, they must form an exposed descending sequence of the same suit. For example, the nine, eight and seven of spades can move onto any exposed ten. If the eight is a heart, that entire group cannot move together. An empty column accepts any legal card or sequence.
Choose one, two or four suits
Every mode uses 104 cards and the same goal: complete eight same-suit sequences from king to ace. Completed sequences leave the board automatically. One suit lets you focus on rank; two and four also require separating suits. If a descending group will not move together, check its suits. If it will not clear, check that every rank from king to ace is present in the same suit.
Check available moves before dealing
The stock adds one face-up card to each column. That can cover a useful sequence, so first look for moves that expose hidden cards or join matching suits. This version allows dealing with empty columns; do not assume restrictions from other Spider variants apply. Use hints to locate a continuation and undo to compare choices. Playing one suit or dealing frequently does not guarantee a win.
Read the layout before your first transfer
- Inspect the exposed bottom cards of all ten columns. Find adjacent ranks you could join and separately note which also match in suit.
- Look for a move that exposes a face-down card. It provides new information; shifting an exposed sequence alone may change nothing useful.
- Check whether you are covering a useful run with another suit. Sometimes that is necessary, but plan where you can separate the mixed group later.
- If you can empty a column, give it a purpose: hold a run temporarily, expose a card or separate suits. Do not consume that reserve with an arbitrary transfer.
- Before dealing again, review every available join. A deal changes several plans at once because it places a card in every column.
Example: separating a mixed run
Imagine an exposed nine of spades followed by the eight and seven of hearts. The heart pair can move together as a valid same-suit sequence. All three cannot, even though their ranks descend without a gap. If another exposed nine is available, move the heart pair onto it, leaving the spade nine independently accessible.
An empty column can perform the same separation without a matching nine. Consider the follow-up, though: the pair now occupies your reserve, making it unavailable for another rearrangement. A useful plan ends with something tangible—an exposed hidden card, a longer same-suit run or a restored empty column—not merely a different-looking layout.
Choosing a difficulty
| Mode | Focus |
|---|---|
| One suit | Rank order and revealing hidden cards at useful moments. |
| Two suits | Separating mixed groups and preserving rearrangement space. |
| Four suits | Planning several same-suit sequences at the same time. |
| Every mode | Eight complete king-to-ace runs; the column count and objective remain unchanged. |
Review a failed attempt
If a deal leaves few moves, revisit the previous position: did you miss a same-suit join? Perhaps you covered a short sequence with another suit too soon. Undo can test an alternative, but first name why the new choice should help; otherwise you may repeat the same arbitrary decisions.
For practice, lengthen one short same-suit run while preserving a useful rearrangement space. Do not insist on an empty column at any cost: revealing a new card may offer more options. Empty columns do not prevent dealing in this version, so deciding when to deal is a positional judgement rather than a formal restriction.
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Questions and answers
Can I move a mixed-suit run in Spider?
Cards may be stacked across suits, but a group moves together only when it is one suit in descending order.
Why keep an empty column free?
It gives you room to separate runs and expose hidden cards. Filling it without a follow-up can make the next rearrangement harder.
When should I deal new cards?
Deal when useful rearrangements are exhausted. Check the open ends first, because a new deal can cover a short sequence you could have completed.