Spider Solitaire, Two Suits

Two-suit Spider is the middle step of the family. The table, the ten columns and the goal are the same as in the one-suit game, but the 104 cards now come in two suits, spades and hearts, four copies of each. That one change is enough to turn a gentle puzzle into a game where a careless move can cost you the deal. New to Spider? Start with one suit.

Rules step by step

1. The deal. Ten columns are dealt, the first four with six cards and the other six with five. Only the top card of each column is face up. The other 50 cards wait in the stock as five batches of ten.
2. Build down on any suit. A card can go on any card exactly one rank higher, whatever its suit. A red 6 may sit on a black 7. This is the big difference from one suit, where the suit never mattered.
3. Move only same-suit runs. A descending run moves as one unit only when every card in it has the same suit. A 6 of hearts on a 7 of spades can be built, but the pair cannot be picked up together later.
4. Uncover cards. When the top card of a column leaves, the face-down card under it turns up.
5. Empty columns take anything. An empty column accepts any card or any same-suit run. A king is not required.
6. Deal from the stock. Click the stock to place one new card on every column. You cannot deal while a column is empty, so fill every gap first. A deal can be undone like any move.
7. Remove complete runs. When a run from king down to ace of one suit stands in a column, it leaves the table by itself. A mixed pile never leaves, however long it is.
8. Win when all eight runs are gone. Stuck means no legal move and no stock left.

What changes with two suits

In one suit every placement keeps your chain intact. Here every placement is a decision. A card on a different suit is legal, and sometimes right, but it creates a seam. Everything above the seam is a separate unit.

Strategy

• Prefer the same suit. When a card can land on a card of its own suit, that is almost always the better move. The run grows and stays movable.
• Do not bury a card you need. A mixed placement costs least on a card you will not need soon.
• Empty a column early. A free column lets you separate suits, park a card for a few moves and reorganise a seam. It is the strongest resource in the game.
• Work on one suit at a time. Finish the run of one suit first and treat the other suit as material to move out of the way.
• Deal last. Make every safe move first. Ten new cards land at once and may cover cards you wanted.
• Use undo to test a line. Undo is free and unlimited. Try a mixed placement, see what it uncovers and step back if it leads nowhere.

Frequently asked questions

Is every two-suit deal winnable?

Not necessarily. A deal that comes from the winnable pool was checked by an offline solver, which found a winning line. A deal that does not come from the pool is a random shuffle and is labelled as not checked, and some random deals cannot be won. Pool deals lean toward easier wins than a random shuffle, because only deals the solver could finish are kept; the Deal pool facts at the bottom of this page show how large that selection was.

Why can’t I move this run?

Every card in a run must share a suit. Only the cards above a seam can move.

Why can’t I deal the stock?

A column is empty. Put a card on it, then deal.

Is two suits much harder than one?

For most players, yes. One suit is mostly patience. Two suits adds planning: you decide which suit you are building and what you are willing to cover.

Can I get a hint?

Yes. The hint marks a legal move and prefers one that keeps a same-suit chain together. It does not look ahead, so it can still lead you into a dead end.

Related games

Compare this with one suit for a calmer game or four suits for the full challenge. For something where every card is visible, try FreeCell. Klondike is the classic, TriPeaks is quick, and today’s shared deals are on the daily page. All rules are collected on how to play.

Last updated 2026-10-30