Spider Solitaire, One Suit

Spider is a two-deck solitaire with ten columns and a goal that sounds easy: build eight complete runs from king down to ace. This page plays the one-suit version, where all 104 cards share a single suit. That makes it the friendliest way in, and a good place to learn the rhythm of the game before moving on to harder versions.

Rules step by step

1. The deal. Ten columns are dealt. The first four get six cards each and the other six get five each, 54 cards in all. Only the top card of every column is face up. The remaining 50 cards wait in the stock as five batches of ten.
2. Build down. Place a card on another card exactly one rank higher. A 6 goes on a 7. Suits are ignored when you place a card, and with one suit that hardly matters.
3. Move runs. You can drag a descending run of cards of the same suit as one unit. In this version every descending run qualifies.
4. Uncover cards. When a column’s top card leaves, the face-down card under it turns up.
5. Empty columns take anything. Any card, or any same-suit run, can fill an empty column. Unlike Klondike, a king is not required.
6. Deal from the stock. Click the stock to put one new card on each of the ten columns. You cannot deal while any column is empty, so fill every gap first. A deal can be undone like any other move.
7. Remove complete runs. When a run from king down to ace builds up in one column, it leaves the table by itself. That counts as 100 points, not as a move.
8. Win when all eight runs are gone. Stuck means no legal move and no stock left.

The page shows time, moves and how many of the eight runs you have removed.

Strategy

• Open the columns with the fewest hidden cards first. Getting a column empty gives you a parking place for runs, which is the strongest resource in Spider.
• Choose the column you build on with care. Every legal placement in one suit keeps the run intact, so the real question is what you cover. Stacking a long run on top of a low card makes that card expensive to reach later.
• Look before you deal. A deal adds ten cards at once and often covers exactly the cards you needed. Spend all useful moves first, then deal.
• Remember that an empty column blocks a deal. Empty one on purpose, as a staging area, but have a card ready to drop in before you want the next batch from the stock.
• Mind the low cards. An ace or two buried under a long column is the usual reason a game stalls. Dig toward them early.
• Use undo to test an idea. Undo is free and unlimited here. Try a line, see what it uncovers, and step back if it does not help.

For decision rules and worked examples, see the Spider strategy guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is every Spider deal winnable?

The default deals are drawn from a pool that an offline solver has checked. It found a winning line for each one. That is not a promise that the win is easy, and the solver sees all cards while you see only the face-up ones. A deal that does not come from the pool is labelled as not checked. Pool deals lean toward easier wins than a random shuffle, because only deals the solver could finish are kept.

Why can’t I deal the stock?

At least one column is empty. Put any card on it, then deal.

What is the difference between one, two and four suits?

The rules are the same, but more suits mean fewer runs that can move together. This page plays one suit, which is the easiest. The two-suit and four-suit versions are on their own pages.

Does a completed run count as a move?

No. Removing a finished run happens automatically and costs no move.

Can I get a hint?

Yes. The hint marks a legal move. It does not weigh whether the move is a good one, so it can lead you into a dead end.

Related games

If you enjoy the long game of Spider, try FreeCell, where everything is face up and the whole challenge is planning. For something quicker, Klondike is the classic seven-column game, and TriPeaks takes only a few minutes. Today’s shared deal for every game is on the daily page, and all rules are collected on how to play.

Last updated 2026-10-30