Spider Solitaire (2 Suits)

How to Play Spider Solitaire (2 Suits)

The Goal of Spider Solitaire (2 Suits)

Spider Solitaire (2 Suits) is the middle step of the Spider family. It is harder than the one-suit version, but much friendlier than the full four-suit game, which makes it a favorite for players who want a real challenge without a punishing one. Your goal is simple to state: build eight complete runs of cards, each one going from King down to Ace in a single suit. Every time you finish a run, it is lifted off the table and moved to the foundation. When all eight runs are gone and the table is empty, you win.

The Layout and the Cards

This game uses two full decks, but with a twist: only spades and hearts are included. Each deck contributes 26 spades and 26 hearts, so you play with 104 cards in total — 52 spades and 52 hearts. That means there are four complete sets of each suit, and you will need to assemble four spade runs and four heart runs to win.

At the start of a game, the cards are dealt into ten tableau columns across the table:

• The first four columns receive 6 cards each.
• The remaining six columns receive 5 cards each.
• Only the top card of each column is dealt face up. Everything underneath is face down.

That accounts for 54 cards. The other 50 cards form the stock, which sits in the corner waiting to be dealt later.

How Cards Move

The single most important rule in Spider is this: you may place any card on any card that is one rank higher, regardless of suit — but you may only move a group of cards together if they form a descending run of the same suit.

An example makes this clear. Suppose a 9♠ is showing. You are allowed to place an 8♥ on it, because 8 is one rank below 9 and suit does not matter for a single placement. However, that 9♠-8♥ pair is now a mixed pair, and mixed cards can never travel together. If you later want to move the 9♠ somewhere else, you must first find a new home for the 8♥. If instead you had placed an 8♠ on the 9♠, the two cards would form a same-suit run and could be picked up and moved as one unit.

The full movement rules:

• A single face-up card may be moved onto any card one rank higher, in either suit.
• A group of cards may be moved only if it is an unbroken descending sequence of one suit, such as J♥-10♥-9♥.
• When you move the last face-up card off a column, the face-down card beneath it is turned over and becomes playable.
• An empty column is very valuable: you may fill it with any single card or any same-suit run.

Dealing from the Stock

When you run out of useful moves, click (or tap) the stock pile. One card is dealt face up onto every column — ten new cards at once. There are five such deals in the stock, and after the last one the stock is empty.

One restriction applies: you cannot deal from the stock while any column is empty. You must place at least one card into each empty column first. This rule exists to keep the deal fair, but it also means you should think carefully before dealing, because those ten new cards will land on top of whatever you have built.

Completing Runs and Winning

Whenever a column contains a complete descending run from King to Ace in one suit — all thirteen cards, unbroken — the run is automatically removed from the table and placed on the foundation. Removing a run often exposes a face-down card underneath, giving you fresh options.

You win the game when all eight runs (four in spades, four in hearts) have been completed and removed. If you reach a position where no moves are possible and the stock is empty, the game is lost — but on this site you can always undo your way back and try a different line.

Controls on This Site

Moving cards is easy: drag and drop a card or run with your mouse or finger, or simply double-click (double-tap on a touchscreen) a card to send it automatically to the best available spot. Above the table you will find five buttons: New starts a fresh deal, Undo takes back your last move, Redo restores a move you undid, Hint highlights a suggested move, and Auto-finish completes the game for you once victory is certain. Undo is unlimited, so you can rewind as far as you like. Every deal also has a seed — a number that identifies the exact shuffle — so you can replay the very same deal and try to beat it a different way.

Spider Solitaire (2 Suits) Strategy & Tips

Build In-Suit Whenever You Can

The heart of two-suit strategy is a simple preference: given a choice, always make the in-suit move. If a 7 is showing and you hold both the 6♠ and the 6♥, put the one that matches. An in-suit pair stays mobile — it can be picked up and carried around the table as a unit — while a mixed pair is frozen in place. Off-suit builds are not forbidden, but treat them as temporary parking: a place to stash a card for a turn or two while you dig for something better, with a plan for how that card will eventually move again.

Uncover Face-Down Cards First

At the start of the game, 44 of your 54 dealt cards are hidden. Those hidden cards are where your missing ranks live, so early on, judge every move by one question: does it turn over a face-down card? Prefer moves from the tall six-card columns, since they hide the most cards, and prefer emptying a short five-card column when you want a free space quickly. A flipped card is pure profit; a pretty-looking build that uncovers nothing is often a wasted turn.

Use Empty Columns to Re-Sort

An empty column is the most powerful tool in Spider. Do not rush to fill it with the first card you see. Instead, use it as a workbench to repair mixed runs. For example, if a column holds 9♠-8♥-7♥, move the 8♥-7♥ pair into the empty space, place the 8♠-7♠ from elsewhere onto the 9♠, and you have converted a stuck, mixed stack into a mobile, in-suit one. One empty column lets you relocate short runs; two empty columns let you take apart almost anything. When you must fill a space permanently, a King is a good tenant, because Kings can never be placed on another card anyway.

Tidy Up Before Every Stock Deal

Each stock deal drops one random card on every column, burying whatever was on top. So before you click the stock, spend a moment tidying: join in-suit runs together, clear or protect any empty columns you can, and avoid leaving low cards (Aces and 2s) exposed where they will trap the newcomers. A common beginner mistake is dealing too early out of impatience; a well-prepared table turns a stock deal from a disaster into a fresh supply of material.

Think Before Completing a Run

Oddly enough, finishing a King-to-Ace run is not always urgent. Sometimes a long, complete in-suit run sitting on the table is useful — you can slide other cards on and off its lower end. But if completing it will flip a face-down card or empty a column, take it. With two suits, roughly half your natural builds will be in-suit by chance, so with careful play a majority of deals are winnable. When a deal beats you, use the unlimited undo to back up and explore a different branch — replaying the same seed is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your judgment.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Solitaire Games