Spider Solitaire is a popular solitaire game that has become very popular since Microsoft made it available for free on Windows computers. Since it is quite a difficult game and a lot of people want to know how to improve their chances of winning, here we offer a detailed strategy.
There are hundreds of versions of Solitaire: Spider Solitaire, TriPeaks Solitaire, Klondike Solitaire, FreeCell, Pyramid Solitaire, Crescent Solitaire and many more. On this website you can play the following variations: Spider Solitaire One Suit, Two Suits and Four Suits.
The object of Spider Solitaire is to put a series of cards of the same suit on the table, ranked in ascending order. But it's easier said than done! Especially in the Four Suit Spider variant where it sometimes seems impossible to complete the game.
However, there are strategies to greatly increase your chances of winning. But before continuing, let's open a little parenthesis. In this article, I'm assuming that you are playing around with the “undo” option and that you don't mind. This is because most of the Spider Solitaire games on our site have this feature. But some purists prefer to play a game that doesn't have this option because they think it's "cheating." These people can still read this article, but they probably won't be able to use all of the info in it.
So what's the golden tip for winning Spider Solitaire?
It's simple ! The key to the game is in the empty columns!
The first goal of Spider Solitaire is therefore to get an empty column. The next goal is to try to empty another column. With two empty columns, you already have a much better chance of winning. But, if possible, it is still better to empty a third column. As soon as you have emptied three or four columns, your chances of winning are very high, unless your cards are very bad.
To get the first empty column ... The first step of the game depends on the highest card you have. If you have a choice, play with the right piles, since the six right piles have one card less.
Then play the cards in the following order of priority:
Preferably play (if possible) the card that can allow you to complete a pile faster than the others. If you can't play from the pile that you can eliminate as quickly as possible, play the card with the highest value. If two or more cards have the same value, it is best to play the card that you can place in a series of consecutive cards.
Follow this strategy until a column is empty or you run out of options.
As soon as a column is empty, the aim of the game changes slightly. You now have three main purposes: sort, rearrange, and return. It is now absolutely necessary to try to keep the empty columns. They indeed greatly increase the possibilities during the game. When you put cards there, do so temporarily.
Sort
In my Spider Solitaire strategy, the first objective of the second phase is “Sorting”. This is the term I use when I arrange the columns. I thus obtain series of only one "color".
Imagine for example that you have 2 columns. In the first, there are:
5 of diamonds
4 of hearts
and in the second:
5 of clubs
4 of diamonds
We can temporarily use the empty columns to rearrange the columns and turn them into:
5 of diamonds
4 of diamonds
and:
5 of clubs
4 of hearts
We do it with the following steps:
4 of diamonds in empty column
4 of hearts out of 5 of clubs
4 of diamonds by 5 of diamonds
The most important thing here is that the empty column is always empty when we have finished sorting the series. This is essential because the columns must remain available as much as possible.
Rearrange
When we have sorted our series, the next goal is to rearrange the columns. It just involves moving all the sets that can be moved to form longer sets. A new card (or a card not belonging to the series) discovered during this movement, must always be moved. In all other cases, you need to appreciate the situation as best as possible, observing whether or not the new sets are of the same suit and also watching the other cards which prevent you from completing your game of Spider Solitaire.
Return
Finally, we try to find (turn over) new cards, trying to keep the empty columns at the same time. We do this by using the “roll back” option.
Move a card or series to an empty column to flip a new card.
If the new card allows it, replace the original series. If the new card does not allow it, try moving another card or series. If you can't turn over new cards without keeping the columns, take cards from the draw pile.
The most important thing is to create empty columns and keep them! Does this strategy win all parties? The answer is no. Are there better strategies? Yes. And when you've played Spider Solitaire more often, you'll develop a strategy yourself. Hopefully, the above strategies will already provide you with some guidelines for winning more solitaire games.