Spider Solitaire vs. Solitaire: 5 Main Differences and Strategies

Although Spider Solitaire has a lot of similarities to classic Solitaire, such as playing only face-up cards and completing the foundation piles to win, they each have unique differences that make both Solitaire variations a challenge to play.

Spider has three difficulty levels that you can progress through—1 Suit (beginner), 2 Suits (intermediate), and 4 Suits (advanced)—while Klondike Solitaire has Turn 1 and Turn 3 variations. Intermediate and advanced Spider Solitaire games are generally considered more difficult than Klondike Solitaire.

Regardless of which variant you play, the key differences between Spider Solitaire and classic Solitaire require you to adjust your gameplay to accommodate the different rules and strategies. This post unravels the differences between both card games and offers specific tips for each so you can win your next game of Spider Solitaire or classic Solitaire on Solitaire Bliss!

What’s the Difference Between Solitaire and Spider Solitaire?

The main distinctions between Solitaire and Spider Solitaire are the difficulty level, the number of decks you play with, and how you build sequences and foundation piles. The following sections compare the most important differences and similarities.

1. Objective

The objectives of both Solitaire games are basically the same: You must clear the tableau by moving all cards to foundation piles that are sequenced by suit and that ascend in order. But how you achieve this goal, suits you use, and the number of foundation piles you complete add nuance to the objective and your overall strategy for each game.

Spider Solitaire

To win a Spider Solitaire game, you must clear the tableau by building descending same-suit sequences from king to ace. Once a same-suit sequence is completed in the tableau, it can be transferred to a foundation pile. When all eight foundation piles are filled you win the game.

Other elements of Spider Solitaire that impact the objective are the number of cards and suits you play with. You always play with 104 playing cards (the equivalent of two decks of cards). So you have to complete eight foundation piles—double the amount of piles compared to regular Solitaire.

However, not every game of Spider uses the same number of suits. Spider Solitaire 1 Suit plays with a single suit, so arranging cards into eight same-suit sequences is easier. Spider Solitaire 2 Suits increases the difficulty level because you have two suits to manage, and Spider Solitaire 4 Suits is the most difficult as you must create same-suit sequences and foundation piles with four suits.

Solitaire

The object of the game is to clear the tableau by moving all cards to four foundation piles, ascending in order from ace to king and separated by suit. You can move the cards individually as they become available in the tableau or waste pile. Because this version is played with one standard 52-card deck, you only have to complete four foundation piles, one for each suit.

2. Tableau Setup

While both games use the same Solitaire terms, how those elements are used differ tremendously. From how you deal tableau columns to the amount of foundation piles, both games look very different visually. Note that one key difference is that Spider Solitaire uses no waste pile.

Spider Solitaire

A Spider Solitaire tableau is set up as follows:

• Tableau: Use 54 cards to deal a tableau consisting of 10 columns. The first four columns will have six cards each, and the last six columns will have five cards each. All tableau piles are facedown except the last card in each column, which is flipped face up.
• Stockpile: The remaining cards are placed in the stockpile and can be used when you run out of moves. Unlike regular Solitaire, Spider uses no waste pile. Instead, when you need new cards, you deal one card to the bottom of each column in the tableau. Because the stockpile has 50 cards and the tableau has 10 columns, you only get to use the stockpile five times before it runs out.
• Foundation piles: You need space at the top for eight foundation piles. Once you’ve completed a same-suit descending sequence in the tableau, you can move that sequence into a foundation pile that ascends in order.

Solitaire

Solitaire uses many of the same elements as Spider Solitaire, but you also use a waste pile. The set up is as follows:

• Tableau: Use one standard deck to deal seven columns, where each column has the same number of cards as its position—one card in the first column, two in the second, and so on. All cards should be facedown except the last card in each column, which is face up.
• Stockpile: The remaining cards (24) should be placed in the stockpile. You turn these over into the waste pile to gain more playable cards when you can no longer make moves on the tableau.
• Waste pile: You flip cards from the stockpile into the waste pile. Waste pile cards are all face up but only the top card playable. How many cards you turn is determined by whether you play Turn 1 (flip one card at a time) or Turn 3 (flip three cards at a time).
• Foundation piles: Leave four spaces for foundation piles above the tableau columns—one foundation pile for each suit. Individual cards can be moved to the piles from the tableau or waste pile as long as they ascend from ace to king.

3. Rules

These sections not only explain how to play Spider Solitaire and Solitaire, but they also help you see how the Spider Solitaire rules differ from how to play Klondike Solitaire. While both games have a lot of similar game elements, they use them very differently, which is important to both your strategy and gameplay.

How to Build Sequences

• Spider Solitaire: No matter what version of Spider Solitaire you’re playing, sequences in the tableau must be built in descending order. To move into foundation piles, sequences must be completed from king to ace by suit. You can build mixed-suit sequences in the tableau, but those sequences cannot be moved as a group or into foundation piles.
• Solitaire: Sequences in the tableau must be descending in order but alternate colors (red/black) regardless of suit. You can move cards from incomplete sequences to foundation piles that ascend in order by suit.

How to Move Sequences

• Spider Solitaire: You can only move sequences of the same suit on the tableau. Sequences can be of any length, but they must be of the same suit to move.
• Solitaire: You can move sequences onto other cards as long as the highest card in the sequence is placed on top of a card that is the opposite color and one rank higher. For example, a red queen, black jack, and red ten could all be placed on top of a black king.

How to Build Foundation Piles

• Spider Solitaire: You must complete a same-suit sequence that descends in order in the tableau first. Then it is placed into a foundation pile in ascending order.
• Solitaire: You can move cards one by one from the tableau or waste pile to their respective foundation piles, ascending in order from ace to king by suit. As long as the card is face up, it can be moved to a foundation pile.

How to Use the Stockpile

• Spider Solitaire: You have no waste pile like you do in a regular game of Solitaire to get new playable cards. Instead, when you can no longer make any moves, using the stockpile requires a face-up card to be dealt to the bottom of every column, which could block sequences and potential moves. Note that empty spaces must be filled because you have to have a card in each column to use the stockpile. Because the stockpile only has 50 cards, you can only use it five times before it is depleted, and once the stockpile is exhausted, the game is over. So for Spider, the stockpile is a last-resort option.
• Solitaire: You have to turn cards over from the stockpile into the waste pile. You can turn over one card, if playing Solitaire Turn 1, or three, if playing Solitaire Turn 3. Only the top face-up card in the waste pile can be used, but you can use the stockpile as often as you need to. Because you can use it endless times in Classic Solitaire, you can cycle through it as often as you need, even if it’s just to reveal cards hidden in it.

How to Use Empty Columns

• Spider Solitaire: Any card, regardless of rank or suit can be moved into an empty column. If you want to move a sequence into the empty space, that sequence must be the same suit and descending in order. Placing high-ranking cards into empty columns in Spider Solitaire gives you the chance to play additional, longer sequences in the tableau.
• Solitaire: Only kings can be played into empty columns. So unless you have king to play, emptying a column shouldn’t be a priority. On the other hand, in Spider Solitaire, emptying a column offers another free space for any card or same-suit sequence of cards to be played. So focusing on emptying columns can help expand your moves.

4. Difficulty Level

Both versions offer multiple difficulty levels, allowing you to find the right challenge for you.

Spider Solitaire

Spider has three difficulty levels, depending on how many suits you play with. When you play Spider Solitaire 1 Suit, you have an easier time creating sequences because you only have one suit to work with.

However, as you add more suits, such as Solitaire 2 Suits and Solitaire 4 Suits, you risk having to build mixed-suit sequences in the tableau. This makes creating same-suit sequences that can move to foundation piles more difficult. In general, Spider is typically considered more difficult than Solitaire.

Solitaire

Considered easier than Spider, you have two levels of difficulty with Solitaire. Solitaire Turn 3 requires you to turn three cards over from the stockpile at a time. This makes it more difficult to reach cards you need in the waste pile because you can only use the top card. With Solitaire Turn 1, you can access each card individually as you turn just one card over from the stockpile at a time.

5. Strategy

A few Spider Solitaire strategies overlap with Klondike Solitaire strategies, but because of the many differences in each version, some strategies are best used for just one type of Solitaire or the other. These sections explore strategies you can use for both games and which ones work best for particular versions so you can be more successful no matter which Solitaire game you play.

Similar Strategies

• Reveal hidden cards. In both games only face-up cards can be played, so revealing as many cards as you can gives you access to moves and uncovers the mystery of where certain cards you need may be hiding, such as an ace to start a foundation pile in Classic Solitaire. The fact you have twice as many cards in Spider makes this strategy even more of a priority.
• Survey the tableau. Although you’re faced with hidden cards in each tableau, always take time at the start of the game and after each move to check out the tableau. This is your opportunity to identify issues that might block moves and to determine which moves create the best chain reactions.
• Use the undo button. Both games allow you to undo moves when you identify a misstep. Although not all games are winnable for either version no matter how much you undo moves, using the button helps you correct mistakes and work through strategies.

Different Strategies

• Building sequences:
• Spider Solitaire: In Spider, only same-suit sequences can move as a group or go to foundation piles, so focus on building them. The more suits in play, the harder this becomes. While mixed-suit sequences are possible, prioritizing same-suit sequences makes moving cards easier.
• Solitaire: With Solitaire, your focus is moving individual cards, but building lengthy sequences is key. The longer you build a sequence, the more cards you keep in play, which allows you to reveal hidden cards.
• Using the stockpile and waste pile:
• Spider Solitaire: You only use the stockpile five times in Spider and using it means dealing a card to the bottom of each column. So use the stockpile sparingly—only as a last resort—and be careful about your movements so you don’t run into gridlock on your tableau. Otherwise, using it may block sequences you’ve worked to build and make even more gridlock in your tableau.
• Solitaire: Use the stockpile to discover hidden cards and to cycle through to use cards you need. You can use the stockpile as often as you like in Solitaire by moving cards from the stockpile into the waste pile. So if you know a card in the stockpile can help you make a move in the tableau, you can cycle through until you reach that card. You can also cycle through it when you first start the game to discover what cards might be hidden that you need immediately in gameplay.
• Moving cards to foundation piles:
• Spider Solitaire: Completing sequences in the tableau is a must for Spider Solitaire. Instead of looking for individual cards to move to foundation piles, you have to concentrate on building a full sequence, which makes revealing cards you can use to build same-suit sequences a priority.
• Solitaire: Build foundation piles evenly with Solitaire. Don’t let one foundation pile be more than two ranks higher than any other. Moving too many cards to just one foundation pile can take away useful cards you need in the tableau. For instance, if you’ve placed a seven of spades in its foundation pile, but the other piles are only built to the rank of four, you only have one chance at a black six when you have a red five you need to move. If the six of clubs is buried, you have no way of reaching the six of spades and must wait for the six of clubs to become available.

Play Your Favorite Solitaire Version on Solitaire Bliss

Both Spider Solitaire and Solitaire are fun and challenging games to play, and because they have so many differences, switching between both versions give you a variety not only in terms of gameplay, but also with strategy. If you’re ready to challenge yourself to varying levels of difficulty with Spider Solitaire or Klondike Solitaire, play online for free with Solitaire Bliss today!