
The typical spider solitaire is a one-player game played with two card decks. However, some variations use up to four decks and have multiple suits to increase the game’s difficulty. The basic rules remain the same regardless of the variant.
Winning in this game simply requires moving all cards to the foundation pile by completing individual king-to-ace stacks. But you have to complete all the stacks before you run out of moves. I’ll take you through everything you need to know about playing this game and, most importantly, how to play it for free.
Spider Solitaire is a simple game you play with two decks of cards — that’s 104 cards altogether. Some are placed in the columns along the tableau, while the rest are in the stockpile. The tableau refers to the 10 columns of cards laid out on the table at the start of the game. Meanwhile, the stockpile (also called the stock or draw pile) consists of the remaining 50 cards that were not dealt with in the tableau initially.
Your goal here is to arrange the cards in the columns along the tableau in a descending order. The sequence begins from the King at the top to the Ace at the bottom. As you complete each sequence, the cards will move from the tableau to the foundation pile while you continue with other stacks. You’ll continue until you have all the cards in the foundation pile.
The standard Casino Solitaire online setup has 54 cards in the ten columns along the tableau and 50 cards in the stockpile. This is the same setup in Spider Solitaire. As for the cards in the tableau, the first four columns hold six cards each, while the remaining six columns have five cards each. You are free to move the cards in any column provided you obey the game mechanics.
Only the first card in each column is face-up. The rest are face down until you move the face-up card out of that column. Then, the next card becomes face-up. This sequence continues until you move all the cards from that column.
Each time you draw from the stockpile, ten cards are added to the tableau (each column gets one card). It will continue until you empty the stockpile. In other words, it will add cards to the columns in the tableau five times.
Note that you can’t draw new cards when you have empty columns. Place a card in any empty column before drawing from the stockpile.
You’ll have eight spots in the foundation section when you play Spider Solitaire. Once you arrange the cards from the king to the ace, the game will automatically move that complete stack to one spot in the foundation.
One of the standout features in Spider Solitaire is the ability to undo your moves. The game typically features an undo button where you can return the cards and make a different move. Undoing your moves can be a vital strategy when exploring the Spider Solitaire game, or when you feel like you’ve reached a stalemate.
The mechanics in this game are all about making moves to form stacks. However, there are rules on how you can move the cards in each column. These rules are as follows:
You can only build a stack by moving a face-up card on top of another card with a higher value than the card moved. For example, you can only move a queen on top of a king. The sequence continues in a descending order.
The Spider Solitaire game allows players to move more than one card at a time. However, the group of cards must be in a descending order and of the same suit. The latter applies if you play the game with more than one suit.
Even while moving a group of cards, you can only place them on a card with a higher value than the card with the highest value in the unit.
You can get 10 cards from the stockpile with each draw. The game allows you to draw at any time. However, it is best reserved until you can make no further moves on the columns in the tableau.
To draw cards from the stockpile, simply click on the pile. Also, note that when you draw, the cards will be added at the last position of each column randomly. All cards from the stockpile will be placed face-up in each column.
The game allows players to form multiple sequences in one column. However, the initial sequences will be locked until you complete the new sequence or move the latter sequence out of the column.
You can move cards to empty columns. This approach can be an effective strategy in revealing more cards from other columns. Again, the rules of moving a single card or a group of cards apply.
The correct sequence to win a stack in Solitaire Spider is King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and Ace. Once you have these cards in a descending order, the stack will move to the foundation, leaving you with fewer cards on the tableau.
Note that you’ll lose the game if the following happens:
The typical difficulty levels depend on how many suits you play in the game. Add more suits, and the difficulty levels increase. For that reason, the Spider Solitaire 2 Suit is more difficult than the single-suit version. The same approach applies to the 4 Suits Spider Solitaire, as it is the most difficult variant.
First off, the Spider Solitaire 2 Suits and 4 Suits versions have pretty much the same layout as the 1 Suit version. In other words, you will still have ten columns in the tableau and one stockpile. The first four columns will have six cards, while the remaining six columns will have five cards.
The rules for drawing cards from the stockpile are the same as the 1 Suit Spider Solitaire game. Nonetheless, a few slight variations you should keep in mind are as follows:
I recommend the 1 Suit Spider Solitaire for beginners as it is the simplest. Experts can as well play around with the difficulty levels for a tougher gameplay. However, the 2 Suits and 4 Suits Spider Solitaire are ideal for experts of the game.
The best place for a Spider Solitaire free gameplay is Sweepstakes Casinos. You don’t have to make any payments to play the game, as you will receive free Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins.
Although you won’t win actual funds from your gaming sessions, you can exchange redeemable SCs for cash prizes or gift cards. All you have to do is use the free Sweepstakes Coins, complete the playthrough requirements, and reach the minimum SC balance for prize redemption.
Another benefit of playing Spider Solitaire at Sweepstakes Casinos is the regular bonus through which you can get free GCs and SCs. Some of these bonuses include the following:
🎁 Bonus | 📝 Description |
---|---|
Sign-up bonus | This bonus typically consists of Gold Coins and Sweepstakes. You’ll get it immediately after completing the sign-up process. |
Daily login bonus | These are free offers you can claim once a day when you log in. |
Giveaways | Such promotions are typically available via the operator’s social media channels. You get the bonus after completing simple requirements. |
VIP rewards | You’ll get these rewards as you play regularly and advance in the VIP program. |
Many platforms also provide special promotions that run for a specific period. Note that the GCs and SCs you get from these bonuses can be used on Spider Solitaire and other Sweepstakes casino games, from slots to live dealer games.
For the best gaming experience on Spider Solitaire and other games, here are my top recommended Sweepstakes casinos:
This sweepstake casino offers 56 Stake Cash, 560k Gold Coins, and a 5% rakeback when you sign up. You simply have to enter the bonus code JAXONSOCIAL to qualify for this bonus. There are many other offers to look forward to, including daily login bonuses and limited-time promotions.
You can use the bonus to play not just Solitaire, but also Sweepstakes slots, table games, live dealer games, and Stake Originals. Poker is also available on the site. For SC redemption, you’ll have to play through the bonus Stake Cash three times and have at least 10 Stake Cash in your balance.
This is another top recommendation on my list. Sign up with the bonus code JAXONMCLUCK, and you’ll get 7500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins. You can get this bonus whether you register via the desktop site or on the mobile application.
McLuck’s lobby includes jackpots, Megaways, classic slots, game shows, roulette, and blackjack. Even better, these games are available on the mobile app and run just as smoothly as on the regular website. Although you can’t play Solitaire to win real money at sweepstakes sites, you can exchange Sweeps Coin winnings for prizes after meeting the 1x playthrough requirement.
One of the first things that caught my attention at RealPrize was its easy-to-use website. The platform has a great layout and design that makes it easy to launch and play games. It also works well on mobile devices, so you can play on the go.
The sign-up offer here is 100,000 Gold Coins and 2 Sweeps Coins. You’ll also have to meet a 1x playthrough requirement before redeeming SC winnings for real prizes. For cash prizes, you’ll need at least 100 eligible SC, but for gift cards, the minimum balance needed is 45 SC.
MegaBonanza features hundreds of casino-style games. Like my other recommendations, you can play games for free at MegaBonanza. That includes the free Spider Solitaire 2 Suits or other variants available.
As for promotions, MegaBonanza offers 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweepstakes Coins when you sign up. This offer does not require any GC purchase. If you do wish to buy Gold Coins, the operator has other purchase deals for you.
Creating a new account at Jackpota will qualify you to receive 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins.
Speaking of games, Jackpota features over 700 top-notch casino-style games. These include regular and classic slots, jackpots, megaways, and unlimited play options. The site also features a social live casino with prominent options like blackjack, roulette, Sic Bo, and game shows. These are popular alternatives to Spider Solitaire.
Here are the pros and cons of playing the Spider Solitaire game:
When it comes to playing Spider Solitaire, skills and strategies matter as much as luck. From using bonuses to creating empty columns when you can, strategies will increase your winning chances. Spider Solitaire is easy to learn, and the strategies don’t take long to master. For that reason, I recommend it to beginners.
The number of moves depends on how skilled you are at playing the game and the difficulty level. With more skills and easier difficulty levels, you’ll need fewer moves.
You can play free Spider Solitaire at sweepstakes casinos. My top recommendations are Stake.us, Real Prize, McLuck, MegaBonanza, and Jackpota.
No, you will not lose if you make a wrong move. You’ll only lose if no further moves are possible and you have no cards in the stockpile.
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