Spider Patience Strategy: Tips to Win
Spider Patience is a long, thoughtful solitaire with ten columns and 104 cards. You can place any card on one rank higher, but only same-suit runs move together, and that difference decides most games. Whether you play 1, 2 or 4 suits, these tips help you clear all eight King-to-Ace runs more often.
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Empty a column early
An empty column is the most powerful space in Spider. It can hold any card or run, which lets you rearrange columns and unlock buried cards. Look for a short column at the start and focus on clearing it. Remember you must fill every column before dealing a new row, so plan to use empty columns before the next deal.
Build in suit
You may put a 7 of hearts on any 8, but only same-suit sequences move as a unit. Whenever you have a choice, build in the same suit. Mixed-suit runs block cards underneath and need extra space to untangle later. In 1-suit mode this does not matter, which is why it is the easiest choice.
Turn over hidden cards
Face-down cards are your biggest unknown. Prefer moves that reveal a hidden card, and favour columns with many hidden cards. A long, tidy run on top of five face-down cards is less useful than it looks, because those buried cards may include the ones you need. When two columns offer the same move, choose the one that turns over a card.
Deal only when ready
A deal adds one card on top of every column, covering your work. Before dealing, make every useful move, try to finish nearly complete runs and fill columns with high cards. Moving Kings into empty columns before a deal is often smart, because nothing can be placed on top of a King anyway. If you can complete a run before dealing, do it, since a finished run leaves the table and frees space.
Score and use the tools
You start with 500 points, lose one per move and gain 100 for every completed run, so efficient play scores best. Undo is unlimited and Hint suggests a move, so use them to explore. If the hint finds no way forward, the game tells you, which is a good moment to undo and try another line. Fewer moves also mean a higher score, so avoid shuffling cards back and forth.
Questions
- Can I deal a new row with an empty column?
- No. Every column must have at least one card before you can deal, so fill gaps first.
- Which suit setting should I choose?
- Start with 1 suit to learn the game. 2 suits adds real challenge, and 4 suits is a true test where building in suit is everything.
- Can I replay a deal?
- Yes. Deals are seeded, so you can replay the same deal or share it with a friend to compare.
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