Spider Solitaire – 1 Suit

Why start with 1-suit Spider?

In one-suit Spider every card is a spade, so every card you place on a card one rank higher extends a run that can be moved as a unit. That removes the hardest part of the game, which is deciding which suit to build on, and lets you concentrate on the real skills: opening columns, revealing hidden cards, and timing the deals from the stock.

How the game plays

You have two decks of spades, laid across ten columns. Build down from King to Ace in any column. When a full run is built at the end of a column it is removed, and you win when all eight runs are gone. Rules are explained step by step in the Spider Solitaire guide.

Strategy for the 1-suit game

• Empty a column early. It is the single most useful thing you can do in the first few minutes.
• Start with the column that hides the most cards. Each flipped card is a new option.
• Do not worry about suit, but do worry about order. If a 5 lands on a 6 that already has a 7 under it, you are building toward a long run. Avoid placing a card where it blocks a lower card you will need.
• Hold the stock. Deal only when you are out of productive moves, and make sure every column has a card first.

When you are ready for more

After a few wins, move up to 2 suits, where choosing the right suit starts to matter, and eventually to 4 suits, the classic version.

A sample opening

Suppose the first deal shows a 7, 4, 9, 5, 2, 8, 3, A, 6 and 10 along the bottom of the ten columns. Look for cards that are exactly one rank apart: if a 5 and a 6 are both showing, move the 5 onto the 6, and the card that was under the 5 turns over. That is the model move of the whole game, because it adds to a run and reveals a card at the same time. Repeat it until nothing more is available, and only then deal.

Why one suit is not trivial

With one suit you cannot lose on suit mismatches, but you can still lose by dealing too soon, by burying low cards under long runs you cannot move, or by filling empty columns with cards that do not help. The skill to learn here is patience: use up every move before you deal, and keep at least one empty column in reserve if you can.

Good habits to build

• Move the shortest run that reveals a hidden card, not the longest.
• If two columns could take the same card, choose the one that leaves the cleaner pile for later.
• Do not break a long run to reach a card unless it opens a column.
• Check the stock count: with 50 cards in the stock you have five deals in total, and each is a one-time chance to fix or ruin the layout.

Last reviewed October 24, 2026.