What's a Solid 2 Suit Spider Solitaire Strategy?

Introduction

If you're looking for a challenging alternative to the classic Solitaire card game, you've likely stumbled across Spider Solitaire. You may not know what this unique game is, how to play it, or the best ways to play it. Luckily, 247 Solitaire is here to introduce you to the menacing Spider!

What is 2-Suit Spider Solitaire?

Spider Solitaire is a challenging variant of the standard “Klondike" Solitaire. The “Spider" ruleset uses two decks as opposed to one, doubling the amount of cards in play. It also changes the gameplay in several significant ways.

2-Suit is a variation of the classic Spider game that simplifies the objective of the original “4 Suit" gameplay. In 2-Suit Spider Solitaire, you are going to arrange eight foundational spaces according to color. Four spaces will contain red cards, and four spaces will contain black cards. These form the two “suits" that give the game its name.

2-Suit Spider Solitaire gameplay

To set up a game of 2-Suit Spider Solitaire, you'll need two decks of playing cards. You should have 104 playing cards in total. Begin by building ten columns in the tableau by following the instructions below:

From the far left of the tableau to the far right, first create four columns on the left-hand side. Each one of these columns should be equal, with each containing six cards in total. The first five cards of the pile placed should be face down. The single closest card to the “front", or the top of the pile, needs to be placed face up.

Next, we'll create the final six columns. These will also be identical to each other in setup, and should contain five cards in total. Just like before, place the first four cards face down, and the final top card face up.

The remaining 50 cards left over from this process will become your stockpile, which you can draw from at any point in the game. When you draw from the stockpile you must place a card on every one of your tableau spaces. That's 10 cards per draw, which can be done five times total in a Spider Solitaire game. One thing to keep in mind is that Spider Solitaire only allows you to take cards from the stock when every tableau pile has at least one card in it.

To complete the game, you'll need to reveal your hidden cards and draw from your stockpile strategically to build up your eight tableau spaces. Arrange them according to the two colored “suits" — red and black — in numerical order to win the game.

Setting up Spider Solitaire with playing cards takes a lot of time and table space. To avoid the lengthy physical setup of Spider Solitaire, consider playing it online at 247 Solitaire!

2-Suit Spider Solitaire strategies

2-Suit Spider Solitaire can be a difficult game to master, thanks to its complexity and luck factor. Here are some tips to apply to your next game to make the most out of your strategy.

Order your moves strategically

Oftentimes in Solitaire, we have multiple choices between different potential moves. In this game, the prioritization of your moves matters. Try to think ahead, and consider what you're trying to accomplish in the game as a whole.

If you've ever played with a Rubik's Cube, you've experienced something like this: The accomplishment you feel when you've turned an entire side to the same color is shattered when you realize that you have to now break it apart. Solitaire is also a multi-faceted game, and players must keep track of many things at once to succeed.

Make optimum use of open columns

Open columns can be a fantastic use of the tableau space. They allow you to create a new, numerically sorted build of any cards of your choosing, which makes these free spaces an incredibly powerful tool if utilized correctly.

In Spider Solitaire, you don't need to organize cards according to an opposite-color balanced build, so you can place an entire single foundational pile's worth of cards in an empty column like this.

Just keep in mind that a new build in an empty column must be started with a King. We'll get into King strategy in just a few paragraphs.

Balance game priorities

One of the biggest mistakes new Solitaire players make is neglecting to reveal the hidden cards in their tableaus. This is especially important in Spider Solitaire, given the sheer number of cards involved. Make sure you're opening yourself up for future opportunities with your gameplay, and not always going for the most obvious move.

Extract your King wisely

The King can be one of the most difficult cards to play around. Being the highest-value card of the entire deck, you can't move it anywhere but a free space. However, its power cannot be undersold when you're creating new columns in free spaces.

An awkwardly placed King in your initial tableau layout can be an annoyance, but exercise restraint when trying to move it. Only attempt to do so with a plan of action — otherwise, you'll have trouble finding a suitable place for that King.

Combine cards as much as possible before using the stock

In Spider Solitaire, adding 10 cards to your tableau from your stockpile can become an overwhelming addition to an already busy game. While it's true you'll have to engage with the stock eventually to complete the game, try to squeeze as many moves out of your initial tableau arrangements as you can before falling back on the stock.

Think of the stock as the game's “continue" button, rather than an “I'm stuck" button. More often than not, if you're already struggling with your arrangements, uncontrolled stock drawing will only further confuse your game.

Practice makes perfect!

Solitaire is a complicated game, and Spider even more so. If you're having trouble with your games, don't view it as a negative indication of your skill. The best way to improve any skill —Solitaire gameplay especially — is to try, and try again! Playing online at 247 Solitaire can help you learn from your mistakes, utilizing features such as an undo button and guided gameplay.

Try 2-Suit Spider Solitaire Now!

Hopefully, you've found a few new strategies to conquer the challenge of Spider Solitaire! If you'd like to put your hard-earned knowledge to the test, try out 2-Suit Spider Solitaire at 247 Solitaire for free today!

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.