How to Play Big Spider Solitaire

This game is a variation of Spider Solitaire with three decks.

Objective

Your goal is to create sequences of cards from Ace to King by suit in the tableau, which will then be moved to the foundation. When you complete this for all 4 suits 3 times, you win.

The Setup and Play Area

There are three main areas in the game:

Tableau: This is the area where there are 13 columns of cards. Each column has 6 cards, with the last card turned face-up. In total, there are 78 cards in the tableau.

Stock pile: The remaining 78 cards go into the stock pile. Cards are dealt from the stock pile 6 times. Each time 13 cards are dealt, with 1 card placed at the bottom of every tableau column.

Foundation piles: These are the 12 piles at the top of the game. When cards are built by suit in descending order from King to Ace, they are then automatically placed in the foundation.

Available moves

• Cards in the tableau must be built in descending order from King to Ace by suit in order to be moved to the foundation. For example, a sequence that can be moved to the foundation will start with a King of Spades, followed by a Queen of Spades, and so on until it ends with an Ace of Diamonds.
• Tableau cards can be moved by sequencing them in descending order, regardless of suit. For example, a 7 of Spades can be placed on top of an 8 of Clubs, Hearts, or Diamonds.
• When you move a face-up card, the card underneath it will then be turned face-up.
• You can move multiple cards at one time. To move a group of cards, they must be sequenced regardless of suit, and the top card of that group must be placed on top of a card one rank higher.
• You can place any card in an empty tableau column.
• You win when all cards have been moved to the foundation.

Strategy

• Prioritize moving cards to reveal the face-down, cards making them playable.
• Avoid having lower-ranking cards above higher-ranking cards in the same column. This will make sequencing these cards challenging.
• Sequence as many cards as you can before drawing from the stock pile.
Cards drawn from the stock pile can block cards, so sequence as many as you can before drawing from it.
• The first visible sequence may not always be the best one. Plan out your moves to remove as many cards as possible from the tableau.
• Try to empty the tableau columns quickly. Any card can be moved into empty columns, freeing up and allowing you to build more cards.
• Move Kings to empty tableau columns. Kings cannot be placed on top of other cards so they are ideal to place in an empty column.
• If you get stuck, use the undo button. You may not always make the right moves, and you may need to reverse some to win the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are similar solitaire games to try?

Spider Solitaire, Spiderette, and Scorpion both require cards to be built in the tableau before moving them to the foundation.

What are other popular Solitaire games?

Be sure to check out these Solitaire games:

• Solitaire
• Mahjong
• Spider Solitaire
• FreeCell Solitaire
• Yukon Solitaire
• TriPeaks Solitaire
• Pyramid Solitaire
• Golf Solitaire