Play Spiderette

Spiderette game info

• Family: Spider Solitaire Games
• Decks: One deck (52 cards)
• Game time: Short
• Chance of winning: Low (4 suits), medium (2 suits), high (1 suit)

How to play Spiderette

Table of contents

• Goal
• Versions
• Layout & deal
• Allowable moves
• Scoring
• History
• Strategy
• Variants
• FAQ
• More info

Goal

Remove all cards from the tableau by building four in-suit sequences from King to Ace.

Versions

• 1 suit (beginner): four quarter decks (52 cards)
• 2 suits (intermediate): two half decks (52 cards)
• 4 suits (expert): one full deck (52 cards)

Layout & deal

Unlike Spider Solitaire, Spiderette only uses one deck of cards (52 cards) instead of two decks. The tableau has seven piles which are dealt as in Klondike Solitaire: the first pile gets one card, the second pile two cards, and so on. The top card in each pile is face-up. The remaining cards go face-down into the stock, which is made up of three groups of seven cards each, and one group of three cards. The foundation has four piles which are empty at the start.

Allowable moves

• Tableau is built down by rank (irrespective of suit). In-suit sequences which are correctly ordered can be moved together.
• Any card (or sequence of cards) can be moved to an empty spot.
• Click the stock to add one face-up card to each tableau pile. Turning the stock is only allowed when there are no empty tableau piles.
• Foundations are not built on directly, but a full in-suit run from Ace to King is moved automatically from the tableau to the foundation.

Scoring

You start with 500 points. Each move (or turning the stock) will cost you one point. When a full run is moved to the foundation you score 100 points.

History

Spiderette was first mentioned in 1949 by Albert H. Morehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith in their book “The Complete Book of Solitaire & Patience Games”. Spiderette is believed to have been well-known before that time.

Strategy

Spiderette is a difficult game which can be won 5-10% of the time. Follow the tips below to increase you chances at winning a Spiderette deal.

• Build in suit when you can: When you place cards of different suit on each other, the cards below cannot be moved anymore, increasing the chances you might become blocked.
• Build with higher rank cards first: Start building with the higher ranked cards, as it will create more possibilities for future moves with the lower ranked cards.
• Focus on getting empty spaces: Try to create an empty tableau pile as soon as possible, they are very helpful to rearrange cards and turn up new cards. Without an empty pile it is almost impossible to win a game.
• Treasure your empty piles: Empty piles in the tableau are very helpful, so use them wisely. Be careful with moving Kings to an empty pile, because Kings cannot be moved on top of any other card and hence will block the pile until you remove the King with a full sequence from King to Ace.
• Use undo to peek under cards: You can always use the undo button, so you can use this to peek under cards to determine your best next move.

Variants

• Baby Spiderette: Variation on Spiderette which allows moving a sequence of cards regardless of suit. This makes it easier and allows you to win almost every game.
• Will o' the Wisp: Similar to Spiderette in terms of rules and layout, except that initially each tableau pile is dealt three cards, instead of the Klondike layout which is used in Spiderette
• Spider Solitaire: Spiderette is based on Spider Solitaire, which is played with two decks and hence takes much longer to complete. In addition to the traditional spider solitaire you can also try Golden Spider Solitaire.

FAQ

What is Spiderette Solitaire?

Spiderette Solitaire is a single deck variation on Spider Solitaire, played with only one deck instead of two, making it much quicker to complete a game compared to the original Spider Solitaire.

How to play Spiderette Solitaire?

The goal in Spiderette is to remove all cards by creating full runs from Ace to King in the same suit. The tableau is built down by rank (irrespective of suit). In-suit sequences which are correctly ordered can be moved together. Any card (or sequence of cards) can be moved to an empty spot. Turning the stock adds one face-up card to each tableau pile (only allowed when there are no empty piles). Full runs from Ace to King are removed from the tableau automatically.

How to beat Spiderette Solitaire?

Improve your chances at winning a Spiderette deal by following these tips: build in-suit when you can to avoid blocking cards, build with higher rank cards first to create additional opportunities for lower ranked cards, focus on getting empty columns and treasure them as they are key to winning a game, and use the undo button to determine which move to make next.

More info

• The Complete Book of Solitaire & Patience Games by Albert H. Morehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith
• Wikipedia

System requirements

Spiderette can be played in all modern browsers, on all device types (desktop, tablet, mobile), and on all operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, ...).