Spider solitaire is a popular single player card game played with 104 cards. The objective is to group all cards into sequences from King to Ace in each suit in descending order. 4 suit spider solitaire is the most challenging version that uses 4 full suits rather than just one or two.
Winning consistently takes skill, strategy, planning and patience. Follow these proven tips to improve your chances of winning 4 suit spider solitaire.
Table of Contents
Understand the Objectives
The ultimate goal of 4 suit spider solitaire is to create 8 ordered sequence piles from King to Ace in each suit. This requires strategically exposing and moving cards between the 10 tableau columns, stack piles, and 8 foundation piles.
There are 104 cards dealt into 10 columns of 10 cards and 4 cards face down to start. You win by moving all 104 cards into the 8 foundation piles in order.
Know the Rules
Knowing the rules inside and out is key to successfully planning moves.
The basic gameplay rules are:
- Tableau columns – 10 columns of 10 cards each, with only the top card exposed.
- Stack piles – Build descending sequences with alternating colors.
- Foundation piles – Build up in suit from Ace to King.
- Turning cards – Expose face down cards by building descending sequences of alternating colors.
- Moving cards – Move cards to build sequences in the stack, foundations, and then tableau.
Turning Over Cards
The main challenge is gradually exposing face down cards in the tableau to get access to the cards you need.
You can only turn over face down cards in a tableau column by building a descending sequence of alternating colors. Sequences can go down across or within columns.
For example, you can build:
- Black 10 onto red Jack
- Red 8 onto black 9
You cannot move a blocking card if there are still hidden cards beneath it. All cards beneath must be exposed first.
Moving Cards
The basic movement rules are:
- Tableau columns – Move cards down to build descending sequences of alternating colors.
- Stack piles – Move cards regardless of suit to build descending sequences.
- Foundation piles – Only build up in sequence and in suit from Ace to King.
You can move cards from the stack piles back to the tableau. But cards that get moved to the foundation piles cannot be moved back.
Choose the Best Difficulty Level
4 suit spider solitaire offers adjustable difficulty levels:
- Beginner – 2 redeals, medium difficulty
- Intermediate – 1 redeal, medium difficulty
- Advanced – No redeals, high difficulty
When starting out, beginner is the easiest level and gives you the most flexibility to fix mistakes.
As you improve, move up to intermediate and advanced to challenge yourself. The advanced no redeal mode is closest to a real deck of cards.
Redeals
Redeals allow you to restart the game with a new shuffled deck if you get stuck.
On beginner you get 2 redeals, intermediate has 1 redeal, and advanced has no redeals.
Tip: Use your redeals sparingly when you have no other valid moves. Don’t waste them early in the game.
Use Strategies to Free Cards
As you play more 4 suit spider solitaire, you’ll pick up strategies to expose down cards more efficiently. Here are 5 proven tips:
Focus on One Suit at a Time
Work on freeing up all the cards of one suit before moving to the next. Completing one full suit gives you more flexibility to then finish the other suits.
Prioritize Low Cards First
Target tableau columns with many low cards showing like Aces and 2s. Moving them first clears space to work down the higher cards.
Create Empty Columns
Empty columns give you space to temporarily move and sort cards. Try to free up at least 1-2 empty columns as you go.
Move Kings Early
Getting Kings out of the way lets you uncover more cards in their column. Move them to empties or stacks when possible.
Analyze All Options
Take time to scan the whole tableau for your best move. The optimal play might not always be obvious at first glance.
| Strategy | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Focus on 1 suit | Completing 1 full suit first gives flexibility to finish others |
| Prioritize low cards | Clearing Aces and 2s early creates space to move down higher cards |
| Create empty columns | Empties let you temporarily sort cards to plan moves |
| Move Kings early | Removing Kings unblocks cards in that column |
| Analyze all options | Optimal plays aren’t always obvious – scan the full tableau |
Avoid Common Pitfalls
Learning from mistakes is part of getting better at 4 suit spider solitaire. Watch out for these common pitfalls as you play:
- Moving cards too quickly without planning
- Focusing too much on 1 section and missing opportunities elsewhere
- Not re-scanning the tableau before making a move
- Making moves that don’t get you closer to exposing face down cards
- Getting overconfident after short winning streaks
- Getting impatient and giving up early when stuck
The key is staying calm, focused, and thinking strategically. Don’t rush moves and keep re-surveying the tableau. With practice, you’ll make fewer mistakes and win more consistently.
Have Patience and Persevere
4 suit spider solitaire can be a slow paced game, especially when you hit barriers and get stuck.
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” – John Quincy Adams
When you haven’t made a move in several minutes, stay patient and keep trying different card configurations. Be willing to move cards between stacks, tableau, and foundations in creative ways to inch closer to unlocking cards.
If you’re completely stuck, use a redeal or take a short break to come back with a fresh perspective. Don’t give up!
Practice Makes Perfect
Like any skill, excelling at 4 suit spider solitaire requires regular practice over time. Set aside short daily time slots to play and apply what you’ve learned.
Aim to win 20-30 hands at your current level before moving up a difficulty level. Pay attention to mistakes and think about what you would do differently.
Here are some tips for effective practice sessions:
- Set goals – Target specific win rates or difficulty levels to motivate improvement.
- Focus intently – Minimize distractions and be fully engaged in each hand.
- Review mistakes – Note where you went wrong and how you could have made better moves.
- Vary conditions – Mix up difficulty levels and number of suits.
- Track progress – Use stats or a journal to monitor your improvement over time.
With regular, high quality practice, your skills and win rates will steadily rise.
Conclusion
Mastering 4 suit spider solitaire requires understanding the rules deeply, using proven strategies, avoiding common mistakes, practicing regularly, and never giving up.
Key tips include:
- Knowing how to expose face down cards by building descending sequences
- Focusing on freeing one full suit before moving to others
- Prioritizing clearing low cards first to create space
- Creating empty columns to move and sort cards
- Scanning all options to find the optimal move
- Staying patient when stuck and using redeals sparingly
- Setting practice goals and tracking progress over time
With the right mindset and techniques, you can work your way up to consistently winning 4 suit spider solitaire, even at the advanced no redeal level. The journey to mastery is challenging but rewarding.