What is four-suit Spider?
Four-suit Spider is the hardest and most classic way to play: two full 52-card decks, all four suits, two of every card. The layout and rules are the same as with one suit, but building eight one-suit runs from king to ace is far harder. This is how Spider was originally played, and it’s the version considered a real test.
Play four-suit Spider free with no sign-up, right in the browser on your phone, tablet or computer. Unlimited undo, hints and a timer help you see even the most tangled hand through, and the game saves itself, so a long game can be finished later.
Four-suit Spider rules
The rules are those of one-suit Spider: a card goes on any card one rank higher, only a run of one suit moves together, a full suit from king to ace leaves the table, and you can deal from the stock when every column has a card. Only the decks differ: here each suit turns up half as often as with two suits, so one-suit runs are rare and mixed ones pile up.
How four suits differ from two
With two suits, most hands can be won with some planning. With four, the right card in the right suit turns up half as often, so most moves go onto another suit and columns tangle fast. Winning here is a long job of untangling: clear a column, take mixed runs apart, rebuild them by suit. Games last much longer, and even experienced players don’t win them all. For a calmer game, try one-suit Spider.
Four-suit strategy
Patience and order win here. This is what helps:
- Value every same-suit move. Moves onto the same suit are rare here, so don’t miss any. Build on another suit only when it turns a card over or clears a column.
- Empty columns above all. Without an empty column a mixed run can’t be taken apart. Don’t fill one without need, and when you do, have a plan for clearing it again.
- Untangle, don’t pile up. The longer a mixed run, the harder it is to take apart. Several short one-suit columns are better than one long patchwork.
- Don’t deal in a hurry. Every deal drops ten new cards on top of your runs, and there are only five deals. Before dealing, untangle everything you can and make sure no useful move is left.
- Undo is part of the game. With four suits even experienced players often go back several moves to try another plan. Undo and Redo are unlimited, and Hint shows a move you may have missed.
Questions and answers
Is four-suit Spider the hardest solitaire?
One of the hardest popular ones. It’s won far less often than Klondike or FreeCell, and a game often takes half an hour or more. That’s exactly why experienced players love it.
Can every four-suit hand be won?
No. Some four-suit hands can’t be finished however well you play, and many others take a long search for the right order of moves. Unlimited undo helps: go back as many times as you like. If no moves are left, we’ll tell you and offer a new hand.
How long does a game take?
Usually twenty minutes to an hour, depending on the hand and your experience. There’s no rush: the game is saved in your browser, the clock stops when paused, and you can carry on any time.
How is four-suit Spider scored?
The same as with one or two suits: 500 points to start, one off for every move and deal, 100 for every finished suit, and a speed bonus once you win. A four-suit win, though, earns three times the XP of a one-suit one.
How do I switch to an easier game?
Press “1 suit” or “2 suits” above the board: that game opens in its own tab, and this hand pauses and waits here until you come back.
More solitaires
пасьянс.укр also has classic Klondike Solitaire, dealing one card at a time, the harder Solitaire Turn 3, and FreeCell, where every card is face up from the first move.