Spiderette Solitaire Strategy Guide
Spiderette is Spider Solitaire with one deck: seven columns, 52 cards and only four runs to build. The game is shorter than Spider, but the margin for error is smaller, because there are only 24 stock cards and no redeal. This guide covers the opening, when to deal, how to empty columns, the difference between the suit modes and the mistakes that lose games.
Opening principles
You start with 28 cards on the table in seven columns of 1 to 7 cards, with only the last card of each column face up. The other 24 cards are the stock. Build down in any suit, move same-suit runs, and finish four King-to-Ace runs.
- Look at the short columns first. The first two or three columns have only one to three cards, so they are the quickest to empty.
- Uncover hidden cards before you build anything else. A new face-up card gives you a new option, and options are what you are short of.
- Do not rush to deal. Each deal adds a card to every column, so use all useful moves first.
Empty columns
An empty column takes any card or any same-suit run, and it is also required for dealing: you cannot deal while a column is empty, so you must refill it first. That makes an empty column both a powerful tool and a short-term obstacle.
- Empty a short column early. It lets you move a run that is blocking cards underneath.
- Put a King or a long run in the empty column. A King can never be covered, so it makes a stable base to build a run on.
- Keep one card ready to refill. If you have no card to place in an empty column, you cannot deal and you are limited to the moves on the table.
When to deal
The stock has 24 cards, so there are four deals: seven, seven, seven and a final three that goes onto the first three columns only. There is no redeal.
- Deal when you are out of useful moves. Not before.
- Check that every column has a card. If a column is empty, the stock cannot be dealt at all.
- Remember the last deal is short. It only buries the first three columns, so plan which cards you want there.
Suit modes
The suit count changes how the game plays.
- 1 suit: every card counts as a spade, so every build is a same-suit build. It is a relaxed mode and a good place to learn.
- 2 suits: spades and hearts, with two runs of each. You need to start sorting by suit, and mixed stacks start to cause trouble.
- 4 suits: the full deck. Only same-suit runs move, and every mixed stack is a trap. Expect to lose more often than you win.
Common mistakes
- Dealing too early. Every deal covers every column, so one that comes before you have used your moves often costs a game.
- Stacking on the wrong suit. Any suit may be placed on a card one rank higher, but a mixed stack cannot be moved as one run. Prefer same-suit builds when you have a choice.
- Filling an empty column with a low card. A low card in an empty column ties the column up. Use a King or a run if you can.
- Ignoring the last deal. Only three columns receive a card, so the other four columns stay as they are.
- Not using Undo. A single move can change the game, so go back and try another line when you are stuck.
How winnable are the deals?
Not every random deal can be won, and the share falls sharply as you add suits. In our screening of 4,000 random deals per mode, the solver found a full winning line within its search limit for about 97% of 1-suit deals (3,890), about 80% of 2-suit deals (3,214) and about 24% of 4-suit deals (957). These figures are lower bounds, because a solver with a limited search can miss lines. New games and the Daily Challenge only use deals the solver has proved winnable, in every mode. Winnable does not mean easy: the solver plans every move perfectly, and you have to find the route yourself.
Practice and play
Play a few 1-suit deals first with one habit: before every deal, count your legal moves and make sure you have used them all. Then move up to 2 suits.