Spider solitaire is a great way to mix up the game of solitaire. This unique variant dates back to 1949 and the fact that it is still tremendously popular today is a testament to its appeal.
However, spider solitaire is tricky. It isn’t always easy to untangle the mess that results from a deal.
That is why learning a few solitaire tips and tricks will help you enjoy the game even more. So, if you play spider solitaire online for free, make sure to pay attention to improve your game! And if you play solitaire games, here you can find a list of the best solitaire games.
1. Focus on Large Stacks Over Small Ones
One strategy you should use to guide you in playing spider solitaire online for free is to focus on creating large stacks rather than small ones.
Imagine you have a stack of cards that goes from 8 to 3 and a stack that goes from 4 to 3. Suddenly, you uncover a 2. You should put that 2 in the pile that runs from 8 to 3 rather than the one that runs from 4 to 3.
This has a number of different benefits. It makes it easier to move the entire pile around, as the cards are all together. Plus, it brings the full stack closer to elimination.
This is also true if you are playing with more than one suit. In this case, you still want to emphasize creating a large stack of cards over a small one.
For example, imagine you have a large stack of hearts and a small stack of spades. You then realize you are able to add more to your hearts stack but doing so will cover up the spades stack. While covering up a stack is never ideal, adding to your hearts stack will probably be worth it.
2. Eliminate Stacks as Soon as Possible
Speaking of elimination, eliminating stacks is one of the other things you should focus on more than anything else.
This is a pretty intuitive strategy. After all, the point of the game is to eliminate all of the cards so elimination should always be on your mind throughout the game. However, it should be prioritized in a way that some players do not do.
Spider solitaire is one of the best mobile card games. But, if you don’t know how to properly eliminate cards, you will never be able to master the game.
3. Open Columns Quickly
While working on building large stacks and eliminating cards, another thing to work on is opening up some of the free spaces. In online solitaire, once you make your way to the bottom of a stack of cards, you will reach a free space. You can then put any card in this free space.
This is a critical element of the game’s strategy. Having this open space will allow you to move stacks and free up cards in ways that wouldn’t have been possible beforehand.
Once this is possible, you will find new opportunities are available. You may be able to move a card that was in your way and finally get to a stack that was near completion. Or, you may be able to reveal a new card by moving another card out of the way.
Regardless of what you do with a free space, having one is helpful. That is why aiming to create as many free spaces as possible helps you win the game.
4. Start a King in an Open Space
Once you have an open space, you are able to do plenty with it. However, one of the first things you should consider doing is putting a king in that space.
Putting a king in an open space is a great strategy. In online solitaire games, kings mostly just get in the way. You aren’t able to put them on top of any other card so, instead, they simply prevent you from using the cards they are covering up.
However, in a free space, a king is out of the way. In this position, a king is the perfect base upon which to start building a large stack of cards.
The best part is, once you build and eliminate a stack of cards on top of this king, you will have opened up another free space. Then, you are able to start another stack with another king.
5. Wait as Long as Possible to Deal New Cards
As you are doing all of this, one final thing to remember is to wait as long as possible before hitting the button to deal more cards.
You can do this by making sure you aren’t missing any possible moves. Check to see if there is anything you are missing or if you can add to any of your current stacks. Only when there are no possible moves should you consider hitting the deal button.
This is because not all deals in online solitaire games are winnable, based on the mathematics of the deck. This means that, no matter how good of a strategy you put forward, a bad draw may still cost you the game. However, maximizing what you do before this deal will cause it to have less of an impact on your game and, thus, give you the best chance of success.
Winning at Spider Solitaire Online for Free
Now that you know a few tips and tricks, you are ready to start your next game of spider solitaire online for free. Just remember to play in an optimal way and follow the advice listed above. Soon, you’ll be racking up win after win.