How to Play Spider Solitaire With a Deck of Cards
The game of Spider Solitaire has grown to become an internet phenomenon. The game has millions of players online and hundreds of thousands of players who are playing at home, in their favorite role playing board games and, of course, in the real world. The basic premise of the game is quite simple: instead of having to use dice to make each move you use a deck of cards and try to complete a passage or collect a prize in a situation where winning a prize will help win the game. The game is about making quick decisions and using your knowledge of the game to get things done.
The game of Spider Solitaire is set up in the same fashion as any other card game: first, choose a specific Spider, then follow the sequence of moves that the Spider does in its normal course of action. You then need to be able to figure out the sequence of moves that will put you on top of the Spider list. One move in particular is a move called Spider Success.
Spider Success is a move that you must be able to do when you are above the Spider in the Spider list. Spider Success gives you a free prize if you are on top of the Spider list by the end of the sequence of moves. One advantage of Spider Success is that it requires only two deck deals of Spider cards. This means that this move can be played during a play-through.
After that is completed you must follow the Spider’s course of action. For example, if the Spider is Spidey, you would follow Spider Success after making Spider Success and then have to follow the Spider’s course of action. The Spider will automatically discard any card to the Spider Success pile and this gives you a free prize.
The usual sequence of moves for the Spider will be: Spider Success, Spider Passage, Spider Collect and Spider Retreat. The Spider has a hand of eleven cards and you can be sure that there will be more than one move where you will be able to play Spider Success. If you see a Spider Passage card, it is likely that it is a Spider Passage Opportunity which will give you a free prize if you are in the Spider list at the end of the sequence of moves.
However, if you are unable to complete Spider Passage you may be able to complete Spider Passage Opportunity in a later sequence of moves. Spider Collect and Spider Retreat are called out in the Spider player’s order of play, from most recent to oldest. The Spider players are called Spider Plus One. When they do their usual Spider move after Spider Passage and before Spider Retreat, they will be Spider Plus Two.
Spider moves are played by the Spider plus one or Spider plus two from their position in the Spider player’s order of play, and then the next Spider moves are played in the Spider plus one position. You can make use of Spider Retreat and Spider Passage to complete your move sequence, or you can decide to use Spider Opportunity, Spider Pass and Spider Retreat to complete your sequence.