Play Spiderette Solitaire

What is Spiderette Solitaire?

Spiderette (Baby Spider) is a single-deck Spider variant built for players who enjoy same-suit sequence planning but want shorter, tighter games than two-deck Spider. Like classic Klondike, it deals seven columns in a pyramid pattern. Like Spider, it requires in-suit descending runs to move multi-card stacks and removes completed King-to-Ace runs from the board rather than sorting to a wastepile.

Spiderette Solitaire history

Spiderette developed as a compact alternative to two-deck Spider, retaining sequence-building depth while reducing board sprawl and total move count. The nickname "Baby Spider" reflects its position as an entry point to Spider's in-suit movement discipline. It appears under both names in solitaire collections: Spiderette in North American publications and Baby Spider in some British sources.

Spiderette deal layout

Seven columns deal in a Klondike pyramid pattern (1 through 7 cards). Only the top card of each column is face-up at the start. The remaining 24 cards form the stock, dealt one card per column when all columns are occupied.

Column	Total cards	Face-down	Face-up	Notes
1	1	0	1	Easiest to clear - single card
2	2	1	1	1 hidden card
3	3	2	1	2 hidden cards
4	4	3	1	3 hidden cards
5	5	4	1	4 hidden cards
6	6	5	1	5 hidden cards
7	7	6	1	Most hidden - work this column early
Stock	24	24	0	Deals 1 per column - all cols must be occupied first

How to play Spiderette Solitaire - step by step

Open by scanning the seven visible top cards for any rank-descending placement opportunities, prioritizing moves that flip face-down cards in the longer right columns.
Focus early effort on uncovering the deeper columns (5, 6, 7). Column 7 starts with 6 face-down cards - opening it fast gives you the most new information.
Build same-suit descending runs wherever possible. Mixed suit stacks are playable but immovable as units - they will lock you out of reorganization later.
Protect at least one column as a workspace lane. When a column empties (which will happen from column 1 or 2 early), preserve it for temporary stack repositioning.
Deal from stock only after exhausting all useful tableau moves. Stock adds one card to every occupied column - dealing too early compounds existing blockers.
Complete a full King-to-Ace same-suit run to permanently remove it from the board. Four completions win the game.

Strategies to win Spiderette Solitaire

Prioritize flips that expose face-down cards over cosmetic rearrangements of visible cards.
Use empty columns as temporary extraction workspace, not permanent storage - fill them with purpose.
Delay stock deals until current tableau moves are fully exhausted.
Favor same-suit continuity over mixed temporary chains even when the mixed move looks immediately useful.
Protect medium ranks (5 through 9) that bridge long sequences - losing access to these mid-game often stalls completion.

The Spiderette trap: Because the board looks like Klondike, many players treat it like Klondike - moving any card that fits and dealing from stock early. In Spiderette (Baby Spider) the critical difference is that multi-card moves require strict in-suit runs. A comfortable-looking board full of mixed-suit chains is actually a frozen board where nothing can relocate. The discipline of building in-suit from the first move is what separates winning plays from stuck ones.

Spider family comparison

Game	Deck	Columns	All suits in play	Est. win rate
Relaxed Spider	2 decks (1 suit)	10	No - one suit only	~95%
Spider One Suit	2 decks (1 suit)	10	No - one suit only	~65%
Spider Two Suits	2 decks (2 suits)	10	No - two suits	~25%
Spiderette (Baby Spider)	1 deck (4 suits)	7	Yes	~10%
Spider Four Suits	2 decks (4 suits)	10	Yes	~8%
Simple Simon	1 deck (4 suits)	10	Yes - full info, no stock	~2-5%

How difficult is Spiderette Solitaire?

Spiderette is medium-hard. The seven-column layout is more familiar than ten-column Spider, and the single deck runs faster. But having all four suits on a compact board creates intense suit-conflict pressure. In-suit multi-card moves are frequently blocked by single wrong-suit cards landing in otherwise clean sequences. Expect to lose most games until the in-suit building discipline becomes instinctive.

What is Spiderette Solitaire win percentage?

A practical win rate for Spiderette is about 10%. The four-suit requirement on a single tight board means many deals produce impossible suit-conflict chains regardless of play quality. Strong early moves toward column 6 and 7 reveals combined with disciplined stock timing can push a skilled player closer to 15-20%.

What is the difference between Spiderette and Spider Solitaire?

Spiderette (Baby Spider) uses one deck and seven columns versus Spider's two decks and ten columns. Spiderette also has all four suits in play from the start, while Spider One Suit and Two Suits reduce suit conflict by limiting the card variety. Spiderette is in some ways more challenging per card than Spider Four Suits because the single deck means both copies of every card are in direct competition on a smaller board with fewer maneuvering columns.

Spiderette Solitaire FAQ

Is Spiderette easier than Spider One Suit?

No - Spiderette is significantly harder than Spider One Suit. Spider One Suit removes suit conflict entirely: any card can be placed on any card of one rank higher, and any multi-card stack can be moved. Spiderette forces in-suit stack movement discipline on a board with all four suits competing for space. The ~10% Spiderette win rate versus ~65% for Spider One Suit reflects this gap.

When should I deal from stock in Spiderette?

Deal from stock only after you have fully exhausted all useful tableau moves. "Fully exhausted" means no move exists that either flips a face-down card or creates a longer same-suit sequence. Early stock deals add 7 new cards across already-congested columns and frequently bury the specific cards you need to complete a partial suit run. Each deal should be a deliberate decision, not a response to temporary difficulty.

Why can I move one card but not the whole stack?

Multi-card stack movement requires every card in the moving group to form a strictly descending in-suit sequence. A single wrong-suit card anywhere in the chain breaks the move - even if all ranks descend correctly. This is the defining discipline of Spiderette and Spider variants. You can still place single cards on any card of one higher rank regardless of suit, but stack moves are in-suit only.

What is the most common losing pattern in Spiderette?

The most common collapse pattern is dealing stock too early and too often. Each deal fills all occupied columns with one more card, turning partially organized columns into mixed-suit piles that cannot be moved as units. By the third stock deal, boards that received stock carelessly typically have zero movable multi-card stacks and no column available for reorganization.

How do empty columns help in Spiderette strategy?

Empty columns in Spiderette act as extraction lanes for breaking apart mixed-suit stacks and rebuilding them in-suit. The column 1 slot (single card, easiest to clear) often empties early and should be preserved as workspace rather than filled with a convenient card. With only 7 columns, keeping even one empty lane available while the board reorganizes can be the difference between a winnable and unwinnable position.

Spiderette Solitaire