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A Complete Guide on Playing Spider Solitaire 4 Suits

People who have been playing the classic variant of Spider Solitaire have been feeling bored, as it’s been over 60 years. From that moment, there have been various variants introduced to keep the difficulty bar high and keep players involved. One of these variants is Spider Solitaire 4 Suits, which is known for its difficulty and use of 4 decks. 

In this article, we have provided how this game works, its objective, rules, and a few strategies to win all games.

What is Spider Solitaire 4 Suits?

Spider Solitaire 4 Suits is a variant of the classic Spider Solitaire card game that requires two decks, or 104 cards total. Unlike the standard Spider Solitaire, which uses two suits (spades and hearts or diamonds and clubs), Spider Solitaire 4 Suit uses all four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs).

It gives you ten tableau stacks. These piles receive 54 cards (6 cards go to the first four piles and 5 cards to the remaining piles). Every pile has a top card that is facing up.

Due to the greater number of cards and suits required, the 4 suits version of Spider Solitaire is more challenging than its 1 Suit and 2 Suit. 

The Objective of Spider Solitaire 4 Suits

Like other Spider Solitaire variants, the goal of 4 Suit Spider Solitaire is to set up every card in each suit in the tableau in descending order. The King should come first, and the Ace should come last in the proper sequence. 

Meanwhile, the following are some specific goals.

• Create Sequences: Make card sequences from King to Ace in descending order so that the entire card sequence can be moved to the foundation piles.

• Complete Foundations Pile: A suit is automatically moved to the foundation pile once the entire sequence has been completed, i.e., king to ace.

• Clear the Tableau: When all 104 cards are sorted into full sequences and transferred to the foundation piles, i.e., 8 sets of 13 cards for each of the four suits, the game is won.

• Strategic Placement: Effectively use the tableau to reveal cards and arrange them in each suit from King to Ace. You can do this to transfer entire sequences to the foundation piles and clear the tableau completely.

Rules of Spider Solitaire 4 Suits

While playing Spider Solitaire 4 Suits, players need to follow certain rules. So, make sure to go through these before playing the game.

• Building Sequences: Regardless of suit, cards can be moved singly or sequentially onto the cards with the next highest rank. A 7 of any suit, for instance, can be positioned on an 8 of any suit.

• Moving Groups: It is possible to move groups of cards belonging to the same suit in perfect descending order together. Players can move a series onto a Suicide King, for instance, Queen of Hearts, Jack of Hearts, and 10 of Hearts.

• Empty Columns: Unfilled columns can be filled with any card or combination of cards.

• Dealing New Cards: If no more movements are possible, you can deal one card from the stock to each column by clicking on the stockpile. With this action, each column gains one card.

• Completing Suits: A sequence that forms from King to Ace in its entirety in a single suit is automatically eliminated from the tableau and placed on the foundations.

• Winning: When every card is successfully moved to the foundations, sorted by suit, and placed in full sequences starting with the king and ending with the ace, the game is won.

Strategies to Win Spider Solitaire 4 Suits

Spider Solitaire 4 Suits is a strategic game that requires players to plan every move, increasing the possibilities of future moves. The following are some of its strategies that can help players win the game.

The hidden cards in your tableau have the potential to make or break the game. The game can end even before starting if you cannot quickly reveal your cards. Before considering removing additional cards from the stockpile, as many cards as feasible should be shown.

Aside from the fact that these cards are eventually necessary to win the game, there is a reason for this. Every card in your tableau must be able to move freely. With two entire decks in 4 Suit Spider Solitaire, allowing any one obstacle to prevent you from winning can quickly become a terrible irritation. Turn those cards to make sure this does not happen to you.

By using the stock, the tableau gets filled with new cards, one for each stack in which there is at least one card. Using the stock isn’t always the best option, but if used appropriately, it will be essential to advance the game.

Avoid taking any more stock if you haven’t used up all of your possible options. Since Solitaire, is a challenging game, it’s common to arrange your tableau cards several times before you ever touch the stock. Draw too early from the stock, and you run the risk of hiding previous movements under newly issued cards that need to be organized. You’ll find it easier once the stock cards are used if you first try to organize your current cards.

Remember that you can only draw from the stock if there is at least one card in each of the ten tableau slots.

Remember that the only way you can move multi-card setups in 4 Suit Spider Solitaire around the tableau is if they are all the same suit. To allow easy movement across the tableau, it is crucial to build the same suit. When you fish out an ace, you should almost always go straight to your foundations. 

However, take your time when stacking your foundations. If they aren’t balanced, you may want to stash a card for later use when sorting.

The empty columns in your tableau can be used as “free space” to rearrange complicated structures that have become a little jumbled. However, there are certain limitations. As we previously mentioned, you are unable to draw from your stockpile until there is a card in each of the ten tableau places.

It is crucial to always try to begin a fresh build with a king when you are ready to start from scratch on an empty spot. It gets harder and harder to fit the highest-value card in at the top when more cards are placed later.

A single move can determine the outcome of your game, regardless of whether you’re aiming to maximize your game time or play for points. We’ll talk about a few strategies here to help you make the most of your moves.

Create “natural” or same-suit stacks by playing. Although it’s not always possible, trying to keep every suit together will make things much easier in the later stages of the game once you’ve revealed all of your cards.

Alternatively, you can start by clearing a single column to give yourself a blank tableau. If the cards are placed in a complicated manner, with all distinct suits stacked together, these are useful for having a “free space” to shuffle.

Bottom Line 

Spider Solitaire Suit 4 is similar to the classic game but with a few changes, like 104 cards and 4 suits. The goal is still to build entire sequences in every suit, from King to Ace. Players must follow planned strategies, like revealing hidden cards, using empty columns, creating the same suit pack, etc., to win every game. 

Spider Solitaire 4 Suits is more difficult than its predecessors, but once players get used to it, they’ll feel like they have accomplished something.