Play Big Spider Solitaire
Three decks, thirteen columns and a long game. Deal a free game of Big Spider below, with big cards if you like.
Your game and stats are saved in this browser.
Big Spider is Spider Solitaire played with three decks instead of two. The cards go into thirteen columns of six, with only the top card face up, and the rest wait in a stock. You build down in any suit, move same-suit runs, and win by clearing every card in King-to-Ace suit runs.
How the Big Spider deal is laid out
Big Spider uses 156 cards from three decks. Each of the 13 columns gets six cards, five face down with one face up on top. The other 78 cards form the stock, which gives you 6 deals of one card per column.
To win, you build 12 complete runs.
Big Spider rules
These rules follow Pretty Good Solitaire’s Big Spider page.
- Building. Place a card on any card one rank higher, in any suit.
- Moving. Move a single card, or a run that goes down in sequence in one suit.
- Empty columns. Any card, or any legal run, can fill an empty column.
- Face-down cards. Turn over when they’re uncovered.
- The stock. Each deal puts one card on every column. All columns must hold at least one card before you deal.
- Completed runs. A full King-to-Ace run in one suit is removed from the table automatically.
- Winning. Remove every card in completed runs.
How Big Spider differs from Spider
Pretty Good Solitaire calls Big Spider a three-deck version of the classic two-deck Spider. The rules are the same. The table is bigger.
| Big Spider | Spider Solitaire | |
|---|---|---|
| Decks | 3 | 2 |
| Cards | 156 | 104 |
| Columns | 13 | 10 |
| Opening deal | 6 cards in every column | 6 or 5 cards per column |
| Stock deals | 6 | 5 |
| Runs to win | 12 | 8 |
Three decks mean three copies of every card. When the 8 of spades you need is buried, there may be another one showing. More columns also give you more places to build and sort.
The flip side is length. There are more face-down cards to dig out, more stock deals and more runs to finish. A game of Big Spider takes a lot longer than a game of regular Spider.
Spider Solitaire with big cards
Thirteen columns squeeze the cards, especially on a phone. This site has a big-cards mode that makes the cards larger, and this page starts with it switched on. It’s there on every game here, including 2-suit Spider, so you can use it whichever game you play.
If you came here looking for Spider Solitaire with large cards rather than the three-deck game, switch on big-cards mode and pick any game you like. Your setting stays saved in your browser.
Big Spider strategy
Use the extra copies
With three of every card, a card often has more than one possible home. When you have a choice, place it on the copy that’s the same suit. If both are the same suit, pick the column you’d rather keep building on, and leave the other free.
Build in suit from the start
Pretty Good Solitaire’s tip for Big Spider is to prefer same-suit sequences, even though any-suit building is allowed. With thirteen columns there’s plenty of room to build mixed runs, and that’s the trap. Mixed runs can’t move as a group, so a table full of them locks up fast.
Go after empty columns
Pretty Good Solitaire also says to make spaces as soon as possible and use them to sort cards by suit. Six cards per column is a lot to clear, so pick a column where the face-up cards already have homes. One empty column lets you split a mixed run into its same-suit pieces.
Plan around the deal rule
You can’t deal while a column is empty. Before each deal, decide what goes into each gap. A King is a safe choice, since no card ranks above it, so it rarely needs to move again.
Pace yourself
With 12 runs to build, Big Spider rewards patience. Unlimited undo and hints are there when you get stuck, and your stats are saved in your browser, so your record stays on this device.
Play Big Spider free
The board above runs in your browser on phone, tablet or desktop, with no sign-up and no download. Switch on big-cards mode, left-hand mode, a theme or fullscreen whenever you like. Every deal has a number you can share.
For big two-deck games, try Mrs Mop, which deals thirteen columns of eight with no stock, or Black Widow Solitaire, which lets you move any run.
Rules source: Pretty Good Solitaire (Goodsol)
Frequently asked questions
What is Big Spider Solitaire?
Big Spider is a three-deck version of Spider Solitaire. You deal thirteen columns of six cards, with only the top card face up, and keep the rest as a stock. The rules match regular Spider: build down in any suit, move same-suit runs, and clear King-to-Ace runs until no cards are left.
How many cards are in Big Spider?
Big Spider uses three standard decks, so 156 cards in all. Each of the thirteen columns starts with six cards, and the remaining 78 cards sit in the stock. You win by building 12 complete King-to-Ace runs, each in one suit.
Can I play Spider Solitaire with big cards?
Yes. This site has a big-cards mode that makes the cards larger, which helps on a phone or a crowded table. Switch it on and play. It’s there on every game here, including Big Spider, the 1, 2, 3 and 4 suit Spider games, and the other Spider-family games. Your choice is saved in your browser.
Is Big Spider harder than Spider?
Big Spider uses the same rules, so it isn’t harder move by move. Three copies of each card often give you more options. The game is longer, though: thirteen columns, more face-down cards and more runs to finish. Expect a game of Big Spider to take noticeably more time than regular Spider.
What does the stock do in Big Spider?
Each time you deal from the stock, one card lands face up on every one of the thirteen columns. You can only deal when no column is empty. Before you deal, make every useful move and fill any gaps, because each new row covers the cards you’ve lined up.