Play Tarantula Solitaire
Spider where same-colour runs move together. Deal a free game of Tarantula Solitaire below.
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Tarantula Solitaire is two-deck Spider with a looser move rule. You still build down in any suit across ten columns and clear King-to-Ace runs in one suit. But any run that goes down in sequence in one colour, all red or all black, can move as a group, not just a run in a single suit.
How the Tarantula deal is laid out
Tarantula uses the standard Spider deal. You get 104 cards from two decks in 10 columns. The first four columns get six cards and the other six get five. Only the top card of each column is face up. The other 50 cards are the stock.
Tarantula rules
These rules follow Pretty Good Solitaire’s Tarantula page.
- Building. Place a card on any card one rank higher, in any suit.
- Moving. Move a single card, or a run going down in sequence where every card is the same colour. The 9 of hearts, 8 of diamonds and 7 of hearts can move together.
- Empty columns. Fill with any card or legal run.
- The stock. Deal one card onto each column. Every column must hold at least one card first.
- Completed runs. A full King-to-Ace run in one suit is removed automatically.
- Winning. Clear every card in completed runs.
Some other Tarantula games online let any run in sequence move, whatever the suits. That rule is closer to Black Widow. This site follows Pretty Good Solitaire, where the run must be one colour.
How Tarantula differs from Spider
Pretty Good Solitaire sums it up: in Spider, only runs in one suit can move as a group. In Tarantula, runs in one colour can. That makes Tarantula easier than Spider and harder than Black Widow, which lets any run move.
A worked example. Say a column ends with the 10 of spades, 9 of clubs, 8 of clubs. In 4-suit Spider, the 10 is stuck: only the 9-8 of clubs moves together. In Tarantula, all three cards are black, so the whole run moves at once.
The finish line hasn’t moved, though. A run is only removed when it’s King to Ace in a single suit. A same-colour run of spades and clubs moves easily but never clears.
Tarantula strategy
Build by colour to stay mobile. When a card has two possible homes, the same-colour one keeps the run movable. Same suit is better still, since it also counts toward a finished run.
Sort colour runs into suit runs. Same-colour runs are a halfway stage. Once you have a free column, split a mixed spades-and-clubs run into its suit pieces. Each piece can then join the right run.
Avoid colour breaks. A red card on a black card blocks the whole stack above it from moving past that point. Those are the builds to avoid when you have a choice.
Fill gaps before you deal. Every column needs a card before the stock can be dealt. Pick what goes in the gaps on purpose.
The board above is free in your browser with unlimited undo, hints and stats saved in your browser. For the easier rule, try Black Widow. For a closer match to Tarantula’s two-colour feel, try 2-suit Spider Solitaire, where one suit is red and one is black.
Rules source: Pretty Good Solitaire (Goodsol)
Frequently asked questions
What is Tarantula Solitaire?
Tarantula is a two-deck Spider game. It uses Spider’s deal and building rules, but you can move any run that goes down in sequence in one colour, not just runs in one suit. You still win by clearing King-to-Ace runs in a single suit. Pretty Good Solitaire calls it easier than Spider and harder than Black Widow.
What is the difference between Tarantula and Spider Solitaire?
The move rule. In Spider, only a run in one suit moves as a group. In Tarantula, a run in one colour moves as a group, so a black run of spades and clubs can travel together. Everything else is the same: deal, stock, building in any suit, and removing completed King-to-Ace runs in one suit.
Can you move mixed-suit runs in Tarantula?
Yes, if the cards are all the same colour. A run of hearts and diamonds can move together, and so can a run of spades and clubs. A run that mixes red and black cards can’t move as one group on this site, which follows Pretty Good Solitaire. Some other sites allow any run, which is closer to Black Widow.
Is Tarantula easier than Black Widow?
No. Pretty Good Solitaire places Tarantula between the two: easier than Spider, harder than Black Widow. Black Widow lets any run in sequence move, whatever the suits. Tarantula only moves runs in one colour, so you still have to avoid mixing red and black cards if you want to keep a stack movable.