Classic spider solitaire -- any ideas on strategy to win

Hi folks

while the one suit is bonkersly easy easy the 2 suite version is much harder than "difficulty --> moderate and the 4 suite version defies even a lot of Mensa people.

I love using spider solitaire during 99% of pointless boring work meetings and even more pointless type of "Town Hall" type meetings.

So any ideas on strategy on how to win these games :



cheers

jimbo

Speaking of classic, on Windows 11 I still prefer the old Windows 7 version like below. I also out of boredom like to play Spider Solitaire. Doesn't playing using some kind of strategy take the fun out playing? Seriously, if I stop being bored I might take the time to do some research myself.

i beat a 4 Suit game once. Love this game. My advice is try to put like numbers together if you ccant play anything else. I work on depleting 1 pile to get another king down and most of all dont try to stack to many different random cards down in the same pile or if you bury the number once or twice cool but dont place more than 2 cards on top of one you think youll need sooner than later. Its like chess..think ahead. Also practice alot youll get great and defeat a the 4 Suit game as well. Good Luck

jimbo45 said:

Hi folks

while the one suit is bonkersly easy easy the 2 suite version is much harder than "difficulty --> moderate and the 4 suite version defies even a lot of Mensa people.

I love using spider solitaire during 99% of pointless boring work meetings and even more pointless type of "Town Hall" type meetings.

So any ideas on strategy on how to win these games :

View attachment 44812

cheers

jimbo

Click to expand...

jimbo45 said:

while the one suit is bonkersly easy easy the 2 suite version is much harder than "difficulty --> moderate and the 4 suite version defies even a lot of Mensa people.

I love using spider solitaire during 99% of pointless boring work meetings and even more pointless type of "Town Hall" type meetings.

So any ideas on strategy on how to win these games :

View attachment 44812

cheers

jimbo

Click to expand...

Yeah, CHEAT, if you want to call it that! Don't follow the rules!
Several years ago, a woman on a different forum was raving about what a wonderful game Spider was. She was very proud of her 9 wins and following the rules. but revealed that she has played over 5,000 games to get so few wins! At that point I had no wins at all but was attracted to its reputation as "The King of All Solitaires", or so they say. I then wanted to know what was possible! Yes,the game is beatable and fun but only if you play as though it is WAR! So, no more "Mr. Nice Guy". I was in it to win! I went rogue!

I use Solsuite. It's very graphically pleasing. There are a multitude of solitaires to play though I have only ever played Spider Classic. Two decks and all four suits. I always play in 100 game blocks. It makes it easier to keep track of how I'm doing although the game will keep track of things for you if you like.

It's much more challenging to play this way but patience is a virtue. I've played many games for several days and even a week or more until I beat it. Be determined to win but keep in mind that there will be losses. Not every one is winnable. If they were, I probably would not play.


Tactics: Use the back button often! If you're stuck retreat until you find yourself in a better position, then attack from a different angle. Move cards around. Don't use kings just to fill an empty space. Once you do, he's stuck there and you have wasted an opportunity to shift your cards around. Keep in mind that you cannot play
kings on anything else! The reverse is true for aces. You cannot play anything else on them! Try to focus on the middle of the deck but don't obsess about it. Do whatever you have to do to advance.

If you like your position, bookmark it! Use it to retreat if your strategy is failing. But if you retreat, use the opportunity to re-assess. If you need to go back further, do it!

Never try to look under the unexposed cards. That IS cheating! (besides, Solsuite will not let you do that. Can't speak for other games) You'll inadvertently see cards that were exposed while you were shifting cards around. It happens but don't fret about it. Use the info wisely.

These are just a few things to help you along. You'll develop others as you go. Keep me informed.

Playing by the rules is mindless. One thing after another with little to no strategy involved. If you play the way I've described, you'll have much more fun and satisfaction when you win! After all, it was your own brain power that did it. Strategy is everything!

I ran into a guy on the same forum described above, who claimed to win every game. He dealt all the cards without playing, then turned over all the unexposed cards and then played with a calculator. Turns out he was an accountant! I guess he was proud of himself. I don't know why but he had his own agenda. I'm telling you this to let you know that every tool I use is permissible in the game. All I use are the bookmarks and rewind buttons.

My winning percentage over the years is about 80%, give or take.