Spider Solitaire the Challenge of the Game and How to Beat the Addiction

During my years as a computer trainer for the completely illiterate computer user, I struggled with ways to get my students familiar with the mouse. My students were quite familiar with the four legged variety of mouse but had no idea how to hold, use or manipulate the technological innovation of the eighties – the mouse attached to a computer. Surprisingly the easiest way was to teach them how to left click, right click or move the cursor, was by showing them how to play solitaire without a deck of cards. Spider Solitaire is the next step in what is essentially a card game played by one. But as the name suggests, it can be deadly.

Played with a physical deck of cards or on a computer any game of solitaire requires patience. Hence the alternative name. Manually laying out the cards, playing the game only to discover the cards derive no satisfaction is disappointing and yet we must have another go. It is instinctive. No good the first time there is a desire to do better the next time. Thanks to Microsoft, with the introduction of the computer based solitaire, some of the frustration has been relieved. If the game looks as if it is going nowhere we can easily replay or move on to the next formation.

Microsoft introduced Spider Solitaire to the computer arena in the late nineties and all of a sudden games for one got a whole lot harder, more challenging and totally addictive. Spider Solitaire was less a game of chance because of the falling of the cards, but more a challenge on how the game was played.

In any normal game of solitaire or patience the cards are laid out in order face down on top of each other. Seven across for five rows then upturned for the final six. There is a small deck remaining that can be used to play out as required. The objective is to build suits, hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades, from the Ace (or one) through the increasing numbers to ten followed by the picture cards, Jack, Queen and King.

Solitaire really is a game of chance. It is totally reliant on the way the cards fall and the observations of the player. This is the only challenge that the player might miss a move and resort to the cards in the unplayed deck.

The first challenge of Spider Solitaire if you are playing with an actual pack of cards is in the use of two decks. It is time consuming to set up which makes the computer version user friendly and with the click of the mouse another game is laid out in an instant. Once more the cards are laid out face down with ten cards across the top row and followed by four more. The fifth row consists of the first four face-down then six face up with a further four cards on the final row, again face up. This will leave fifty cards or five lots of ten, to play out across the entire row each time you come to a standstill.

While the main objective is to build suits, the game play is quite different from the original. Any red card can be placed on another colour or suit as long as it comes in sequence. If you have a Queen of Hearts you can place any Jack on top to release the card underneath. The cards are moved back and forth between each pile until a complete suit is obtained starting from the King through to the Ace.

Never underestimate the value of an empty space. This is where you can interchange the messy piles that have built up through the course of the game. The Kings are crucial for starting the process but if they are placed in an empty space it means the spot can’t be used until the suit is complete.

There are only two cures for the addicted Spider Solitaire player

1. Delete the game from your computer
2. Remove all playing cards from the house

It is fun, challenging and at times infuriating. Just when you see a pattern building the next layer of cards will tumble down and mess the whole thing up. Spider Solitaire is more than a game of chance. It takes a great deal of time and patience to master at the advanced level and is the most addictive card game I have ever played. My husband is a master but I remind him that is only because he has more hours to waste than me.

Copyright © 2011-2012 Karen Wilton