Spider Solitaire – 1 Suit

One suit Spider Solitaire deals the full 104-card spider layout — ten columns, five stock deals, eight sequences to complete — but every card is a spade. Because the whole deck is one suit, any descending run can be picked up and moved as a group. That strips away suit management entirely and leaves the heart of the game in plain view: uncovering hidden cards, keeping columns organized, and using empty columns as workspace.

Don't mistake "easy" for "automatic." You can still bury the cards you need, waste an empty column, or deal the stock at the worst possible moment. One suit is where those instincts get built — which is exactly why it's the recommended starting point.

1. Chase hidden cards. Every face-down card flipped is new information and new options. Given equal moves, always take the one that reveals a card.
2. Dig the deep columns first. The four left columns start with six cards — one more hidden card each than the rest. Excavating them early pays off all game.
3. Empty a column, then spend it wisely. An empty column lets you relocate whole runs and unbury anything. Try to open one before the first stock deal.
4. Keep runs consolidated. Merge partial runs (say, a 9-8 onto a 10) whenever it doesn't cost you a reveal — long runs mean fewer blocked columns after each deal.
5. Deal the stock reluctantly. Each deal buries all ten columns under a random card. Exhaust your real moves first, and never deal while an easy reveal is still available.

Is every 1 suit game winnable?

Nearly all deals are winnable with careful play, though a few can still be lost to unlucky stock deals or early mistakes. With unlimited undo, a patient player wins the overwhelming majority.

Why are all the cards spades?

The layout is unchanged from classic spider; the deck simply uses eight sets of spades. Same-suit-only movement never blocks you, so you can focus on learning column play.

Is 1 suit too easy?

It's the easiest version, not a trivial one — column management, reveals, and deal timing still decide games. It's the standard on-ramp before 2 suits.

When should I move up to 2 suits?

When you win most 1 suit games without leaning on undo, and emptying a column early feels automatic, you're ready for 2 suits.