A guide to your next move.
Look under the visible cards
You cannot know the identity of a hidden card before it is exposed. A move that reveals a hidden card gives you another fact to work with. Compare possible moves by what they uncover as well as by the length of the sequence they create. A longer visible run is not automatically better than a move that opens the tableau.
Value an empty column
The key details are straightforward. An empty column can hold a temporary sequence while you rearrange other cards. Consider the next destination before filling your only empty column. A whole-column move into another empty column does not reveal anything new on its own. You must eventually fill every empty column before dealing from the stock.
Favor matching suits
Here is what to know. A shorter matching group can be easier to reuse than a longer mixed-suit build. Same-suit descending cards remain movable as a group. Matching colors alone do not give that benefit in four-suit Spider. Look for ways to join matching segments without burying a card you need elsewhere.
Use mixed builds deliberately
Keep these details in mind. Avoid assuming that every descending column can be moved as one unit. A mixed-suit move can be worthwhile when it reveals a card or frees a column. Before extending the mixed build, look for temporary destinations that could help you separate it. Only the same-suit descending segment at the bottom moves together.
Plan around Kings
A group beginning with a King has the same limitation. A King requires an empty column because there is no higher rank. Placing a King in your last empty column may reduce your immediate rearrangement options. Moving a King can still be useful when it uncovers an important hidden card.
Pause before dealing
On this website, the following points apply. A stock deal adds one card to every column and may disrupt useful sequences. Keeping all columns occupied is a requirement for using the stock. Check whether a visible move can expose a card or join matching suits before you deal. Dealing remains an option when the visible layout offers no useful improvement.
Compare follow-up choices
No simple rule can guarantee success on every randomly shuffled deal. Moving a small segment may release a second move that was previously blocked. Try to leave more than one useful destination when the layout allows it. Ask what a move will let you do next rather than considering only the first destination.
Compare a different line
Keep these details in mind. The timer does not move backward when you undo. Replay is useful when you want to revisit the opening arrangement of the same deal. Undo restores the previous card state, including flips and collected runs. Compare what each alternative reveals instead of repeating the same sequence without a new idea.
Make the final decision
The key details are straightforward. The suggested move may be useful for investigation without leading to a win. A hint does not reveal the stock or hidden tableau cards. Hints search legal moves in the visible position. Repeatedly using Hint cycles through the available suggestions for the current position.
Choose a comfortable challenge
Here is what to know. Four suits gives you more suit conflicts to resolve using the same rules. One suit is useful for practicing rank order and the controls. A short, focused session can be more useful for learning than rushing to finish a difficult deal. Two suits introduces the difference between a descending build and a movable same-suit group.