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Introduction to Tarantula Solitaire
Tarantula Solitaire is a nice twist on the classic Spider game that keeps you on your toes without overwhelming the table. You work with two full decks, but instead of ten piles you get eight “legs,” much like the name suggests, so everything feels a bit more compact. It’s friendly to players who love suit-based builds but want something a little different to spice up their routine.
To set up, you deal seven cards to each of the eight tableau piles—typically a mix of face-down cards with a few face-ups on top. The remaining cards sit aside in the stock, ready to refill your piles later on. Your goal is to build eight complete suit sequences from ace through king on the foundations, which is exactly what you’ll need to clear the whole board.
Gameplay is straightforward but strategic. You build down on the tableau in suit, and only perfectly sequenced runs can move as a unit, so it pays to think ahead before you shuffle cards around. When no more moves feel promising and you’ve got at least one card in each column, you deal another round of eight cards—one per pile—until the stock runs dry.
Success in Tarantula really comes down to patience and planning. Watch for chances to uncover buried face-down cards, keep your empty piles in reserve for big moves, and try not to mess up any long suits you’ve already assembled. When you finally transfer all eight full suits off the tableau, you’ve tamed the “tarantula” and earned a sweet victory.