The tableau piles build down by rank, and in-suit sequences can be moved together.

Initially, 54 cards are dealt to the tableau in ten piles, face down except for the top cards. The main purpose of the game is to remove all cards from the table, assembling them in the tableau before removing them. The game originates in 1949, and its name comes from a spider's eight legs, referencing the eight foundation piles that must be filled to win the game.

Spider is a type of patience game, and is one of the more popular two-deck solitaire games.