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I'm a big fan of Spider Solitaire. I don't know when this addiction began (I'm thinking sometime around 2005) but since then I've wasted many an hour trying to accumulate sets and best my old record. Of course, there are several solitaire-based games out there, the best known being FreeCell and the original Solitaire, I find the "Spidey" version the most enjoyable because it's easier to win than traditional solitaire and more difficult to win than FreeCell. It's sorta like comparing football to baseball—which is just a tad bit too slow—and basketball—which is, in my opinion, way too fast. Football, in contrast, is just right. (I know, there is a version of spider in which one has to make all sets the same suite-this is the advanced level-but that is almost impossible to win. Also, there is a beginner's level in which same colored suites are not required, but that is too simple. The intermediate level, in which suites have to color match but not be the same suite, is just right.)

That's not to say there isn't room for improvement—not in the way the game is played, but in how to expand its "playability". Up to now, you simply played out a hand and either eliminated all your cards and won or you didn't. It's pretty straight forward in that respect, with games lasting about 4-5 minutes. However, after a fashion that straight win-or-lose format gets old, lessening the interest level. (This is what eventually killed FreeCell for me.) As such, after some experimenting, I've devised a means by which the game might be made more interesting as well as last longer. I call it Spider Solitaire Tournament Play, and I guarantee you it will make whiling away the hours far more enjoyable.

How is it different from regular Spidey Solitaire? The biggest difference is that it plays off of several hands and it includes basic math as part of the scoring. Read on to see specifically how it works. I think you'll enjoy it.

THE OFFICIAL SPIDER SOLITAIRE TOURNAMENT RULES
as Devised, Developed, or oOtherwise Invented by Me

First, tournament play only works with Spidey set in the intermediate level. The game itself is also played as normal. (If you don't know how to play Spider Solitaire, stop here and learn the rules. On the other hand, why are you reading this if you've never heard of the game?) What's different is that I assign point totals to completed sets in each hand—minus the number of cards played—in an effort to reach a certain point total in the allotted hands. So this is what you do:

First, you'll need a pen and paper. Number it one through four in a vertical column—leaving a little space between numbers—with the word "FINAL" at the bottom, like this:

1.

2.

3.

4.

FINAL:

Now you begin a game as normal, trying to build sets and getting rid of all cards (which most players can do about 15% of the time). You'll notice as you work through the game a running total of moves are being recorded in the lower right hand corner. (There's also some sort of three digit score being kept as well but ignore that. It doesn't come into play in tournament play.) These are going to be points against you, so obviously you want to get through a hand in the fewest possible moves.

Points are earned only from completed sets (Ace through King in a given color) with a complete set worth 60 points. You continue to play until either you complete all eight sets (480 points) or you run out of possible moves, or you simply stop once your last deal has been made and you don't want to continue the hand. Once the hand is finished, you tally up your point total. Let's say, for example, you completed two sets in 55 moves before you stopped or you got the dreaded "no more moves possible" box. The two sets together are worth 120 points, but it took you 55 moves to do that. As such, you subtract the 55 points from the 120 points you got for the two sets for a grand total of 65 points for the hand. You'll put that next to the number 1. Easy enough.

What if you didn't get any sets? Then you are in the hole with a -55 points, which you would put next to 1. It can be quite a challenge to win the game if you get too deep in the hole, but a lot of fun if you can. (Don't forget when adding negative and positive numbers together to always subtract the lower number from the higher number. For example: +50 points added to a score of -30 equals +20. Add positives and negatives together.)

At this point you go on to your next hand and do the same, keeping a running total of points for each hand. Let's say in the second hand you didn't get any sets and you made 42 moves. That -42 would be subtracted from the first hand's 65 points, leaving you with a balance of +13 points. At this point your scorecard would look like this:

1. +65
iiiii-42
2. +13

3.

4.

FINAL:

Then you move on to the third hand and so on. So how many points do you need to win? 300. Seems like a lot but it's not if you regularly complete sets in each hand. For example, if in the third hand you get four sets, that's 240 points. Minus, say 90 moves, that's a total of 150 points, which, when added to the previous 13 points you already have, equals +165 points, with two more hands to play. That's already half way there! Additionally, if you have a complete hand—that's one in which you complete all eight sets—that's 480 points (minus your moves) and the game would be over. It's not that hard to get 300 points, either. I usually do.

Now you could just play it this way and be perfectly happy, but I wanted to add some strategy to it so I've developed a couple of options and other rules to make it more interesting. Perhaps the most important of these is that you can omit an especially bad hand ONCE during each tournament. In other words, let's say your fourth hand is a real stinker—no sets and 57 moves. If you apply that to your score, it would be a real blow to your fortunes. As such, you can omit the score and just zero out. You don't get to play the hand again, but at least it won't be subtracting from your total. You can only do that ONCE however, so if the next hand is a stinker too, you'll just have to live with it. Also, you cannot omit the first hand's score, so no matter what you get on that first hand, you have to record it. This is what your scorecard would look like if you omitted that fourth hand:

1. +65
iiiii-42
2. +13
iiii+150
3. +163
iiiii---------
4. +163

FINAL:

Okay, you only have one hand left so make it a good one!

Oh oh, your next deal looks bad. A bunch of the same cards and no play. That's going to make it hard to win. Not to worry—there's hope. In tournament play, you can reshuffle a hand ONCE during the course of a tournament (with the exception of the first hand). So if you get a bunch of the same cards and don't see much chance of getting any sets, as long as you haven't moved any cards you can simply end the game and reshuffle. The important thing to remember, however, is that you can only do that ONCE and then ONLY IF YOU HAVEN'T MADE ANY MOVES YET. No cheating!

Another thing that might help is that you can also replay a hand. In other words, remember how you got four sets off the third hand? You can tell the computer to replay that game and see if you can get four sets again—or even win the hand outright! I warn you, however, just because you got four sets off a hand the first time you played it doesn't guarantee you'll repeat that feat the second time around. I've replayed a hand that did very well only to end up with a -50 and no sets the next time I tried it. You would have to make the precise moves in the same order you did the first time to repeat the outcome, and nobody can recall precisely what moves they made or their precise order during a second attempt. Even a change of a few cards can undo the whole affair. Finally, you can only replay the same hand ONCE. However, you can replay more than one hand during a tournament.

Alright, so let's say on your fifth and last hand you got four more sets and it took 90 moves. That's a total of 240 points minus the 90 moves for a total of 150 points. Added to your previous score of 163 points, you end up with a score of +313 points. Here's how your scorecard will look:

1. +65
iiiii-42
2. +13
iiii+150
3. +163
iiiii---------
4. +163
iiiii+150

FINAL: +313

Congratulations, you're a winner! (If you're decent at playing spider solitaire at all, you should be able to win about four tournaments out of five.)

I like this way of playing because it involves strategy and uses math skills as well, which really can get the old neurons firing. A tournament usually lasts about 15-20 minutes (depending upon how quickly you play) and is a great way to loosen up the gray matter before getting on to the day's work. One little warning, though: Don't try this at the office unless you're the boss or have a boss who is blind.

TOURNAMENT EXTENDED PLAY RULES

There has been times when I've played out my last hand and came up slightly short of the magic 300 points. This can be a bit disappointing, especially if you finish with 299 points! As such, I've devised a second way to win even if you don't reach 300 points, which I call extended play. Here's how it works: First, you must have scored a minimum of 200 points to be eligible to play. 199 or less and you're better off starting a new tournament game. Second, the game works much as the regular tournament play with a few exceptions. There are no reshuffles allowed in extended play and you cannot omit a bad hand. Also, you only get three hands instead of five as normal. The good news, however, is that you get to start the game with the final point total of the previous game. So let's say you ended the regular tournament with +265 points. Here's how the scorecard for extended play would look before the first hand:

1. +265

2.

3.

FINAL:

On your first hand, however, you didn't get any sets and it cost you 45 moves. This is how your scorecard would look after the first played hand:

1. +265
iiiiIIIi-45
2. +220

3.

FINAL:

You're going in the wrong direction, and have just two hands to make it up. On the second hand, however, you get two sets in 55 moves. That's a total of 65 points (120 minus 55=65). Still not enough points to win (you're still 15 points short) but close. Maybe replay that second hand again and hope for the best or take your chance on a fresh deal. If you fall short again, however, the game is over and you retreat to lick your wounds.

NOTE ON EXTENDED PLAY: You must finish each hand completely by dealing all cards before quitting the game. In other words, let's say you are in the midst of your last hand and only need 15 points to win. 22 moves in you get a set, which would give you the 15 points needed to win. However, you still have two more deals to play. You must deal them before quitting. Of course, you could wimp out and just deal them quickly without playing the cards, but then you would miss the opportunity to see if you can break the magic 600 points barrier! By playing out the hand as completely as possible, you could complete all eight sets and get a butt-load of points which, when added to your previous score, could put you in the rarified air of grand champion! This is the third and last aspect of tournament play that makes it interesting; not only are you trying to get 300 points and so win the tournament, but you can compete against yourself and others by also going for high point totals. There's no reward for this, of course, but you do get bragging rights. Here's how winners are designated:

300-399 points total: Tournament Winner
400-499 points total: Tournament Ace
500-599 points total: Tournament Champion
600+ points total: Tournament Grand Champion

What's the highest score possible, assuming everything goes perfect? If you started extended tournament play with +299 points and then the next hand was complete (all 8 sets) and it only took, say 110 moves (about the best that could be reasonably expected; winning hands normally take anywhere from 115 to 150 moves to complete) that would be +370 points (+480 minus 110 moves). Added to the previous score of +299, that would leave you a possible best score of +669 points-the equivalent of bowling a 300 game.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Of course, you can alter the game any way you wish. If you want to make it more difficult to win, just raise the bar by making a win 400 points instead of 300 (with 300 being the lower limit for extended play) or extend play by making a win 500 points with seven hands instead of five, but I've found the way I've outlined it here works the best and is not overly time consuming. (That's assuming, of course, that you have something better to do with your time than play tournament solitaire all day.) I find it to be a quick and easy "wake up" exercise for my brain and one that also has a strangely calming and centering effect. It may not do that for you, of course, but I enjoy it and hope you will too!

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