Comparison
Spider vs Aces Up
| Spider | Aces Up | |
|---|---|---|
| Decks | 2 decks | One deck |
| Suits | 4 | 4 |
| Typical length | 20 min | 5 min |
| Difficulty | Intermediate | Easy |
| How much skill matters | High | Low |
| How much the shuffle matters | Low | High |
| Family | Spider family | Standalone |
| Good for beginners | No | Yes |
We have not written a verdict for this pairing. The comparison above is drawn from each game's own recorded facts — follow either link for its full rules and strategy.
Spider
Build same-suit sequences from King to Ace across ten tableau columns using two full decks and four suits.
Two full decks are dealt into ten columns — 54 cards, with the last of each column face up. Columns build downward by rank, and here the suit does not matter for placing a single card: any nine goes onto any ten.
Aces Up
Discard cards that rank below another card of the same suit across four piles, aiming to end with only the four Aces left.
Four cards are dealt face up, one to each of four piles. Whenever two or more visible cards share a suit, all but the highest-ranked of them are discarded — and Aces count high, so an Ace beats a King.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is harder, Spider or Aces Up?
- Spider is generally rated intermediate difficulty, while Aces Up is rated easy — so most players find one noticeably harder than the other.