Pyramid Solitaire
Pair cards that add up to 13 and clear the pyramid.
How to play Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid Solitaire is a quick patience game about simple sums. You play alone with one deck of 52 cards. At the start, 28 cards are dealt face up into a pyramid of seven rows. Each row partly covers the row above it. The other 24 cards wait face down in the stock.
Goal
Remove every card from the pyramid. You remove cards in pairs that add up to 13.
Card values
- Ace counts as 1, number cards count as their number.
- Jack is 11, Queen is 12 and King is 13.
- So the pairs are A + Q, 2 + J, 3 + 10, 4 + 9, 5 + 8 and 6 + 7. A King is 13 on its own, so it is removed alone.
Turn by turn
- A pyramid card is free when no card rests on it. At the start only the bottom row is free.
- Tap two free cards that add up to 13 and both are removed. Tap a free King to remove it.
- When you remove the two cards that cover a card, that card becomes free.
- Tap the stock to turn its top card onto the waste pile. The top waste card is free too, so you can pair it with a pyramid card.
- When the stock is empty, tap it to turn the waste over and go through it again. You get three passes through the stock in total.
Playing on this site
Tap one card and then its partner, or drag one card onto the other. Hint shows a good pair, and Undo takes back as many moves as you want. With Winnable deals on, every new deal has been checked by a solver and can be won with the right play. Choose Random deals for the classic game, where some deals have no solution.
End of the game
You win as soon as the last pyramid card is gone, even if cards are left in the stock. If no pair is left and the stock has no passes left, the game is over.
Strategy tips
- Look before you pair. Often two different cards can match the same partner. Pick the one that frees a new card, or the one deeper in the pyramid.
- Work from the bottom up evenly. Upper cards need both cards under them gone. Clearing one side only leaves you stuck with a tall, blocked column.
- Save stock cards for blocked spots. If a pyramid card has no free partner, remember which stock card can take it and wait for that card.
- Count the passes. You see the stock three times. Use the first pass to learn the order, so you know what is coming on the next one.
- Watch out for pairs that block each other. A card cannot pair with a card that covers it. If a 5 sits right under an 8, you will need another 8 or 5.
Pyramid Solitaire FAQ
What do the face cards count in Pyramid Solitaire?
Jacks count 11, Queens 12 and Kings 13. Aces count 1. So a Queen pairs with an Ace, a Jack with a 2, and a King is removed on its own.
Is every game of Pyramid Solitaire winnable?
No. Many random deals cannot be won at all. With the Winnable deals option, the game only gives you deals that a solver has already won, so a solution always exists.
How many times can I go through the stock?
You get three passes. When the stock runs out, tap it to turn the waste back over. After the third pass the stock is done.
Is my game saved if I close the page?
Yes. Your game is saved in your browser after every move, and you can carry on later from where you stopped.
