Pair any two uncovered cards that add up to 13; Kings go on their own. Tap one card, then its partner. Clear all 28 cards of the pyramid to win.
How to Play Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid Solitaire is a game of quick sums. Instead of building stacks, you clear cards away in pairs that add up to 13.
Objective
Clear all 28 cards from the pyramid. Cards left in the stock or waste at the end don't matter.
Setup
From one standard 52-card deck, 28 cards are dealt face up into a pyramid of seven rows, from one card at the top to seven at the bottom. Each row overlaps the one above it, so every card outside the bottom row is partly covered by two cards in the row below. The other 24 cards form the stock.
Card Values
Aces count as 1, number cards count at face value, Jacks are 11, Queens are 12 and Kings are 13. Suits don't matter.
Moves
- A pyramid card is available when no card in the row below still overlaps it. At the start, only the bottom row is available.
- Remove any two available cards that add up to 13, such as a 9 and a 4.
- A King is worth 13 by itself, so an available King is removed on its own.
- Click or tap the stock to turn one card at a time onto the waste pile. The top waste card is available to pair with an available pyramid card.
- When the stock runs out, the waste can be turned over and gone through again, twice more, for three passes in total.
Pairs That Make 13
| Card | Pairs with |
|---|---|
| Ace (1) | Queen (12) |
| 2 | Jack (11) |
| 3 | 10 |
| 4 | 9 |
| 5 | 8 |
| 6 | 7 |
| King (13) | Removed on its own |
Because 13 is odd, two cards of the same rank never pair with each other.
Pyramid Solitaire Strategy Tips
- Remove Kings right away. A King never needs a partner, so taking it out always helps and costs nothing.
- Check the top card at the start. The peak card only becomes available after every other pyramid card is gone, so it is always the last one you remove. Unless it is a King, its partner must come from the stock. If the peak is a 3, don't use up every 10 before you get there.
- Pair pyramid cards with each other when you can. Two pyramid cards paired together clear twice as much of the pyramid as a pair made with the waste, and they leave the waste card for later.
- Watch for cards that cover their own partner. If an 8 overlaps the 5 it would pair with, those two can never be matched with each other, so each will need a different partner.
- Choose the pair that opens up the pyramid. When a card could pair with either of two cards, pick the one whose removal makes a new card available. If a bottom-row card is already gone, for example, removing its neighbor frees the card above both of them.
- Don't turn the stock too early. Once you turn a new card, the old waste card is covered until the cards on top of it are paired away or the next pass brings it back. Use the current waste card first.
- Learn the stock on your first pass. The waste is simply turned over for each new pass, so cards come back in the same order, minus any you have removed. Note what turns up the first time, and you will know what is coming.
Playing Pyramid Solitaire on Solitaire Parlor
Pyramid Solitaire here is free to play in your browser, with no sign-up and nothing to download. Tap or click a card to play it, or drag a card onto its partner.
- Undo is unlimited.
- Hint highlights a useful move.
- Restart replays the same deal from the beginning.
- New Game deals a new numbered deal. To replay or share a deal, add ?deal= and its number to the end of the page address.
- Daily Deal gives everyone the same deal each day.
- Stats shows games played, games won, win rate, best time, and your current and best win streaks.
Your game is saved in your browser automatically, so you can close the tab and come back to it. Stats are stored in your own browser, not on a server. The game tracks your time and moves, not points.
About Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid is a classic patience game (patience is the British name for solitaire), and if you can add to 13, you can play it. It is also one of the games in Microsoft Solitaire Collection, the solitaire app on recent versions of Windows.
Pyramid relies more on the luck of the deal than FreeCell, where nearly every game can be won. For a similar layout with a different rule, try TriPeaks Solitaire, where you play cards one rank up or down instead of adding to 13.
Pyramid Solitaire FAQ
Which cards add up to 13?
Ace and Queen, 2 and Jack, 3 and 10, 4 and 9, 5 and 8, and 6 and 7. A King counts as 13 on its own and is removed by itself.
Can I pair a card with the card covering it?
No. Both cards in a pair must be available, and a card isn't available while any card in the row below still overlaps it.
How many times can I go through the stock?
Three times in all: your first pass, then two more after the waste is turned back over. You don't need to use up the stock to win.
Can every game of Pyramid Solitaire be won?
No. In some deals the partners you need are in the wrong places, so a loss isn't always a sign of a mistake. Restart lets you try the same deal again with a different plan.