Pyramid Solitaire
Pair to 13. Clear the pyramid.
Click a playable card to move it. Click the stock to draw. Use Undo, Hint or Restart from the controls.
How to Play Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid Solitaire uses 28 cards to build a seven-row triangle and leaves 24 cards in the stock. The goal is to remove every card from the pyramid. You do this by pairing exposed cards whose ranks add up to 13.
An exposed card is one that is not covered by the two cards directly below it. The bottom row is available immediately. When you remove a card, the card above it may become available. Kings are special: because a King counts as 13, you can remove one on its own.
Click the stock to turn one card into the waste. The waste top card can pair with an exposed pyramid card. Pairing two stock or waste cards is not allowed in this version.
The 13 pairs
- Ace + Queen
- 2 + Jack
- 3 + 10
- 4 + 9
- 5 + 8
- 6 + 7
- King alone
Suits do not matter. A red Queen can pair with a black Ace, and a red 6 can pair with a black 7. This makes Pyramid a game of rank planning rather than color matching.
Pyramid strategy
Look at the bottom row first. Removing a card there is usually valuable because it can expose the card above it. When several pairs are available, prefer the one that opens the highest card in the triangle, not the one that simply clears the easiest pair.
Keep track of Kings. An exposed King is a free removal, but a King buried behind two lower cards may need a long sequence of removals. Stock cards are limited to one pass, so use the waste card carefully and avoid spending the last pairs before checking the pyramid.
Using the Pyramid stock
The stock is a single pass of 24 cards, so every draw is a limited resource. Before you click the stock, scan the pyramid for a pair or a King that is already available. If one exists, play it first; a new waste card can change which pairs are useful, but it cannot bring an already spent stock card back.
When the waste card appears, check both halves of the board. A waste card can pair with an exposed pyramid card, and that removal can open a card above it. If the waste card cannot pair, consider whether a different exposed pair would open a better route before drawing again.
In a close game, the stock order is hidden but the number of cards is not. Count the remaining stock cards and look at the exposed pyramid cards before deciding whether a pair is worth taking now. Sometimes the best move is to wait for the next waste card, because the current pair can still be removed later.
Kings deserve special attention. An exposed King is always a free removal, while a King covered by two cards may be the key to the final part of the pyramid. If you can open a King early, do it; otherwise keep the surrounding cards in mind before spending a pair that would leave the King stranded.
Pyramid Solitaire FAQ
How do you pair cards in Pyramid Solitaire?
Two exposed cards can be removed when their ranks add up to 13: Ace with Queen, 2 with Jack, 3 with 10, 4 with 9, 5 with 8, and 6 with 7.
What does a King do in Pyramid Solitaire?
A King is worth 13, so it can be removed by itself. Click or tap an exposed King to clear it without selecting a second card.
Which Pyramid cards are available?
Only cards that are not covered by both cards directly below them are available. The bottom row is always exposed, and a card becomes available when the two cards beneath it are removed.
Can the stock card pair with a pyramid card?
Yes. The top waste card can pair with an exposed pyramid card. Two stock or waste cards cannot be paired with each other in this classic version.
Can I redeal the stock in Pyramid Solitaire?
This version uses the classic single pass through the stock. Once the stock is empty, no further redeal is available.
Explore more Solitaire games
Klondike Solitaire · Golf Solitaire · TriPeaks Solitaire · FreeCell Solitaire