Pyramid Solitaire

Pyramid turns solitaire into arithmetic. Instead of building sequences, you pair off cards whose values add up to 13 and try to clear a seven-row pyramid before the stock runs dry. The better you get at counting, the more of each deal you can read in advance.

Rules step by step

1. The layout. 28 cards are dealt face up into a pyramid of seven rows, one card in the top row and seven in the bottom row. Each card is partly covered by the two cards in the row below it. The other 24 cards form the stock.
2. Free cards. A card is free when no other card covers it. At the start, only the seven cards of the bottom row are free.
3. Card values. An ace is 1, a jack 11, a queen 12 and a king 13. Every other card counts its number.
4. Remove a king alone. A free king leaves the table by itself.
5. Remove a pair that adds up to 13. Two free cards that sum to 13 come out together: ace and queen, 2 and jack, 3 and 10, 4 and 9, 5 and 8, 6 and 7. The two cards do not need to match in color or suit.
6. A card never pairs with the one covering it. Both cards of a pair must be free.
7. Use the stock and waste. Click the stock to turn the next card onto the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste, the card you just drew, can be paired with a free pyramid card.
8. Two passes. When the stock runs out, the waste turns back into a stock once. That gives you two passes through the stock in total, and no more.
9. Win when the pyramid is cleared. The game ends there, and the page counts the cards you have cleared.

Strategy

• Count the pairs that are still alive. There are four cards of each rank. If three of the four 5s are gone and the last 5 is buried, the 8s lose their partners one by one. Keep track of ranks that are running out.
• Favor the cards that open the most. A card in a lower row helps cover up to two cards above it. Taking out a card that sits under two others can unlock several moves at once.
• Take kings early. They never need a partner, and clearing one can free a card above.
• Before you draw, scan the whole pyramid. Every draw costs a card from a finite stock. If a pair is already available, take it first.
• Plan the second pass. On the first pass through the stock you see every stock card once. Use that to decide which pyramid cards you must keep available for the second pass.
• Do not pair too soon. If two different matches use the same card, choose the one that frees the card with more cards beneath it.

The Pyramid strategy guide covers pair counting and the second pass in more depth.

Frequently asked questions

Is every Pyramid deal winnable?

The default deals come from a pool that an offline solver has checked. For each one it found a line that clears the pyramid. A deal that does not come from the pool is labelled as not checked.

Why can’t I remove two cards that touch?

A card that covers another cannot be paired with it. Both cards must be free at the moment of the move.

How many times can I go through the stock?

Two passes. After the second, a stuck position is the end of the game.

Does clearing the stock matter?

No. The game is won as soon as the pyramid is empty.

Can I undo a move?

Yes, without limit, and redo too.

Related games

Pyramid has the same counting spirit as TriPeaks, where you clear three peaks by playing cards one rank apart. For a longer session, try FreeCell or Spider, or play the classic Klondike. The rules of all five are listed on how to play.

Last updated 2026-10-30