Pyramid Solitaire

♧ How to Play Pyramid Solitaire

Start with the uncovered cards along the bottom of the pyramid. Select a card, then another available card that makes a total of 13. For example, match an 8 with a 5. A King is worth 13, so select it once to remove it without a partner.

Only cards with no other cards covering them are available. Removing a pair may uncover cards in the row above. You cannot match a free card with a card underneath it that is still covered at the start of the move.

Select the facedown stock to turn one card onto the waste pile. Only the top waste card can be paired with a free pyramid card. Removing that waste card uncovers the card immediately below it.

Keep making pairs until all 28 pyramid cards are gone. You do not need to clear the remaining stock or waste. Use Undo to revisit a choice or Hint to see an available action.

▤ Pyramid Solitaire Rules

The game uses one standard 52-card deck without jokers. Twenty-eight cards form seven overlapping rows, containing one to seven cards. The other 24 cards begin in the facedown stock; the waste starts empty.

Aces are worth 1, number cards are worth their printed number, Jacks are worth 11, Queens 12, and Kings 13. Suits and colors do not affect a match. Both cards must be available before you remove a pair.

You can match two free pyramid cards or one free pyramid card with the top waste card. A free King in either location can be removed alone. You cannot select a facedown stock card, use a buried waste card, or match two waste cards.

Cards stay in their original pyramid positions until removed. Empty spaces cannot be filled, and removed cards cannot be brought back except with Undo.

Classic mode allows three stock passes in total: the first pass and two recycles. Recycling turns the remaining waste back into the stock without shuffling. Relaxed mode has unlimited passes. Both modes are won by clearing the pyramid, not all 52 cards. These are the rules used on OnlinePuzzle; other versions may differ.

♠ Card Values and Pairs That Make 13

Use this reference while learning the game: A + Q, 2 + J, 3 + 10, 4 + 9, 5 + 8, and 6 + 7. A King already equals 13 and needs no partner.

A Queen can match any available Ace, regardless of suit or color. It cannot match an Ace that is still covered.

⇄ Classic and Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire

Classic gives you three passes through the stock. The pass counter shows 1/3, 2/3, or 3/3. Drawing the last card on the final pass does not end the game while a valid match is still available.

Relaxed removes the pass limit, giving you more opportunities to revisit the remaining stock. Recycling does not shuffle the cards, so repeatedly cycling an unchanged deck will not create a different order. Unlimited passes do not make every deal winnable.

Choose Relaxed while getting familiar with the card pairs, or Classic when you want a limited-stock challenge. Changing modes starts a new deal after confirmation. Local records are kept separately for the two modes.

◎ Pyramid Solitaire Strategy and Tips

Look at what a match will uncover. When two cards can use the same partner, compare the positions they open rather than picking the first pair you see.

Remove available Kings. They need no partner, and a King in the pyramid may be preventing access to a useful card above it.

Think about both sides of the pyramid. Clearing one side rapidly is not always better than keeping several routes open. Also check whether removing the two cards below a single card will make that card available.

Keep track of useful partners in the stock. A visible 6 will eventually need an available 7. Consider what you will need later before spending a partner that has several possible uses.

Use Undo to compare alternatives. Hint identifies a legal action; it does not promise that the move will lead to a win. Some random deals cannot be completed under the selected rules.