Pyramid Solitaire guide: exposed pairs, stock passes and planning
A pair that totals 13 is useful only when both cards are already available. Plan removals around the cards they uncover and the limited stock passes in Classic mode.
Back to the game →Make 13 with available cards
An ace counts as 1, jack as 11 and queen as 12. Pair A–Q, 2–J, 3–10, 4–9, 5–8 or 6–7. A king counts as 13 and can be removed alone when available; suits and colors do not matter.
A pyramid card is free only after both cards directly covering it have gone. You may pair two free pyramid cards, or one free pyramid card with the top waste card. Buried waste cards and the face-down stock are unavailable; you cannot pair two waste cards.
Compare what each pair uncovers
When two available 5s could match one 8, inspect the cards behind each 5. Prefer a removal that completes an opening or releases a useful complement, rather than selecting the first pair you notice.
An exposed king can be removed without spending another card, so it is a useful first check. For other ranks, count the visible complements before committing. Removing a scarce partner from the wrong branch can leave a card trapped above.
Worked example: a covered queen cannot pair
In the diagram, Q♥ sits behind A♠ and Q♠. The ace and the queen total 13, but Q♥ is still covered. Removing the ace as part of that pair would not make the pair legal: both cards must already be available before removal.
Find another exposed queen for A♠, and an exposed ace for Q♠, or use a suitable top waste card. Once both covering cards are gone, Q♥ becomes available. This example comes from a fixed deal, separate from your current board.
A total of 13 is not enough
Covered Q♥ · Exposed A♠ · Other covering card: Q♠
This is the lower-left branch of a real deal. Q♥ + A♠ = 13, but Q♥ is covered by A♠ and Q♠. Both cards must already be exposed before a pair is removed. You cannot remove A♠ first as part of that pair to uncover Q♥.
Track passes without expecting a reshuffle
Classic allows three total passes through the stock: the first pass plus two recycles. Relaxed allows unlimited passes. Recycling turns the remaining waste back into stock in order; it does not randomly reshuffle the cards.
Only the top waste card can help now. If you draw over it, consider when it will return and whether you have another pass left. Unlimited passes do not guarantee progress: an unchanged cycle can still leave no possible match.
Aim to clear the pyramid, not every stock card
The win condition is removal of all 28 pyramid cards. Stock and waste cards may remain. Late in a round, focus on the exact complements needed by the remaining branches rather than trying to consume the stock.
If blocked, use undo to revisit the last choice between competing pairs, or restart the deal to test another order. Hints offer an available action and may suggest drawing; they do not prove the whole deal is solvable. Recheck exposure, complement and pass count before each move.