How to play Pyramid solitaire
Rules in short: deal 28 cards face up in a pyramid of seven rows. Remove pairs of uncovered cards whose values add up to 13; kings count 13 and are removed alone. Turn cards from the stock to find partners. Clear every card from the pyramid to win.
Setup Card values Free cards Stock and waste Winning Example How often can you win? Strategy Variations FAQ
Quick answers
- Players
- One.
- Cards
- A standard 52-card deck: 28 in the pyramid, 24 in the stock.
- Pairs
- Two free cards adding up to 13: A+Q, 2+J, 3+10, 4+9, 5+8, 6+7.
- Kings
- Worth 13, removed on their own.
- Stock
- Turn one card at a time onto the waste. One pass in the classic game; three passes in most computer versions.
- Goal
- Remove all 28 pyramid cards.
Setup
Shuffle and deal 28 cards face up in seven rows: one card in the top row, two in the next, down to seven in the bottom row. Each card overlaps the two cards above it, so every card except the top one sits on two others. The remaining 24 cards form the face-down stock.
Card values
| Card | Value | Pairs with |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | 1 | Queen |
| 2 | 2 | Jack |
| 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | 4 | 9 |
| 5 | 5 | 8 |
| 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Jack | 11 | 2 |
| Queen | 12 | Ace |
| King | 13 | Removed alone |
Suits don't matter: the 6♣ pairs with any 7.
Which cards are free
A pyramid card is free when no card covers it, that is, when both cards in the row below it that overlap it have been removed. At the start only the seven cards of the bottom row are free. The top card of the waste pile is always free. You may pair two free pyramid cards, or a free pyramid card with the top waste card. A card can't be paired with a card that is covering it, even if they add to 13.
The stock and the waste
Turn the top card of the stock face up onto the waste pile whenever you like. Only the top waste card can be played; drawing again buries it under the new card. When the stock runs out, you may turn the waste over and go through it again if your rules allow it: never in the classic one-pass game, twice (three passes in all) in the version most computer games use. On Snug Table you choose under New game.
Winning
You win as soon as the last pyramid card is removed. It doesn't matter if cards are left in the stock or the waste. If you run out of stock passes with cards still in the pyramid and no pair to make, the game is lost.
An example
The bottom row is 6♣ 9♥ K♠ 4♦ 7♦ J♣ Q♠. Remove the K♠ on its own. Pair the 6♣ with the 7♦, and the 9♥ with the 4♦. That clears the first five cards of the row and frees four cards in the row above. You can't pair the J♣ yet, because no 2 is free, so you draw from the stock. A 2 turns up: pair it with the J♣ straight from the waste.
How often can you win Pyramid?
Not often with the classic rules. We dealt 6,993 shuffles and ran our solver on each with one pass through the stock: only 4.3% could be cleared, and 92.6% were proven impossible from the very first card. With three passes the picture changes completely: of 1,582 shuffles, at least 63% can be cleared and only 6.3% are proven impossible (the solver gave up on the other 30% within its search limit, so the true win rate is somewhat higher).
That is why many Pyramid games feel unfair: most deals can't be won no matter how well you play. On Snug Table, Winnable deal only gives you shuffles our solver has cleared, and the daily deal is always winnable.
Pyramid strategy
- Uncover, don't just clear. Prefer pairs that free new cards higher in the pyramid over pairs that free nothing.
- Look at the whole pyramid before pairing. If two free 7s could each pair with the only free 6, pick the 7 whose removal uncovers more.
- Mind the blocked partners. A card whose partners are all buried above it can only be removed with a partner from the stock. Save stock cards of that rank for it.
- Don't bury a useful waste card. If the top waste card has a free partner in the pyramid, pair it before drawing again.
- Remove kings at once. A king never needs a partner, so taking it out can only help.
- Count your passes. On your last pass, the waste can't come back; use each stock card when you see it.
On Snug Table the hint shows a move that still leads to a win, and when you get stuck the coach review finds the exact move after which the pyramid could no longer be cleared, and takes you back to try again.
Variations
- Passes: one (classic), three (common in computer versions) or unlimited.
- Stock card pairing: some versions keep the top stock card face up so you can pair it with the top waste card.
- Scoring: some apps score points per pair and per pyramid cleared across several deals. Snug Table just counts your moves and time.
- Related games: TriPeaks and Golf solitaire also clear a layout to a single pile, but by playing cards one higher or lower instead of pairing to 13.
Pyramid solitaire FAQ
What adds up to 13 in Pyramid solitaire?
Ace and queen (1 + 12), 2 and jack, 3 and 10, 4 and 9, 5 and 8, and 6 and 7. Kings are worth 13 on their own.
Can you remove a king by itself?
Yes. A free king, in the pyramid or on top of the waste, is removed alone.
Can you pair a card with the card covering it?
No. Both cards must be free at the same time, and a covered card isn't free until both cards overlapping it are gone.
How many times can you go through the deck?
Once in the classic rules. Most computer versions let you turn the waste over twice for three passes in all. Snug Table offers both.
Is every Pyramid solitaire game winnable?
No. With one pass only about 4% of deals can be cleared in our solver tests, and with three passes at least 63%. Choose Winnable deal to play only deals our solver has cleared.
Do you have to use all the stock cards to win?
No. The game is won when the pyramid is empty, even if cards remain in the stock or the waste.
Do suits matter in Pyramid?
No. Only the values count. Any 4 pairs with any 9.