How to Play Pyramid Solitaire
Pair cards that add up to 13 and take the pyramid apart.
Also known as Pyramid
Learn Pyramid Solitaire: 28 cards in 7 rows, pairs that make 13, kings alone, which cards are free and the 1 to 3 passes through the stock. Work through one position, then play in your browser.
Which pair to take first
The bottom row holds the 6♣ and the 7♦ side by side and the A♠ at its right end; the Q♥ is on top of the waste, and the K♦ in the row above is covered by the 6♣ and the 7♦. Taking the 6♣ and 7♦ together frees the K♦, which then comes off alone: 3 cards for 1 pair. Pairing the A♠ with the Q♥ clears 1 pyramid card and uncovers nothing, so take it afterwards.
| Cards | Come off? |
|---|---|
| A + Q (1 + 12) | Yes |
| 3 + 10, 4 + 9, 5 + 8, 6 + 7 | Yes, any of them |
| K on its own (13) | Yes, alone |
| K + any card | No: a king never pairs |
| Two cards on the waste | No: only the top one is in play |
A removed card never comes back except by Undo, which takes back any move, a redeal included. The deal is lost when no card can come off, the stock is empty and no pass remains; it is won the moment the pyramid is empty.
Practise this game in your browser🎯 Objective
Remove all 28 cards of the pyramid by taking off pairs whose values add up to 13, a king on its own. You win the moment the pyramid is empty, whatever is left in the stock and the waste; otherwise your score is the pyramid cards cleared.
🃏 Pyramid Solitaire Setup & Rules
- One standard 52-card deck, no jokers. The app deals 28 cards face up in a pyramid of seven rows, 1 card at the top down to 7 in the bottom row; every card but the bottom row's is covered by the two cards below it.
- The other 24 cards are the face-down stock, turned one at a time onto a waste pile. Only the waste's top card is in play.
- The one setup option is Passes through the stock, 1 to 3: 3 by default, the common relaxed rule; 1 is the traditional game. It is a solitaire for one, with no other seats to fill and no app opponents.
▶ How to Play Pyramid Solitaire
- Ace counts 1, number cards their value, jack 11, queen 12 and king 13. Tap two available cards that add up to 13 (A+Q, 2+J, 3+10, 4+9, 5+8, 6+7) and both come off; tap a king and it comes off alone.
- A pyramid card is available only when nothing covers it: both cards below it must be gone. At the start only the bottom row is available, and the app dims the covered cards.
- Tap the stock to turn one card face up onto the waste. The waste's top card is available and pairs with a pyramid card, or comes off alone as a king; a card you do not use simply stays on the waste.
- Two waste cards never pair with each other, since only one is ever on top, and the stock's top card is face down until you turn it.
- When the stock is empty, tap it to turn the waste over into a new stock while a pass remains; the cards come back in the same order. With 1 pass there is no redeal.
- Auto makes the move the app's own policy would make (a king first, then the pair that frees the most cards, then a draw), Undo takes back any move, a redeal included, and Give up ends the deal as a loss.
🎬 Watch: How to Play Pyramid Solitaire
This video is embedded from YouTube and remains the intellectual property of its respective creator and/or rights holder. Vanikar LLC claims no ownership of, or rights in, the video content, and no affiliation with or endorsement by its creator is implied. The video is displayed via YouTube’s public embed feature in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service and the agreements between YouTube and the content uploader.
📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up your table
- From the game menu choose Pyramid. It is a solitaire for one, so there are no other seats to fill and no app opponents.
- The one option is Passes through the stock, 1 to 3. It defaults to 3, the common relaxed rule; set it to 1 for the traditional single pass.
- There is no deal number to enter, no timer and no scoring variant. The app shuffles one 52-card deck and deals 28 cards face up in seven rows of 1 to 7.
- The other 24 cards are the face-down stock beside an empty waste pile.
Taking cards off
- Ace 1, number cards their value, jack 11, queen 12, king 13. Tap one available card, then another that makes 13 with it, and both come off.
- The pairs are A+Q, 2+J, 3+10, 4+9, 5+8 and 6+7. A king is 13 by itself: tap it and it comes off alone, never in a pair.
- A pyramid card is available only when both cards below it are gone; the app dims the covered ones. At the start only the seven cards of the bottom row are available.
- A removed card never comes back except by Undo.
The stock and the waste
- Tap the stock to turn one card face up onto the waste. The waste's top card is available: it pairs with a pyramid card or comes off alone as a king.
- A turned card you do not use stays on the waste and is covered by the next one you turn. Two waste cards never pair with each other.
- When the stock is empty, tap it to turn the waste over as a new stock while a pass remains. The order is kept: the first card you drew is the first to turn again.
- With Passes set to 1 there is no redeal; with 3 you may turn the waste over twice.
Ending the deal
- You win the moment the pyramid is empty, whatever is left in the stock and the waste; the summary shows how many moves it took.
- The deal is lost when no card can come off, the stock is empty and no pass remains. Your score is the pyramid cards cleared, out of 28.
- Auto plays one move each time you tap it: a king first, then the pair that frees the most cards, then a draw, then a redeal.
- Undo takes back any move, a redeal included, as many times as you like; Give up ends the deal where it stands.
📊 Pyramid Solitaire Scoring
You win the moment the last pyramid card is gone, whatever is left in the stock and the waste, and the summary counts your moves. The deal is lost when no card can come off, the stock is empty and no pass remains; your score is the pyramid cards cleared, out of 28. There are no points, no timer and no deal number: the app shuffles a fresh layout every time.
❓ Pyramid Solitaire — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Pyramid Solitaire?
Pyramid Solitaire is a solitaire game for one player — just you and the deck.
How many times can you go through the stock in Pyramid?
As many passes as you set on the setup screen, 1 to 3; the default is 3. The first pass is the deal's own, and each further pass turns the waste over into a new stock in the same order. With 1 pass there is no redeal.
Which cards are available in Pyramid?
A pyramid card with nothing on it: both cards below it must be gone, so at the start only the 7 cards of the bottom row are free. The waste's top card is available too; it pairs with a pyramid card or comes off alone as a king. 2 waste cards never pair with each other.
Can you win Pyramid with cards left in the stock?
Yes. The deal is won the moment all 28 pyramid cards are gone, whatever is left in the stock and the waste. The app does not ask you to clear those too.
What ends a Pyramid deal?
Winning, when the last of the 28 pyramid cards comes off, or losing, when no pair makes 13, no king is free, the stock is empty and no pass remains. Give up ends it early. Either way the score is the pyramid cards cleared, out of 28, and a win also counts your moves.