How to control Pyramid Solitaire
Stock passes, waste behavior, hints, and undo are implementation-specific and should be confirmed in the active player.
Pyramid Solitaire is a card-removal game built around the number 13. Remove two available cards when their values total 13; an exposed King can be removed by itself. The puzzle lies in choosing between duplicate ranks and opening the layered cards in a useful order.
A common deal places 28 cards in seven overlapping rows shaped like a pyramid. The remaining cards form a stock. A pyramid card becomes available only when no card covers it. Removing cards from the bottom and outer edges gradually exposes cards in higher rows.
Victory conditions vary. Many versions end when the pyramid is empty, while others also count stock or waste cards. Follow the objective displayed by the current player.
Number cards use their printed values. Ace counts as 1, Jack as 11, Queen as 12, and King as 13. The complete set of removable combinations is:
Suit and color normally have no effect. A heart 5 can pair with a club 8. Both cards must still be available under the active player’s rules; the correct total does not make a covered card selectable.
A card in the pyramid is available only after every card overlapping its lower edge has been removed. In the bottom row, all cards begin exposed. In higher rows, one card is commonly blocked by two cards below it. Removing only one of those blockers does not release the card.
Legal pairs can have different value. One may expose nothing, while another can release one or two new cards. Watch the overlaps, not only the ranks.
Waste-card pairing and stock redeals vary by implementation. Use the active player’s selection behavior and help screen.
Prefer the removal that exposes more useful information. If two 8s can pair with one exposed 5, compare what lies behind each 8. One may release a card immediately while the other remains blocked.
Protect rare complements. If several cards need a 6 but only one 7 is reachable, spending that 7 on the first 6 may trap another branch.
Do not remove every legal pair immediately. A scarce 5 used with the wrong 8 can make another branch impossible to clear.
Check for exposed Kings and recount face-card values: Ace with Queen, 2 with Jack, and 3 with 10 are easy to miss. A card may also retain one overlapping blocker.
If the stock is exhausted, an earlier duplicate-rank choice may need to change. Undo and hints are not confirmed for this title, and some deals may remain unsolvable.
TriPeaks and Golf build rank chains rather than value pairs. Klondike builds tableau sequences and suit foundations. Compare every variant in the solitaire guide.
None. A King has a value of 13 and is removed by itself when it is available.
Not in the common rule. Only card value and availability matter, unless the active player explicitly displays a different rule.
That varies by implementation. Some versions permit one pass, some allow a limited number of redeals, and others use different waste behavior.
Often, but not universally. Some versions require additional stock cards to be cleared or use a score-based objective, so follow the goal displayed in the game.
Loading comments...