Pyramid Solitaire

1 Setup

Deal 28 cards face-up into a 7-row pyramid: row 1 has 1 card at the top, row 7 has 7 cards at the bottom. Each card in rows 1–6 overlaps two cards in the row below it. Place the remaining 24 cards face-down as the stock pile. No waste pile yet.

2 Gameplay

A card is available when no other cards overlap it from below. Initially only the bottom row of 7 cards is available.

Pairing: Remove pairs of available cards that total exactly 13. Card values: Ace = 1, number cards = face value, Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13. Kings are removed alone (they total 13 themselves).

Valid pairs (sum to 13): A+Q, 2+J, 3+10, 4+9, 5+8, 6+7, K (alone).

The stock: Draw one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile. The top card of the waste pile is always available for pairing. When stuck, draw again.

Cycling: Standard rules allow going through the stock once. Many digital versions allow recycling the waste pile 2–3 times. Agree before playing.

3 Winning

Remove all 28 pyramid cards. You don't need to empty the stock or waste pile, only clearing the pyramid wins. Once the pyramid is gone, you win regardless of remaining stock cards.

4 Strategy

Unblock High Rows First

Cards high in the pyramid (rows 1–3) are blocked by more cards below them. Prioritize pairs that unblock multiple upper-row cards, since those cards may be needed to pair with stock draws later.

Don't Waste Kings

Kings remove themselves but take up an available slot. If a King is blocking two cards you need urgently, remove it. But if you have a choice, keep the slot open, a blocked King costs you nothing while it sits there.

Match Pyramid Cards Before Stock Cards

When you can pair two pyramid cards together, do it, this clears the pyramid faster. Reserve stock card pairings for when no pyramid-to-pyramid matches exist.

Memorize the Waste Pile

If you cycle the waste pile, remember what's in it. Knowing a 7 is buried under several cards tells you to keep 6s available for when it comes back around.

5 Variants

• Relaxed Pyramid: Allow recycling the waste pile 2 or 3 times. Significantly increases win rate.
• Two-Deck Pyramid: Use two full decks and build a larger pyramid. Much harder.
• Scoring: Digital versions often award points based on how much of the pyramid is cleared, so even losing games have a score.