Pyramid Solitaire
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About This Game
Play Pyramid Solitaire free online. Pair up cards that add to 13 to clear the pyramid. A quick, satisfying solitaire variant.
How to play Pyramid Solitaire
Objective: Remove every card from the seven-row pyramid by pairing exposed cards whose ranks total 13.
The board deals 28 cards into a pyramid seven rows tall, and the remaining 24 cards form the stock below it. A card can only be tapped when it is uncovered: the seven cards along the bottom row are always free, and any higher card becomes free once both cards resting on top of it have been removed. Covered cards are shown at half brightness, so at a glance you can tell which cards are still blocked and which are ready to play.
To clear cards, tap two uncovered cards whose ranks total exactly 13. Aces count as 1, Jacks as 11, Queens as 12, and number cards as their face value. That gives six pairs: Ace with Queen, 2 with Jack, 3 with 10, 4 with 9, 5 with 8, and 6 with 7. A King already equals 13, so tapping any uncovered King removes it on its own with no partner. Tap a card you selected a second time to deselect it.
When the pyramid offers no legal pair, draw from the stock. Tap the striped deck to flip its top card onto the waste pile. Only that top waste card can be paired, either with an exposed pyramid card or, if it is a King, cleared alone. When the stock empties the deck shows a recycle arrow; tap it to turn the waste back into a fresh stock. You win the moment the last pyramid card is gone.
Tips and strategy
Kings cost nothing
Any uncovered King vanishes the instant you tap it, no partner required. Clear Kings the moment they appear in the pyramid or reach the top of the waste, because a stranded King high in the pyramid blocks every card stacked above it.
Watch both parents
A pyramid card only unlocks after the two cards directly beneath it are both gone. Before removing a bottom-row card, check which card above still needs its second support cleared, and choose pairs that open new cards rather than leaving one parent stuck.
Memorize the six pairs
The only combinations that total 13 are A-Q, 2-J, 3-10, 4-9, 5-8, and 6-7. Scanning the exposed cards for two of these ranks that both sit free is faster than selecting one card and hunting for its match.
Empty the pyramid first
Removing pyramid cards is the only thing that wins the game, so exhaust every legal pyramid pair before you draw. Use the stock and waste only to break a deadlock, since drawing never clears the pyramid by itself.
The history of Pyramid Solitaire
Pyramid Solitaire is a patience game built on the rule that cards summing to 13 can be discarded together, a mechanic shared by several older solitaire variants. Its distinctive overlapping triangle of 28 cards became widely familiar through digital solitaire collections, where resetting a deal and recycling the stock took a single click instead of a reshuffle by hand.
Frequently asked questions
Does pyramid solitaire have a timer or a score?
No. There is no clock, move counter, or points system. The only thing tracked is the Pyramids cleared total shown at the top, which counts how many games you have won. It is saved in your browser, so it survives reloads and closing the tab.
Can every deal be won?
Not always. The shuffle can bury a card you need beneath its own match, leaving the pyramid unwinnable. There is no loss screen in this version, so when you run out of pairs you simply keep recycling the stock or tap New Game to deal a fresh pyramid.
How many times can I recycle the stock?
As many times as you like. When the stock runs empty the deck shows a recycle arrow, and tapping it flips the entire waste pile back into the stock in reverse order. There is no pass limit here, unlike the stricter rules some physical Pyramid games use.
Why can't I tap a certain card?
Cards that are still covered stay locked and display at half brightness. A pyramid card only becomes tappable once both cards directly below it are removed. The seven cards in the bottom row are free from the start, so begin your pairs there.