How to play Pyramid Solitaire

The rule fits in one line — pairs that make 13 — but clearing all 28 cards takes real planning. Here's how the game works and how to win more of it.

The rules

• 28 cards form a 7-row pyramid; the remaining 24 wait in the stock.
• Remove cards in pairs that add to 13: A=1, 2–10 face value, J=11, Q=12.
• A King is 13 alone — tap it and it's gone.
• Only open cards play: pyramid cards with nothing overlapping them, plus the top card of the waste pile.
• Tap the deck to turn a card onto the waste; the deck recycles twice.
• You win when the pyramid is empty — the stock may keep its leftovers.

Controls

• Tap an open card to select it, then tap its 13-partner. Tap a King to remove it instantly.
• Locked (covered) cards are dimmed; they light up as you dig them out.
• Undo is unlimited; Hint shows a pair that makes 13.

Strategy

1. Scan the pyramid before your first move. Find the four copies of each rank you'll need — if both 9s that could free your 4s are buried under each other, plan a different lane.
2. Prefer pyramid–pyramid pairs. Removing two pyramid cards digs twice as fast as pairing with the waste.
3. Don't waste low cards early. Aces and 2s pair with Queens and Js — heavyweights that mostly appear late from the stock. Spend them carefully.
4. Track the stock cycles. On the last pass, take any useful pair you see — there's no next time.
5. Undo is information. If a line of digging dead-ends, rewind and spend your pairs on the other flank.

A worked example

The bottom row shows a 6 and a 7 side by side — remove them first and two cards above become open. One of them is a King: instant removal, another card opens. Now the waste shows a Queen and you hold an open Ace — that's 13, and suddenly the pyramid's third row is breathing. Chains like this are why clearing the right pair matters more than clearing the first pair you see.

Common mistakes

• Pairing greedily with the waste. A waste pair leaves the pyramid as covered as before; a pyramid pair opens up to two new cards.
• Ignoring rank budgets. Four of each rank, no more. Once you've seen all four 8s, every remaining 5 is dead weight.
• Digging one side only. Even excavation keeps more cards open at once — more open cards, more pairing chances.
• Forgetting the redeal limit. Two recycles; the third pass is your last look at the stock.

Frequently asked questions

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