Pyramid Solitaire
A little arithmetic. A little foresight.
How to play & keyboard controls
Only uncovered cards and the top waste card can play. Select two cards totaling 13, or select a King on its own. Suits do not matter. Draw one card from the stock when you need a partner; recycle the waste twice for three passes total. Clear all 28 pyramid cards to win. Some deals cannot be solved.
Tap, click or drag to pair. Tab between playable cards; Enter or Space selects. D draws, H hints, Ctrl/⌘ + Z undoes, Escape clears selection. The clock starts on your first move and pauses while this tab is hidden.
How to play Pyramid Solitaire
Made famous by: Microsoft Solitaire Collection, which includes Pyramid alongside Klondike and FreeCell. Pyramid itself is a traditional patience game. Ours is an independent version, not affiliated with Microsoft.
Pyramid is the solitaire of arithmetic: 28 cards are dealt in a seven-row pyramid, and you remove them in pairs that add up to 13 — an Ace counts 1, a Jack 11, a Queen 12, and a King is 13 on its own. A card can only be used once nothing covers it. The remaining 24 cards wait in the stock; turn them one at a time and pair the top waste card with the pyramid. Clear the whole pyramid to win. This version gives you three passes through the stock, unlimited undo, a hint button and a deal number you can send to a friend.
Controls. Tap a card, then its partner; a King clears with one tap. Undo is unlimited, Hint lights up a legal move, and every deal has a number: Replay restarts it and Share copies a link so a friend can play the identical layout. Keys: D draws from the stock, H gives a hint, Ctrl+Z undoes. Tab navigates playable cards; Enter or Space selects.
Pyramid Solitaire rules
- The deal. Seven rows, one to seven cards, every card face up. Only cards with nothing on top of them are in play.
- Pairs to 13. A–Q, 2–J, 3–10, 4–9, 5–8, 6–7. Tap one, then the other; both leave the table.
- Kings are 13 by themselves — one tap removes an uncovered King.
- The stock turns one card at a time onto the waste. The top waste card pairs with the pyramid (or a King on the waste goes alone).
- Redeals. When the stock runs out, the waste turns back over. You get three passes in total.
- Win by clearing all 28 pyramid cards. Cards left in the stock don't matter.
Pyramid Solitaire strategy — how to win more
- Clear evenly. Work both edges of the bottom row rather than digging one side; a lopsided pyramid buries the cards you need.
- Count the pairs. Each rank has four partners. If three Sevens are already gone and the last Six is under a Seven, that Six is stuck — undo and find another line.
- Spend Kings when they help. A King costs nothing to remove, so take it the moment it uncovers something useful.
- Use the redeals. A card you pass now comes round again; sometimes the right play is to wait for its partner to surface.
- Use undo to look. The pyramid hides nothing, so try a sequence and take it back if it dead-ends.
Frequently asked
How do you play Pyramid Solitaire? Remove pairs of uncovered cards that add up to 13 (Kings alone) until the pyramid is gone. Turn the stock one card at a time and pair the waste card with the pyramid. You get three passes through the stock.
Which cards add up to 13 in Pyramid? Ace and Queen, 2 and Jack, 3 and 10, 4 and 9, 5 and 8, 6 and 7. A King is 13 by itself.
Is every Pyramid deal winnable? No. Some shuffled deals cannot be cleared, even with three passes; the hint button finds legal pairs, not a guaranteed path. If you get stuck, undo or use the deal number to replay the same layout.
Can I play the same deal again? Yes. Every deal has a number in the toolbar; Replay restarts it and Share copies a link that opens exactly that layout for someone else.