How to play Pyramid Solitaire
The rules
- 28 cards lie face up in a pyramid of seven rows. The other 24 cards are the stock.
- Remove two free cards that add up to 13: Ace 1, 2 to 10 by number, Jack 11, Queen 12.
- A King is 13 and goes alone.
- A pyramid card is free when both cards that cover it are gone. The bottom row is free at the start.
- The top card of the stock and the top card of the turned pile are free too.
- Draw turns the stock top onto the turned pile. You can go through the stock three times.
- You win when the pyramid is empty. Cards can stay in the stock.
How to play here
- Tap a King to remove it.
- Tap a card, then tap a card that makes 13 with it. Or drag one card onto the other.
- Tap Draw to turn the next stock card. When the stock is empty, the same button turns the cards over.
- Keyboard: the arrows move between the free cards, Enter picks a card or removes a King. With a card picked, the arrows step over its partners and Enter removes the pair. Escape cancels.
- Undo takes back the last move. A hint shows the next good move, or a possible move when it finds no sure way to win from the position.
Difficulty levels
The level comes from how much searching the solver needed to win the deal.
| Level | The solver |
|---|---|
| Easy | found a win almost at once (up to 60 positions) |
| Medium | tried up to 2,000 positions |
| Hard | tried up to 20,000 positions |
| Expert | tried more than 20,000 positions: expect to undo |
Tips
- Before you remove a pair, look at what each card uncovers.
- A card that covers its own partner (a 6 on a 7) can never pair with it: plan to use another partner for one of them.
- Do not hurry through the stock: you have only three passes.
- Before you draw, check the top turned card: the next draw covers it until the next pass.
FAQ
- Which cards can I remove?
- Two free cards that add up to 13. An Ace is 1, a Jack 11, a Queen 12 and a King 13, so a King goes alone. A pyramid card is free when no card covers it. The top card of the stock and the top card of the turned pile are free too.
- Can every deal be won?
- Yes. A solver has played every deal through to the end before it is offered, so there is always a way to win. If you get stuck, undo some moves or ask for a hint.
- How many times can I go through the stock?
- Three times. When the stock is empty, Turn over makes the turned cards a new stock, in the same order. You can do this twice.
- When is the game lost?
- When no free card has a partner, no King is free, and the stock cannot give you a new card. Undo takes you back to try another way.
- Is there a new deal every day?
- Yes. A new deal is dealt every day at each of the four levels: easy, medium, hard and expert. Each level has 400 deals, so a deal does not come back for at least 400 days. Earlier deals are in the archive.
- Do I need an account to play?
- No. You play right in your browser, with no sign-up and no cookies. Your progress is saved in your browser.