Pyramid Solitaire: Complete Rules & Strategy Guide

Pyramid Solitaire is a classic card game where the goal is to remove all cards from a pyramid-shaped tableau by pairing cards that add up to 13. Unlike Klondike Solitaire, which focuses on sorting and sequencing, Pyramid Solitaire is a mathematical matching game that challenges your ability to spot number combinations quickly. This guide covers the complete rules, setup, strategy, and everything you need to know to master Pyramid Solitaire.

What Is Pyramid Solitaire?

Pyramid Solitaire is a single-player card game played with a standard 52-card deck. The game gets its name from the distinctive pyramid shape formed by 28 cards dealt in seven overlapping rows. The remaining 24 cards form a stock pile that you draw from during play.

The objective is simple: remove all cards from the pyramid (and ideally the stock pile as well) by pairing two cards whose face values add up to 13. Kings, which already have a value of 13, are removed on their own without needing a partner. The game is sometimes also called “Solitaire 13” or “Pile of 28” for these reasons.

Pyramid Solitaire has been a beloved card game for well over a century and gained wider popularity through digital versions. You can play Pyramid Solitaire for free at Solitaires.gg — no download or registration required.

Game Setup

Setting up Pyramid Solitaire involves creating the pyramid tableau and preparing the stock pile. Here is how the layout works:

The Pyramid (28 cards)

Deal 28 cards face-up in seven rows, forming a triangular pyramid shape. Row 1 (the apex) has 1 card, row 2 has 2 cards, row 3 has 3 cards, and so on, with row 7 (the base) having 7 cards. Each card in rows 2 through 7 partially overlaps two cards from the row above it, creating the pyramid structure.

All 28 cards in the pyramid are dealt face-up, so you can see every card from the start. However, only “exposed” cards — those not covered by any card in the row below — are available for play. At the beginning of the game, only the 7 cards in the base row are fully exposed.

The Stock Pile (24 cards)

The remaining 24 cards are placed face-down in a stock pile. During gameplay, you draw cards one at a time from the stock to the waste pile. The top card of the waste pile can be paired with any exposed pyramid card (or with the next drawn stock card) to form a sum of 13.

The Waste Pile

Cards drawn from the stock that are not immediately paired go to the waste pile face-up. Only the top card of the waste pile is available for pairing. In most standard versions of Pyramid Solitaire, you may cycle through the stock pile only once — there is no reshuffling of the waste pile back into the stock.

Card Values

Every card in Pyramid Solitaire has a numerical value. The goal is to pair two cards whose values add up to exactly 13. Here is the complete value chart:

Notice that Kings are the only cards removed individually, since they already equal 13. All other cards must be matched with exactly one other card to reach a combined value of 13. Suit and color do not matter in Pyramid Solitaire — only the numerical values count.

Complete Rules

Pairing Cards

The core mechanic of Pyramid Solitaire is pairing. Select two exposed cards whose values sum to 13, and both cards are removed from the game. A card is considered “exposed” when no other card overlaps it from the row below. As you remove cards from lower rows, the cards above them become exposed and available for play.

Valid Pairs

• Ace + Queen → 1 + 12 = 13
• 2 + Jack → 2 + 11 = 13
• 3 + 10 → 3 + 10 = 13
• 4 + 9 → 4 + 9 = 13
• 5 + 8 → 5 + 8 = 13
• 6 + 7 → 6 + 7 = 13
• King alone → 13 (removed without a pair)

Exposed Card Rules

• A pyramid card is exposed only when both cards covering it from the row below have been removed.
• All seven cards in the bottom row (row 7) start as exposed since no cards overlap them.
• The top card of the waste pile is always considered exposed and can be paired with any exposed pyramid card.
• You can also pair the top waste pile card with the card you just drew from the stock, if they sum to 13.

Stock Pile Rules

• Draw one card at a time from the stock pile to the waste pile.
• In standard Pyramid Solitaire, you get one pass through the stock pile — once all 24 stock cards have been drawn, no more draws are available.
• Some variations allow multiple passes through the stock, making the game easier.

Winning Condition

You win Pyramid Solitaire when all 28 cards in the pyramid have been removed. In some scoring systems, you earn bonus points for also clearing the stock and waste piles, but clearing the pyramid is the primary win condition. If no more valid pairs can be made and cards remain in the pyramid, the game is lost.

For more card game terms and definitions, check out our Solitaire Glossary.

Strategy Tips

Pyramid Solitaire involves more strategy than many players realize. Because all pyramid cards are visible from the start, you can plan ahead and make smarter decisions. Here are proven strategies to increase your win rate:

1. Remove Kings Immediately

Whenever a King is exposed, remove it right away. Kings do not pair with anything, so there is never a reason to delay. Removing a King immediately opens up more cards in the pyramid and gives you access to additional pairs. Leaving an exposed King in place blocks progress for no benefit.

2. Prioritize Cards Higher in the Pyramid

Focus your efforts on removing cards from the upper rows of the pyramid first. Cards near the apex are harder to reach because they require clearing more cards below them. If you have a choice between two valid pairs, prefer the one that exposes or removes a card closer to the top. Clearing the upper rows early gives you far more flexibility later in the game.

3. Look for Chain Reactions

Before making a pair, scan the pyramid for chain reactions — sequences where removing one pair immediately exposes another pair. For example, removing a 6 and 7 might expose a 3 and 10 that were previously blocked. Planning two or three moves ahead can dramatically improve your chances of clearing the pyramid.

4. Avoid Uncovering Cards You Cannot Pair

Pay attention to which cards are still in play. If removing a pair exposes a card whose matching partner has already been removed or is deeply buried, you might be creating an unsolvable situation. For instance, if three of the four 9s have been removed and the only remaining 4 (which pairs with 9) is trapped, uncovering that last 9 may not help you. Think about whether the cards you expose will actually be usable.

5. Manage the Stock Pile Carefully

Since you typically get only one pass through the stock pile, do not draw cards carelessly. Before drawing, check whether any pairs exist among the currently exposed pyramid cards. Use the stock only when no pyramid-only pairs are available, or when a stock draw could set up a valuable chain of removals. Every card drawn to the waste pile covers the previous waste card, potentially burying a useful card.

6. Keep the Pyramid Balanced

Try to remove cards evenly from both sides of the pyramid rather than clearing one side completely while leaving the other untouched. A balanced pyramid gives you more exposed cards and more pairing options. An unbalanced pyramid can trap critical cards on the neglected side, making the game unwinnable.

Want more general solitaire advice? Read our Solitaire Strategies That Actually Work.

Pyramid Solitaire Variations

Several popular variations of Pyramid Solitaire change the difficulty or add new mechanics. Here are the most well-known:

• Relaxed Pyramid: The most common variation. You are allowed to cycle through the stock pile up to three times instead of just once. This significantly increases the win rate and makes the game more forgiving for beginners. The core pairing rules remain the same.
• Giza (Giza Solitaire): Instead of a stock pile, all 52 cards are dealt into the pyramid and three reserve columns of 8 cards each. All cards are face-up and visible from the start. Only the top card of each reserve column and exposed pyramid cards are available. This variation removes the luck element almost entirely and becomes a pure logic puzzle.
• Tut's Tomb (King Tut): A more forgiving version where you are allowed unlimited passes through the stock pile. This makes the game considerably easier, with win rates climbing above 50%. It is a great starting point for players new to Pyramid Solitaire who want to learn the pairing mechanics without the strict one-pass limitation.
• Apophis: A challenging variation that uses the standard pyramid layout but adds a second, smaller pyramid of 10 cards (4 rows) that must also be cleared. Both pyramids follow the same pairing rules, but managing two pyramids simultaneously adds significant complexity.
• Tripleaks (TriPeaks): A related game where three smaller pyramids (peaks) are dealt instead of one large pyramid. While the removal mechanic differs — cards are removed by sequencing rather than summing to 13 — TriPeaks shares the visual heritage and single-player card game spirit of Pyramid Solitaire.

Win Rates and Statistics

Pyramid Solitaire is generally considered more difficult to win than Klondike Solitaire, especially in the standard single-pass version. Here is a breakdown of win rates and solvability across different variations:

The standard single-pass version has a notably low win rate because many deals are simply unsolvable regardless of how perfectly you play. The overlapping card arrangement means that certain combinations of cards in the pyramid create unavoidable dead ends. Skilled players learn to recognize these situations early and can restart before investing too much time.

The overall solvability of Pyramid Solitaire has been studied less extensively than Klondike, but computer analysis suggests that roughly 30% of standard deals can be solved with perfect play. This makes card selection and move order critical — even small mistakes can turn a winnable game into a loss.

Pyramid vs. Klondike Solitaire

Pyramid and Klondike are both classic solitaire games, but they play quite differently. Here is a quick comparison to help you understand the key differences:

Both games use 28 cards in the tableau and 24 in the stock, which is a coincidence of their designs rather than a shared rule. If you enjoy one, you will likely enjoy the other, as they exercise different types of strategic thinking.

Play Pyramid Solitaire Online

Solitaires.gg offers a free, clean Pyramid Solitaire experience with no download or registration required. Features include:

• Standard and relaxed game modes
• Undo and hint helpers to improve your play
• Clean, responsive design for desktop, tablet, and mobile
• No ads cluttering the playing area
• Works offline as an installable Progressive Web App (PWA)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the goal of Pyramid Solitaire?

The goal of Pyramid Solitaire is to remove all 28 cards from the pyramid by pairing exposed cards that add up to 13. Kings (value 13) are removed individually. You draw from the stock pile to find additional pairing opportunities. The game is won when every card in the pyramid has been matched and removed.

Is every Pyramid Solitaire game winnable?

No. In the standard single-pass version, only about 30% of deals are theoretically solvable, and the average player wins roughly 5–10% of games. The overlapping pyramid structure means certain card arrangements create unavoidable dead ends where no valid pairs can be made. More relaxed variations, like Tut's Tomb with unlimited stock passes, have significantly higher win rates.

Why can Kings be removed alone in Pyramid Solitaire?

Kings have a value of 13, which is the target sum for all pairs in the game. Since a King already equals 13 by itself, it does not need a partner card. This rule exists because there is no card with a value of 0 to pair with a King. Removing exposed Kings immediately is always the correct strategy since they provide no pairing benefit by staying in play.

What is the best strategy for Pyramid Solitaire?

The most effective strategies include: removing Kings immediately when exposed, prioritizing pairs that uncover cards higher in the pyramid, planning chain reactions where one removal exposes the next pair, and managing your stock pile draws carefully since you typically get only one pass. Keeping the pyramid balanced and scanning for all available pairs before drawing from the stock are also critical habits. For more detailed solitaire strategy advice, read our complete guide to solitaire strategies.