How Do You Play Pyramid Solitaire?
Anna | April 4, 2025
Pyramid Solitaire puts a fun twist on classic solitaire by adding a little math into the mix. The goal? Clear the board by pairing cards that add up to 13. Sounds simple right? Well, there’s a bit of strategy involved and that is where things get interesting.
How to Set Up Pyramid Solitaire
The game is played with a standard 52-card deck and gets its name from the pyramid shaped layout formed by 28 face-up cards, arranged in 7 rows. Each new row overlaps the one above it. The top row has 1 card, the second has 2 and so on, until the seventh row, which has 7 cards.
Below the pyramid you find the key areas that help you progress through the game (see Figure 1):
- The Stockpile (24 cards): This is your draw pile when no matches are available in the pyramid.
- The Waste Pile: If you draw a card from the stockpile but can’t use it, it moves here.
- The Foundation Pile: Every successful match (a pair totaling 13) is placed here. Your goal is to move all cards to this pile to win the game.
How to Play Pyramid Solitaire
To clear the board, you must pair cards that add up to exactly 13. However, there's a catch, you can only remove cards not covered by another card. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
Step 1: Removing Pairs from the Pyramid
Start by looking for uncovered pairs within the pyramid that total 13 and click or tap on these pairs to remove them from the board. Kings are special because they can be removed by themselves without pairing since they are already worth 13.
Here's a quick reference of card values:
- Kings = 13
- Queens = 12
- Jacks = 11
- Aces = 1
- All number cards = Their face value (2 is worth 2, 3 is worth 3 and so on)
When you are new to the game, a little cheat sheet can help a lot. Keep it close and you will quickly spot the right pairs. After a few rounds, you won't even need it… those card combos will stick in your head like your favorite song:)
- King = 13 (can be removed alone)
- Queen (12) + Ace (1) = 13
- Jack (11) + 2 = 13
- 10 + 3 = 13
- 9 + 4 = 13
- 8 + 5 = 13
- 7 + 6 = 13
In Figure 2 you can see two uncovered matches that total 13: the 2 of Spades paired with the Jack of Clubs and the 9 of Diamonds paired with the 4 of Clubs. Spotting pairs like these is key to clearing the pyramid efficiently.
Step 2: Use the Stockpile
If you run out of matches in the pyramid, start drawing cards from the stockpile. You can:
- Pair a stockpile card with an available card in the pyramid.
- Pair a stockpile card with the top card of the waste pile.
- Move the stockpile card to the waste pile if it doesn't match anything.
As you can see in Figure 3, there is a red 3 on the stockpile and a black 10 on the pyramid. Since there are no other options available in the pyramid, this is a perfect move to play.
You can cycle through the stockpile up to 3 times. No game over screen pops up if you get stuck, so how do you know when you're really out of moves? Just tap the hint button. If it says there are no more hints, you're likely out of luck. But don’t give up right away, try undoing a few moves and see if a different path opens up. Still stuck? Just head to the menu and start a new game. Sometimes a clean slate is the best move.
Winning the Game
To win, you need to clear all the cards from the pyramid, stockpile and waste pile. If you’re stuck, our version lets you use unlimited undo, sometimes a single different choice can change everything!
We offer two game modes you can choose from in the main menu:
- Regular Mode: This is a pure, classic experience, with random deals and no helpers, just like playing with a deck of your good old real cards.
- Easy Mode: This version gives you a slight advantage with better card distributions, making it easier to win.
Scoring in Pyramid Solitaire
While some players focus purely on clearing the board, others like racking up points. Here’s how the scoring system works:
Basic Scoring
- Each matched pair earns 5 points (2.5 points per card).
- Removing a King gives 5 points, since it’s a single-card move.
Row Bonuses
You get extra points for clearing an entire row from the pyramid:
- Row 1: 25 points
- Row 2: 50 points
- Row 3: 75 points
- Row 4: 100 points
- Row 5: 150 points
- Row 6: 250 points
- Row 7: 500 points
With the standard scoring you will always get 1290 points for winning a game and to keep things a little more exciting, we added a time bonus. You can earn up to 1000 extra points for finishing fast.
Here’s how that works: the bonus starts at 1000 points and drops by about 5.56 points every second. After 3 minutes (180 seconds), the bonus hits zero. So the quicker you clear the board, the higher your final score. And don’t worry, if you take longer than 3 minutes, you still win, you just won’t get any bonus.
Pyramid Solitaire Tips & Strategies
Winning might seem tough at first, but with a bit of planning, your odds improve. Here’s what helps:
Clear Kings Immediately: Always remove Kings as soon as they appear since they're removed alone and open up valuable space.
Focus on the Pyramid First: Prioritize matches within the pyramid before using the stockpile or waste pile. Clearing pyramid cards early reveals more possibilities.
Remove Cards Evenly: Avoid focusing too heavily on one side of the pyramid. Balancing removals keeps multiple options available.
Think a Few Moves Ahead: Before pairing, check if removing one card will unlock another match. For example, see Figure 4, where you have a red 5, a black 5 and a red 8. Matching one of the 5s with the 8 makes 13 but it’s important to see which 5 will uncover a useful card. In this case, the black 5 is the better choice because matching it reveals another 8 that can then be paired with the red 5.
Use the Stockpile Wisely: Since you only get 3 passes through the stockpile, don’t waste cards early on. Look for the best possible match before moving cards to the waste pile.
Undo Strategically: Take advantage of the unlimited undo feature in our game and experiment with different sequences to find the best strategy.
Take Your Time Before the First Move: Going for a high score? Here’s a little trick. The clock doesn’t start ticking until you make your first move. That means you can study the board, spot early combos or even realize that the pyramid is a dead end before getting started.
Pyramid Solitaire is a perfect blend of luck, math and planning. The more you play, the sharper your strategy becomes. Keep practicing and you'll start seeing patterns and making smarter moves in no time!
Ready to give it a try? Good luck and have fun!
