Pyramid Solitaire
Take the pyramid apart two cards at a time: pairs that add up to 13, and Kings on their own. Every deal here can be won.
- Deal
- –
- Time
- 0:00
- Moves
- 0
Learn the game
Rules
Pyramid uses one 52-card deck. Twenty-eight cards are dealt face up in a pyramid of seven rows, from one card at the top to seven at the bottom, each row half over the one above. The other 24 cards are the stock.
The goal is to remove every card of the pyramid.
- Card values: Ace 1, numbers as shown, Jack 11, Queen 12, King 13.
- Remove two free cards together when they add up to 13: 6 and 7, 5 and 8, Ace and Queen, 2 and Jack, and so on. A King is removed on its own.
- A pyramid card is free when no card of the row below still covers it. The top card of the waste is free too.
- Turn stock cards onto the waste one at a time. When the stock is empty you can turn the waste back over twice, so the stock goes through three times in all.
How to play here
Drag a free card onto the card it pairs with, or tap a card: a tap removes a King, or pairs the card with a free card that makes 13. Tap the stock to turn its next card.
Undo takes back as many moves as you like. Hint shows a move from a winning line our solver found.
Tips
Pyramid is about which pair to take when more than one fits.
- Prefer pairs from the pyramid over pairs with the waste: the stock comes round again, the pyramid cards don't move.
- When two cards could pair with the same card, take the one that frees more cards above it.
- Watch the cards high in the pyramid: if their partners are all buried under them, plan to free one partner first.
- Count the passes: after the third time through the stock, only the cards you can see are left.
By the numbers
We dealt the first 1,536 Pyramid deals from our shuffle and ran our solver on each, a depth-first search of up to 3 million positions. It won 1,000 of them (65.1 %); those are the deals you play here, sorted into easy, medium and hard thirds by how often a simple, casual way of playing wins them.
The other 536 may still be winnable: the solver gives up when it reaches its limit, so the true share of winnable deals is at least 65.1 %.
The full table for every game, and how we made it, is on our solitaire odds page.
Questions
Can every Pyramid deal be won?
No. Our solver, which tries every line and knows the stock, wins about two shuffles in three with three passes. Every deal on this site is one it won before it was added.
Can I pair the top of the waste with a pyramid card?
Yes. The waste's top card is free, so it pairs with a free pyramid card or goes on its own if it is a King.
Are some deals easier than others?
Yes. We grade every deal by how hard it is to finish: card deals by how often a simple, casual way of playing wins them, Minesweeper boards by how many tricky steps they need. New players start with easy deals; two wins in a row bring harder ones, two unfinished deals easier ones. You can also pick a level yourself under Settings.
Is Cards & Puzzles free?
Yes. Cards & Puzzles is free to use and needs no account.
Do I need an account?
No. Open a game and play.
Where are my stats and saved games kept?
In your browser, on this device. Your stats stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded. Clearing your browser's site data deletes them.
Can I play offline?
Yes. After your first visit the games work without a connection, including on a phone.
What is the daily deal?
One deal per game each day, the same for everyone. Your stats show which daily deals you have won.