How to play Pyramid Solitaire

The game starts with a pyramid-shaped tableau of cards, with the first row containing one card, the second row containing two cards, the third row containing three cards, and so on. The remaining cards are placed in a stockpile, with the top card turned face up. The player can remove pairs of cards from the tableau that have a combined value of 13, such as a Queen and an Ace or a 10 and a 3. The player can also remove the King card on its own.

pyramid solitaire

Pyramid Solitaire rules

Here are the basic rules of Pyramid Solitaire:

  1. Setup: To begin the game, a pyramid-shaped tableau of cards is dealt face-up on the playing surface. The first row contains one card, the second row contains two cards, the third row contains three cards, and so on, until the final row has seven cards. The remaining cards are placed face-down in a draw pile, with the top card turned face-up.
  2. Game play: The player may select any two cards from the tableau that add up to 13, regardless of suit. For example, a Queen can be paired with an Ace, a 10 can be paired with a 3, and so on. The King card can be removed on its own without pairing it with another card. The pairs of cards are then removed from the tableau and placed in a discard pile.
  3. Drawing cards: If the player cannot make any more pairs from the tableau, they can draw a card from the draw pile. The player can continue to draw cards one at a time until no more pairs can be made or the draw pile runs out.
  4. Winning: The game is won when all the cards have been removed from the tableau. The game is lost if there are no more pairs available and no more cards can be drawn from the draw pile.

There are a few additional rules to be aware of in Pyramid Solitaire:

  • Only the top card of the draw pile can be used in a pair. Once a card is drawn, the player must use it immediately if possible.
  • If the player removes a card that is covering another card, that card can be turned over and used in a pair.
  • If the player gets stuck and cannot make any more pairs, they can reshuffle the discard pile and turn it face-down to create a new draw pile. This can only be done once per game.

Set Up

To set up Pyramid Solitaire, you will need a standard deck of 52 playing cards. Here are the steps to set up the game:

  1. Shuffle the deck: First, shuffle the deck of cards to mix them up.
  2. Form the pyramid: Place 28 cards face-up in the shape of a pyramid, with one card at the top, two cards in the next row, three cards in the row below that, and so on, until you have seven cards in the bottom row.
  3. Create the draw pile: Take the remaining cards that were not used to form the pyramid and stack them face-down to create the draw pile.
  4. Turn over the top card: Turn over the top card of the draw pile and place it next to the draw pile. This card will be used as the first card for building pairs.

Your Pyramid Solitaire game is now set up and ready to play. You can start playing by looking for pairs of cards that add up to 13 and removing them from the pyramid. If you cannot find any more pairs, you can draw cards from the draw pile to try to make new pairs. The goal is to remove all the cards from the pyramid before running out of moves.

Game Play

Pyramid Solitaire is a popular card game that requires skill and strategy. Here are the basic rules of Pyramid Solitaire gameplay:

  1. Object of the game: The goal of the game is to remove all the cards from the pyramid by pairing them up to a total of 13 points.
  2. Pairing up cards: Look for pairs of cards in the pyramid that add up to 13 points. For example, you can pair up a King (worth 13 points) with an Ace (worth 1 point), a Queen (worth 12 points) with a 1, or a Jack (worth 11 points) with a 2.
  3. Removing pairs: Once you have found a pair of cards that add up to 13 points, click on them to remove them from the pyramid. You can only remove cards that are not covered by other cards.
  4. Using the draw pile: If you cannot find any more pairs in the pyramid, you can draw cards from the draw pile one at a time. You can only use the top card of the draw pile, and you can only draw three times. If you still cannot find any more pairs, the game is over.
  5. Winning the game: The game is won when all the cards in the pyramid have been removed. If you have any cards left in the draw pile, you can keep playing until you run out of moves.
  6. Scoring: You can keep track of your score by counting the number of cards you have removed from the pyramid. The higher your score, the better your performance.
rules of the game

Drawing cards

  1. Number of draws: You can draw one card at a time from the draw pile in Pyramid Solitaire.
  2. Maximum number of draws: There are a maximum of three draws available in Pyramid Solitaire. Once you have used up all three draws and cannot make any more moves, the game ends.
  3. Only the top card is available: Only the top card from the draw pile is available to be drawn. You cannot look through the draw pile to choose a different card.
  4. Order of use: You must use the card that you draw immediately. You cannot save the card for later use.
  5. Re-shuffling the draw pile: Once you have gone through the entire draw pile, you can shuffle the discarded cards to form a new draw pile. In some versions of the game, the draw pile is shuffled automatically when you go through all the cards.
  6. Strategy: It’s important to use your draws wisely in Pyramid Solitaire. Try to save your draws until you really need them, and use them to uncover cards that are hidden in the pyramid or to create new pairs that you can remove.

Overall, drawing cards in Pyramid Solitaire is a useful tool for creating new pairs and helping you win the game. However, it’s important to use your draws wisely and strategically to maximize your chances of success.

Winning

Winning in Pyramid Solitaire requires strategy, skill, and a bit of luck. Here are some tips on how to increase your chances of winning:

  1. Start with the right pyramid: At the beginning of the game, take a few moments to study the pyramid and choose the one that looks the most promising. Look for pyramids with a lot of low-value cards that are easy to pair up, and avoid pyramids with a lot of high-value cards that are more difficult to pair up.
  2. Look for open cards: When you’re playing Pyramid Solitaire, look for cards that are not covered by any other cards. These open cards are easier to pair up and remove from the pyramid.
  3. Use the draw pile wisely: Don’t waste your draws early in the game. Save them for when you really need them, such as when you’re stuck and can’t find any more pairs in the pyramid. Use your draws to uncover hidden cards and create new pairs.
  4. Keep track of the cards: As you play Pyramid Solitaire, keep track of the cards that have been removed from the pyramid. This will help you plan your moves and avoid making the same mistakes twice.
  5. Don’t be afraid to undo: If you make a mistake or realize that you’ve made a bad move, don’t be afraid to use the undo button to go back and try again. This can save you from losing the game.
  6. Stay focused: Pyramid Solitaire requires focus and concentration. Avoid distractions and try to stay focused on the game. Take breaks if you need to, but try to avoid getting too distracted.

How many rows in Pyramid Solitaire

The number of rows in Pyramid Solitaire can vary depending on the version of the game you are playing. However, most versions of Pyramid Solitaire are played with a pyramid of seven rows. The pyramid is made up of 28 cards, with each row containing one more card than the row above it. The first row has one card, the second row has two cards, the third row has three cards, and so on. The remaining cards are placed in a draw pile next to the pyramid.

Some versions of Pyramid Solitaire may have a smaller or larger pyramid, with fewer or more rows than seven. However, the basic gameplay remains the same regardless of the number of rows in the pyramid.

pyramid online

Conclusion

In Pyramid Solitaire, players try to remove all the cards from the pyramid by creating pairs of cards that add up to 13. The game can be won by removing all the cards from the pyramid, or it can end in a stalemate if there are no more moves to be made.

While the rules of Pyramid Solitaire are fairly simple, the game can be challenging and requires concentration and focus. By following the basic rules of the game and using some simple strategies, players can increase their chances of winning and have a great time playing Pyramid Solitaire.