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Pyramid

Pyramid is a great solitaire game for a short brain workout, combining simple arithmetic calculation with elements of planning.

Pyramid Solitaire: Complete Rules and Strategy

Section titled “Pyramid Solitaire: Complete Rules and Strategy”

Pyramid Solitaire is an engaging card puzzle game that trains memory, attention, and strategic thinking.

Completely dismantle the pyramid by sequentially removing pairs of exposed cards whose point total equals 13, or a single King.

Use the following table for scoring:

CardValue
Ace (A)1 point
Two (2)2 points
Three (3)3 points
Four (4)4 points
Five (5)5 points
Six (6)6 points
Seven (7)7 points
Eight (8)8 points
Nine (9)9 points
Ten (10)10 points
Jack (J)11 points
Queen (Q)12 points
King (K)13 points (removed alone)
  1. Use a standard deck of 52 cards without jokers.
  2. Shuffle the cards thoroughly.
  3. Deal a pyramid of 7 rows from the deck:
    • Row 1 (top): 1 card.
    • Row 2: 2 cards, each partially overlapping the bottom edges of the card in the first row.
    • Row 3: 3 cards.
    • Row 7 (base): 7 cards.
  4. Cards in the pyramid are considered exposed only if they are not covered from above.
  5. The remaining cards form a face-down stock pile.

You can remove cards by following these rules:

  • Only exposed cards (not blocked by others) can be removed.
  • Remove pairs of cards whose point total equals 13.
  • A King (13 points) is removed alone, without a pair.
  • When moves within the pyramid itself are exhausted, you start drawing one card at a time from the stock pile.
  • The drawn card can be paired and removed with any exposed card from the pyramid if their sum is 13.
  • If the card from the stock cannot form a pair, it is placed face-up in the waste pile.
  • If the stock pile runs out, you can turn over the waste pile (without shuffling it) to reuse it as the stock. Classic Pyramid Solitaire rules allow this up to 3 times.
  • WIN: You win if you remove all cards from the pyramid and the stock pile.
  • LOSE: The game ends in defeat if you have no possible moves left (no exposed cards in the pyramid that can be removed directly or in a pair with a card from the stock/waste, and all redraw attempts are exhausted).
  1. Free the bottom rows first. Try to remove cards from the lowest, 7th row. This will expose more cards in the rows above and give you more move options.
  2. Plan moves several steps ahead. Before making a move, look at which cards will become exposed after it and whether it will block other important pairs.
  3. Use stock cards sparingly. Cards from the stock are your strategic reserve. Use them to remove key, blocked cards in the pyramid.

We hope these rules and tips help you achieve victory.

Good luck!