What is Pyramid Solitaire?
Pyramid Solitaire is a pairing game. Instead of building foundations by suit, you remove cards in pairs that add up to 13. The tableau is shaped like a pyramid, and only uncovered cards are available. Kings are worth 13, so they can be removed by themselves.
The appeal is speed and clarity. A Pyramid game can feel quicker than Klondike because the main question is direct: which exposed cards should be paired now, and which should stay available for later?
Good Pyramid play is mostly about preserving options. Removing the first available pair can uncover a useful card, but it can also spend the only match for a card that is blocking the lower rows. Before taking a pair, scan which cards are still covered and which totals are already scarce.
Pyramid Solitaire rules
A standard Pyramid layout has 28 cards in seven overlapping rows. The remaining cards form a stock and waste. You remove pairs that total 13, using exposed pyramid cards and sometimes stock or waste cards depending on the rule set.
- Ace is 1, Jack is 11, Queen is 12, and King is 13.
- Remove pairs such as 7+6, 8+5, 9+4, 10+3, Queen+Ace, or Jack+2.
- Only uncovered pyramid cards can be removed.
- Kings can be removed alone.
- Win by clearing the pyramid.
Pyramid vs Klondike Solitaire
Pyramid is a matching and removal puzzle. Klondike Solitaire is a building puzzle with tableau sequences, foundations, stock, and waste. Pyramid can be easier to understand at a glance, while Klondike has deeper move-order decisions around hidden cards and empty columns.
For the wider family, read the Solitaire game variants guide. To play a full browser game now, start a Klondike deal on vSolitaire and use Solitaire scoring to compare finished runs.