Playable Solitaire variant
Pyramid Solitaire
- Objective
- Remove every card from the pyramid (the waste and stock do not need to be cleared).
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Win rate
- Strict Pyramid (no recycling): under 5% of deals are winnable.
How to play Pyramid Solitaire
A standard 52-card deck. Twenty-eight cards form a seven-row triangular pyramid, each row overlapping the row below by one card. The remaining 24 cards form a face-down stock that is flipped one card at a time to a waste pile.
- A card is "exposed" only when no other card covers it from below.
- Pair any two exposed cards whose ranks total 13 (A=1, J=11, Q=12, K=13) — the pair is removed from play.
- A King is worth 13 by itself and clears with a single tap.
- Cards in the waste pile can be paired with any other exposed card, including the next stock card.
- When the stock is exhausted, no recycling — the game ends.
Objective and winning
Remove every card from the pyramid (the waste and stock do not need to be cleared).
A typical winning Pyramid solve takes 80–110 actions. Use undo aggressively because Pyramid punishes irreversible pairing far more than slow play.
Scoring on vSolitaire
vSolitaire awards +20 for each pair cleared, +13 for each King removed, and a +100 win bonus when the pyramid is fully dismantled. Stock draws cost -1 to encourage efficient play.
Strategy tips
- Always remove a King when it becomes exposed — it never blocks anything useful and is pure progress.
- Plan around the bottom row first. The seven cards at the base of the pyramid are the gate to everything above them.
- Hold pairs in mind before committing. Removing a 7 to clear a 6 might block the only other 6 you needed for a higher 7.
- Use the waste pile as a holding zone. Drawing one extra stock card to set up a chain pair often outscores blind pairing.
- Track which ranks you have removed. If both red 6s are gone, every red 7 is dead weight.
Common mistakes
- Pairing the first 13 you see without checking what it unlocks.
- Burning through the stock too fast and losing options before the pyramid opens up.
- Ignoring the waste-with-stock combo — many pyramids only solve through a waste-card pivot.
Difficulty and odds
Pyramid is harder than it looks. Computer studies of standard Pyramid (no recycling) show only about 0.5–5.5% of deals are solvable with perfect play. Variants that allow stock recycling raise the win rate dramatically.
Origin and history
Pyramid (sometimes called Pile of 28 or Solitaire 13) emerged in 19th-century European patience compendiums and was popularized in the English-speaking world through 20th-century Hoyle game guides. Digital versions made it one of the most-played quick-session Solitaires of the 2000s mobile era.
Pyramid Solitaire in multiplayer
Pyramid is excellent for short head-to-head sessions: rounds are quick, win/loss is binary, and same-deal comparisons isolate skill from shuffle luck.
Frequently asked questions
How do you win Pyramid Solitaire?
Clear every card from the 28-card pyramid by pairing exposed cards that sum to 13 and removing Kings alone. The waste and stock do not need to be empty to win.
Does the King count as 13 in Pyramid?
Yes. A King is worth 13 on its own and clears with a single tap without needing a partner card.
Why is Pyramid Solitaire so hard?
The combination of strict pairing math and one-pass stock means you can run out of options quickly. Standard Pyramid win rates are typically under 5% even with strong play.
Can the waste pile be paired with a card in the pyramid?
Yes. The top card of the waste counts as "exposed" and can pair with any other exposed pyramid card whose rank adds to 13.