Playable Solitaire variant
TriPeaks Solitaire
- Objective
- Remove all 28 cards from the three peaks (the waste and stock do not need to be empty).
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Win rate
- Around 80% of TriPeaks deals are winnable with reasonable play.
How to play TriPeaks Solitaire
A standard 52-card deck. Eighteen cards form three overlapping peaks across four rows — three cards in row 0, six in row 1, nine in row 2, and ten in the bottom row 3. The remaining 34 cards form a face-down stock, and one card is flipped to start the waste pile.
- Play any exposed tableau card to the waste pile if its rank is exactly one above or below the current waste card.
- Aces and Kings wrap: an Ace plays onto a King and a King plays onto an Ace.
- A card is "exposed" only when no other card covers it from below.
- When no play is available, draw one card from the stock onto the waste.
- The game ends when the stock is empty and no further plays are possible.
Objective and winning
Remove all 28 cards from the three peaks (the waste and stock do not need to be empty).
A full TriPeaks clear runs 28–40 actions including stock draws. The cleanest games chain six or more cards off a single stock draw at least once.
Scoring on vSolitaire
vSolitaire awards +10 for every card played to the waste plus a +100 win bonus when all three peaks clear. Traditional TriPeaks adds a streak bonus per consecutive card — the digital scoreboard rewards activity directly so faster clears outscore slow grinds.
Strategy tips
- Build the longest streak before drawing. Every consecutive card played without a stock draw extends the combo.
- Look two moves ahead — playing a 7 now might prevent a 5-6-7 sweep next turn.
- Open both shoulders of a peak before crowning the top. The top card of a peak is only reachable when both supporting cards below it are gone.
- Save Aces and Kings for wrap chains. An Ace played from the deck can connect a 2-A-K-Q sweep that would otherwise dead-end.
- Track stock count. If the deck has fewer cards left than the peaks have unplayed cards, you need a long chain — don't draw casually.
Common mistakes
- Drawing from the stock when a chain is still available off the current waste card.
- Crowning a peak too early and stranding the bottom row.
- Wasting an Ace-King wrap on a short chain when a longer one was set up.
Difficulty and odds
TriPeaks is one of the friendliest Solitaire variants. Random deals fully clear roughly 75–90% of the time with strong streak play, and the King-Ace wrap makes long combos common.
Origin and history
TriPeaks was designed by Robert Hogue in 1989 and shipped with Microsoft Entertainment Pack volume 3 for Windows in 1991. The triangular peak layout and combo scoring made it one of the most copied Solitaire formats of the 1990s casual-game era.
TriPeaks Solitaire in multiplayer
TriPeaks races extremely well because rounds are short and streak length is a clean tiebreaker. Same-deal challenges expose pure planning skill.
Frequently asked questions
Do Aces and Kings wrap in TriPeaks?
Yes. TriPeaks is one of the few waste-builder Solitaire variants where Aces connect to Kings — both directions. This wrap is the secret to long streak combos.
How many peaks are there in TriPeaks?
Three overlapping peaks. Each peak is a small triangle of cards, and the three triangles share their bottom row of ten cards.
Why is TriPeaks called TriPeaks?
The name comes from the three small triangular "peaks" formed by the top three rows of the tableau. Clearing all three peaks ends the game in a win.
Is TriPeaks easier than Pyramid?
Significantly. TriPeaks deals win 75–90% of the time with strong play, while standard Pyramid deals are winnable in under 5% of attempts.