How to Play Pyramid Solitaire

Pyramid Solitaire is a single-player card game built around one simple idea: remove cards in pairs that add up to 13. The challenge comes from the pyramid itself. Most cards begin covered by the cards below them, so clearing the board is as much about choosing the right pair as it is about finding a pair that works.

Kings are the exception. Because a King is already worth 13, it can be removed on its own.

The aim on Solitaire Arcade is to clear all 28 cards from the pyramid. You do not need to clear every card from the stock or waste pile to win.

What Is Pyramid Solitaire?

Pyramid Solitaire uses a standard 52-card deck. Twenty-eight cards are arranged face-up in seven overlapping rows to form a pyramid, while the remaining 24 cards make up the stock.

Unlike Klondike Solitaire, you are not building sequences or moving groups of cards around the tableau. Cards stay in their original positions until they become available and can be removed.

That makes Pyramid feel quite different from games such as Klondike, FreeCell and Spider. It is a matching game, but the overlapping layout means every removal can affect what becomes available next.

If you want to see how it fits alongside the other games on the site, our Types of Solitaire Games guide compares Pyramid with other popular solitaire variations.

The Objective

Your goal is to remove all 28 cards from the pyramid.

You remove cards by pairing two available cards whose values add up to 13, or by removing an available King by itself.

The game is won as soon as the pyramid is empty. Cards can still remain in the stock or waste pile.

This is sometimes described as a relaxed Pyramid win condition because you are clearing the pyramid rather than every card in the deck.

Pyramid Solitaire Setup

The pyramid contains seven rows:

Row 1 contains 1 card. Row 2 contains 2 cards. Row 3 contains 3 cards. Row 4 contains 4 cards. Row 5 contains 5 cards. Row 6 contains 6 cards. Row 7 contains 7 cards.

That gives you 28 cards in the pyramid.

The remaining 24 cards form the stock.

All pyramid cards are dealt face-up, but that does not mean they are all available immediately. Cards in the upper rows are covered by overlapping cards below them.

At the start of the game, the seven cards across the bottom row are exposed and available.

Card Values and Pairs That Add Up to 13

Number cards use their face value. Aces are worth 1, Jacks are worth 11, Queens are worth 12 and Kings are worth 13.

The possible Pyramid pairs are:

Ace and Queen. 2 and Jack. 3 and 10. 4 and 9. 5 and 8. 6 and 7. Kings are removed alone.

Suits do not matter. A 6 of hearts can pair with any available 7, for example.

Learning these combinations makes the game much quicker to read. After a few games, you tend to recognise the pairs without having to calculate them.

For a closer look at the pairing system and how to use each combination effectively, see Pyramid Solitaire Pairs: What Cards Add Up to 13?.

Which Cards Are Available?

A pyramid card is available only when no cards are covering it.

Most cards above the bottom row begin covered by two cards from the row beneath them. Both covering cards must be removed before the card above becomes available.

This is one of the most important rules in Pyramid Solitaire. You cannot select a card simply because you can see its face.

The other available card is the top card of the waste pile.

At any point, your available cards therefore come from exposed cards in the pyramid, and the top card of the waste.

Cards still face-down in the stock are not available.

Only the top waste card can be used. Cards buried beneath it remain unavailable unless another stock traversal or redeal brings them back into play.

If terms such as stock, waste and tableau are unfamiliar, our Solitaire Terms Explained guide explains the language used across Solitaire Arcade.

Legal Moves

There are two ways to remove cards.

Remove a pair: select two available cards that add up to 13. The pair can be two exposed pyramid cards, or one exposed pyramid card and the top waste card. You cannot pair two waste cards together.

Remove a King: an available King can be removed on its own because its value is already 13. That includes an exposed King in the pyramid or a King sitting on top of the waste.

Removing cards from the pyramid can expose new cards above them, opening more possible moves.

How to Play Pyramid Solitaire Step by Step

A typical game follows a simple cycle.

1. Look for exposed Kings. Any available King can be removed immediately. Removing a King from the pyramid can also help expose cards higher up the board.

2. Look for pairs in the pyramid. Check the exposed cards for any combination that totals 13. When more than one pair is available, think about what each removal will expose rather than automatically choosing the first pair you see.

3. Check the waste card. The top waste card can pair with any exposed pyramid card that brings the total to 13. For example, if the waste shows a 5 and an exposed 8 is available in the pyramid, those two cards can be removed.

4. Draw from the stock when you need another card. Drawing moves the next stock card face-up onto the waste pile. The new card becomes the top waste card. Drawing does not automatically remove anything. If the card is a King, you still choose to remove it. If it matches an exposed pyramid card, you select the pair normally.

5. Continue opening the pyramid. Each useful removal should ideally help uncover cards in the rows above. The closer you get to the top of the pyramid, the fewer blocked cards remain.

6. Redeal the waste when your mode allows it. Once the stock is empty, some modes allow the waste pile to be turned back into the stock so you can work through those cards again. How often you can do this depends on the difficulty you selected.

Stock, Waste and Difficulty Modes

Solitaire Arcade includes three Pyramid difficulty modes. The underlying rules stay the same. The difference is how many times you can work through the stock.

Easy — Unlimited Passes. Easy allows unlimited redeals, so you can recycle the waste into stock again and again. There is one limit: if you work through an entire stock pass without removing any King or pair, and still have no legal move when the stock is empty, the game ends even though redeals remain. Making a removal during a pass means finishing the leftover stock without another move is not an automatic loss.

Medium — 3 Passes. Medium allows three complete traversals of the stock. That means the initial stock traversal, one redeal, then a second redeal. After the third traversal, the stock cannot be recycled again. Medium gives you some room to plan around the waste without allowing unlimited retries.

Hard — 1 Pass. Hard gives you one traversal of the stock and no redeals. Once a stock card has passed into the waste and is buried by later draws, you will not see it again unless you use it before the stock runs out. This makes stock management much more important.

The deal, pyramid layout, matching rules, scoring rules and win condition are otherwise the same across Easy, Medium and Hard.

Winning and Losing

You win when all 28 pyramid cards have been removed.

The stock and waste do not have to be empty.

A game reaches a stalemate when cards still remain in the pyramid, no legal King or pair can be removed, and the stock is empty with no further progress available.

That means the point at which a game can become stuck depends on the mode.

In Hard, the game can reach that point after the first stock traversal. Medium gives you two redeals before stock exhaustion becomes final.

In Easy, redeals are unlimited, but a full stock pass with no removals that still leaves no legal move when the stock empties is a loss. If you removed something earlier in that pass, emptying the rest of the stock alone does not end the game.

Pyramid can still be difficult even when you understand every rule. The layout can trap the exact cards you need behind one another, and the order of the stock can make some deals much harder than others. We look at that in more detail in Why Is Pyramid Solitaire So Hard? How Winnable Is It?.

Playing Pyramid Solitaire on Solitaire Arcade

Start by choosing Easy, Medium or Hard.

During the game you can select exposed cards directly from the pyramid or use the top waste card when it forms a legal pair.

The controls also include Undo to reverse your previous move, Hint to highlight a useful legal move, Pause when you want to stop the timer temporarily, New to leave the current game and choose a new mode, and End when you want to finish the current session.

The game also tracks your time, moves and score.

Your best score and best time are recorded separately for Easy, Medium and Hard, so you can compare your results within the same difficulty rather than mixing games with different stock limits.

Basic Pyramid Solitaire Strategy

Prioritise removals that open the pyramid. When several pairs are available, favour the one that exposes a useful card higher up rather than the first pair you notice.

Check the current waste card before drawing again. Each draw buries the previous waste card, and that matters more in Medium and Hard where stock passes are limited.

Kings are easy removals, but a pyramid King that helps uncover another card is usually more useful than a waste King that changes nothing on the board.

These are beginner-level habits. For deeper decision-making—scarce partners, both sides of the pyramid, stock timing and identifying the card that stalls a deal—see Pyramid Solitaire Strategy: How to Win More Games.

Common Pyramid Solitaire Mistakes

Taking the first available pair without checking what it opens.

Forgetting that both blockers must be removed. A card higher in the pyramid does not become available when only one of the two cards covering it has been cleared. Both must be gone.

Drawing too quickly. Every stock draw places a new card on top of the waste and buries the previous one. Check the current waste card before drawing again.

Trying to pair two waste cards. Only the top waste card is available, and it must pair with an exposed pyramid card. A newly drawn card cannot be paired with the waste card beneath it.

Assuming a draw will automatically make a match. Drawing simply moves a card from the stock to the waste. Kings and matching cards still have to be selected by the player.

Ignoring the mode you selected. Stock management is much more forgiving in Easy than Hard. A move that is harmless when you can recycle the waste indefinitely can be costly when you only have one stock traversal.

Pyramid Solitaire FAQ

What cards add up to 13 in Pyramid Solitaire?

The pairs are Ace–Queen, 2–Jack, 3–10, 4–9, 5–8 and 6–7. Kings are removed by themselves.

Do suits matter?

No. Only card values matter when forming pairs.

Can I remove a King by itself?

Yes. A King is worth 13, so any available King can be removed without another card.

Can I pair two cards from the waste?

No. Only the top waste card is available, and it can only pair with an exposed pyramid card.

Can I use a card that is still in the stock?

No. A stock card must first be drawn onto the waste before it becomes available.

Do cards automatically disappear when I draw a match?

No. Drawing only moves the card onto the waste. You still make the removal yourself.

How many times can I go through the stock?

It depends on the mode: Easy has unlimited traversals. Medium has three complete traversals. Hard has one traversal.

Do I need to clear the stock to win?

No. You win as soon as every card in the pyramid has been removed.

Which Pyramid mode should I start with?

Easy is the most forgiving because you can recycle the stock indefinitely. Medium keeps the same rules but limits you to three traversals. Hard gives you only one traversal and puts much more pressure on every stock decision.

If you are deciding which solitaire game suits you more generally, see Which Solitaire Game Should You Play?.

Play Pyramid Solitaire

Pyramid Solitaire is easy to understand: find 13, remove the cards and work your way to the top.

Winning consistently takes a little more thought. The order you clear the pyramid, the pairs you preserve and the way you use the stock can all change how far a deal goes.

Choose Easy, Medium or Hard and play Pyramid Solitaire on Solitaire Arcade.

How to Play Pyramid Solitaire

Pyramid Solitaire is a single-player card game built around one simple idea: remove cards in pairs that add up to 13. The challenge comes from the pyramid itself. Most cards begin covered by the cards below them, so clearing the board is as much about choosing the right pair as it is about finding a pair that works.

Kings are the exception. Because a King is already worth 13, it can be removed on its own.

The aim on Solitaire Arcade is to clear all 28 cards from the pyramid. You do not need to clear every card from the stock or waste pile to win.

What Is Pyramid Solitaire?

Pyramid Solitaire uses a standard 52-card deck. Twenty-eight cards are arranged face-up in seven overlapping rows to form a pyramid, while the remaining 24 cards make up the stock.

Unlike Klondike Solitaire, you are not building sequences or moving groups of cards around the tableau. Cards stay in their original positions until they become available and can be removed.

That makes Pyramid feel quite different from games such as Klondike, FreeCell and Spider. It is a matching game, but the overlapping layout means every removal can affect what becomes available next.

If you want to see how it fits alongside the other games on the site, our Types of Solitaire Games guide compares Pyramid with other popular solitaire variations.

The Objective

Your goal is to remove all 28 cards from the pyramid.

You remove cards by pairing two available cards whose values add up to 13, or by removing an available King by itself.

The game is won as soon as the pyramid is empty. Cards can still remain in the stock or waste pile.

This is sometimes described as a relaxed Pyramid win condition because you are clearing the pyramid rather than every card in the deck.

Pyramid Solitaire Setup

The pyramid contains seven rows:

Row 1 contains 1 card. Row 2 contains 2 cards. Row 3 contains 3 cards. Row 4 contains 4 cards. Row 5 contains 5 cards. Row 6 contains 6 cards. Row 7 contains 7 cards.

That gives you 28 cards in the pyramid.

The remaining 24 cards form the stock.

All pyramid cards are dealt face-up, but that does not mean they are all available immediately. Cards in the upper rows are covered by overlapping cards below them.

At the start of the game, the seven cards across the bottom row are exposed and available.

Card Values and Pairs That Add Up to 13

Number cards use their face value. Aces are worth 1, Jacks are worth 11, Queens are worth 12 and Kings are worth 13.

The possible Pyramid pairs are:

Ace and Queen. 2 and Jack. 3 and 10. 4 and 9. 5 and 8. 6 and 7. Kings are removed alone.

Suits do not matter. A 6 of hearts can pair with any available 7, for example.

Learning these combinations makes the game much quicker to read. After a few games, you tend to recognise the pairs without having to calculate them.

For a closer look at the pairing system and how to use each combination effectively, see Pyramid Solitaire Pairs: What Cards Add Up to 13?.

Which Cards Are Available?

A pyramid card is available only when no cards are covering it.

Most cards above the bottom row begin covered by two cards from the row beneath them. Both covering cards must be removed before the card above becomes available.

This is one of the most important rules in Pyramid Solitaire. You cannot select a card simply because you can see its face.

The other available card is the top card of the waste pile.

At any point, your available cards therefore come from exposed cards in the pyramid, and the top card of the waste.

Cards still face-down in the stock are not available.

Only the top waste card can be used. Cards buried beneath it remain unavailable unless another stock traversal or redeal brings them back into play.

If terms such as stock, waste and tableau are unfamiliar, our Solitaire Terms Explained guide explains the language used across Solitaire Arcade.

Legal Moves

There are two ways to remove cards.

Remove a pair: select two available cards that add up to 13. The pair can be two exposed pyramid cards, or one exposed pyramid card and the top waste card. You cannot pair two waste cards together.

Remove a King: an available King can be removed on its own because its value is already 13. That includes an exposed King in the pyramid or a King sitting on top of the waste.

Removing cards from the pyramid can expose new cards above them, opening more possible moves.

How to Play Pyramid Solitaire Step by Step

A typical game follows a simple cycle.

1. Look for exposed Kings. Any available King can be removed immediately. Removing a King from the pyramid can also help expose cards higher up the board.

2. Look for pairs in the pyramid. Check the exposed cards for any combination that totals 13. When more than one pair is available, think about what each removal will expose rather than automatically choosing the first pair you see.

3. Check the waste card. The top waste card can pair with any exposed pyramid card that brings the total to 13. For example, if the waste shows a 5 and an exposed 8 is available in the pyramid, those two cards can be removed.

4. Draw from the stock when you need another card. Drawing moves the next stock card face-up onto the waste pile. The new card becomes the top waste card. Drawing does not automatically remove anything. If the card is a King, you still choose to remove it. If it matches an exposed pyramid card, you select the pair normally.

5. Continue opening the pyramid. Each useful removal should ideally help uncover cards in the rows above. The closer you get to the top of the pyramid, the fewer blocked cards remain.

6. Redeal the waste when your mode allows it. Once the stock is empty, some modes allow the waste pile to be turned back into the stock so you can work through those cards again. How often you can do this depends on the difficulty you selected.

Stock, Waste and Difficulty Modes

Solitaire Arcade includes three Pyramid difficulty modes. The underlying rules stay the same. The difference is how many times you can work through the stock.

Easy — Unlimited Passes. Easy allows unlimited redeals, so you can recycle the waste into stock again and again. There is one limit: if you work through an entire stock pass without removing any King or pair, and still have no legal move when the stock is empty, the game ends even though redeals remain. Making a removal during a pass means finishing the leftover stock without another move is not an automatic loss.

Medium — 3 Passes. Medium allows three complete traversals of the stock. That means the initial stock traversal, one redeal, then a second redeal. After the third traversal, the stock cannot be recycled again. Medium gives you some room to plan around the waste without allowing unlimited retries.

Hard — 1 Pass. Hard gives you one traversal of the stock and no redeals. Once a stock card has passed into the waste and is buried by later draws, you will not see it again unless you use it before the stock runs out. This makes stock management much more important.

The deal, pyramid layout, matching rules, scoring rules and win condition are otherwise the same across Easy, Medium and Hard.

Winning and Losing

You win when all 28 pyramid cards have been removed.

The stock and waste do not have to be empty.

A game reaches a stalemate when cards still remain in the pyramid, no legal King or pair can be removed, and the stock is empty with no further progress available.

That means the point at which a game can become stuck depends on the mode.

In Hard, the game can reach that point after the first stock traversal. Medium gives you two redeals before stock exhaustion becomes final.

In Easy, redeals are unlimited, but a full stock pass with no removals that still leaves no legal move when the stock empties is a loss. If you removed something earlier in that pass, emptying the rest of the stock alone does not end the game.

Pyramid can still be difficult even when you understand every rule. The layout can trap the exact cards you need behind one another, and the order of the stock can make some deals much harder than others. We look at that in more detail in Why Is Pyramid Solitaire So Hard? How Winnable Is It?.

Playing Pyramid Solitaire on Solitaire Arcade

Start by choosing Easy, Medium or Hard.

During the game you can select exposed cards directly from the pyramid or use the top waste card when it forms a legal pair.

The controls also include Undo to reverse your previous move, Hint to highlight a useful legal move, Pause when you want to stop the timer temporarily, New to leave the current game and choose a new mode, and End when you want to finish the current session.

The game also tracks your time, moves and score.

Your best score and best time are recorded separately for Easy, Medium and Hard, so you can compare your results within the same difficulty rather than mixing games with different stock limits.

Basic Pyramid Solitaire Strategy

Prioritise removals that open the pyramid. When several pairs are available, favour the one that exposes a useful card higher up rather than the first pair you notice.

Check the current waste card before drawing again. Each draw buries the previous waste card, and that matters more in Medium and Hard where stock passes are limited.

Kings are easy removals, but a pyramid King that helps uncover another card is usually more useful than a waste King that changes nothing on the board.

These are beginner-level habits. For deeper decision-making—scarce partners, both sides of the pyramid, stock timing and identifying the card that stalls a deal—see Pyramid Solitaire Strategy: How to Win More Games.

Common Pyramid Solitaire Mistakes

Taking the first available pair without checking what it opens.

Forgetting that both blockers must be removed. A card higher in the pyramid does not become available when only one of the two cards covering it has been cleared. Both must be gone.

Drawing too quickly. Every stock draw places a new card on top of the waste and buries the previous one. Check the current waste card before drawing again.

Trying to pair two waste cards. Only the top waste card is available, and it must pair with an exposed pyramid card. A newly drawn card cannot be paired with the waste card beneath it.

Assuming a draw will automatically make a match. Drawing simply moves a card from the stock to the waste. Kings and matching cards still have to be selected by the player.

Ignoring the mode you selected. Stock management is much more forgiving in Easy than Hard. A move that is harmless when you can recycle the waste indefinitely can be costly when you only have one stock traversal.

Pyramid Solitaire FAQ

What cards add up to 13 in Pyramid Solitaire?

The pairs are Ace–Queen, 2–Jack, 3–10, 4–9, 5–8 and 6–7. Kings are removed by themselves.

Do suits matter?

No. Only card values matter when forming pairs.

Can I remove a King by itself?

Yes. A King is worth 13, so any available King can be removed without another card.

Can I pair two cards from the waste?

No. Only the top waste card is available, and it can only pair with an exposed pyramid card.

Can I use a card that is still in the stock?

No. A stock card must first be drawn onto the waste before it becomes available.

Do cards automatically disappear when I draw a match?

No. Drawing only moves the card onto the waste. You still make the removal yourself.

How many times can I go through the stock?

It depends on the mode: Easy has unlimited traversals. Medium has three complete traversals. Hard has one traversal.

Do I need to clear the stock to win?

No. You win as soon as every card in the pyramid has been removed.

Which Pyramid mode should I start with?

Easy is the most forgiving because you can recycle the stock indefinitely. Medium keeps the same rules but limits you to three traversals. Hard gives you only one traversal and puts much more pressure on every stock decision.

If you are deciding which solitaire game suits you more generally, see Which Solitaire Game Should You Play?.

Play Pyramid Solitaire

Pyramid Solitaire is easy to understand: find 13, remove the cards and work your way to the top.

Winning consistently takes a little more thought. The order you clear the pyramid, the pairs you preserve and the way you use the stock can all change how far a deal goes.

Choose Easy, Medium or Hard and play Pyramid Solitaire on Solitaire Arcade.