How do you play Pyramid Solitaire?

Remove cards in pairs that add up to 13 until the pyramid is gone. A card can be used only once nothing covers it: each card above the bottom row is overlapped by two cards in the row below, and both of those must be removed first. A King counts 13 and is removed on its own. Draw from the stock onto the waste whenever you like; the top card of the waste can pair with any uncovered pyramid card. Clear all 28 pyramid cards to win.

How do you set up Pyramid Solitaire with a real deck of cards?

Shuffle one 52-card deck with no jokers and deal 28 cards face up in seven rows: one card in the top row, two in the next, and so on down to seven in the bottom row. Lay each row a little lower than the one above so it overlaps that row's bottom half, with every card sitting between two cards of the row above. The 24 cards left over go face down as the stock, and the waste pile starts empty. That is the same layout this page deals.

What adds up to 13 in Pyramid Solitaire?

Ace counts 1, number cards count their number, Jack 11, Queen 12 and King 13. So the pairs are Ace and Queen, 2 and Jack, 3 and 10, 4 and 9, 5 and 8, and 6 and 7, in any suits. A King makes 13 by itself, so it is removed alone and never as half of a pair. That rule is why some versions go by Pyramid 13 or Solitaire 13.

How many times can you go through the stock in Pyramid Solitaire?

You choose. With no redeals you go through the stock once; with 2 redeals, the rule a first game starts with, you can turn the waste over twice for three passes; with unlimited you can keep turning it over. Cards are drawn one at a time, and only the top card of the waste is in play. Changing the rule starts a new deal.

Is every game of Pyramid Solitaire winnable?

No. Many deals cannot be cleared whatever you do, and deals here are shuffled without checking for a solution, so none is claimed to be winnable. When no uncovered pyramid card is a King and none can pair with another uncovered card, or with any card that can still reach the top of the waste, no pyramid card can ever be removed again; the game says the pyramid is stuck, and you can undo to try another line or start a new deal.

How do you win at Pyramid Solitaire?

You win by removing all 28 pyramid cards; the stock and waste do not have to be cleared. Some habits help: remove a King as soon as it is uncovered, since it never needs a partner, and when two pairs are possible, prefer the one that uncovers more pyramid cards. With redeals on, the stock comes round again in the order it was first drawn, less the cards you removed, so a card you pass now can still be paired on the next pass. None of this makes an unwinnable deal winnable.

Can I undo moves or replay the same deal?

Yes. Undo takes back one pair, King, draw or redeal at a time, all the way to the deal, and puts the stock, the waste and the score back with it. Every deal has a seed: a new random deal gets one from 1 to 999999, and typing any whole number from 0 to 4294967295 deals that seed, with the same cards under every redeal rule. Copy puts the seed and every move on the clipboard.

How is the score counted?

One point for every card removed: 2 for a pair and 1 for a King, whether the cards came from the pyramid or the waste. There are no stakes, timers or rewards.

Is my game saved if I close the page?

Yes, in this browser only. The game in progress is kept as its seed, its redeal rule, its list of moves and whether legal pairs are shown, and it comes back when you return. Your moves are not sent anywhere, and Start over at the top of the page forgets the saved game.

Can I play Pyramid Solitaire on a phone, tablet or computer?

Yes. The game runs in a current browser on an iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, Chromebook, Mac or Windows PC, with nothing to download or install. Tap or click the cards, or play from the keyboard; the In play row under the table also gives every usable card its own button, which helps on a small screen.

Pyramid Solitaire

Play an original Pyramid Solitaire with the classic pairs-to-13 rules and one 52-card deck: 28 cards dealt face up in seven rows and 24 left in the stock. Remove any two uncovered cards that add up to 13, counting Ace 1, Jack 11 and Queen 12, remove each King on its own, and clear all 28 pyramid cards to win. Draw from the stock one card at a time and choose no redeals, 2 redeals or unlimited. Pick a card and every card in play that pairs with it lights up, or turn on Pairs to outline every legal pair at once. Every deal has a seed you can type back in to replay it card for card, undo goes all the way back to the deal, the hint suggests one move without looking further ahead, and the game tells you when no pyramid card can ever be removed from where you are. Play with a mouse, by touch or with the keyboard. Your game in progress is saved in this browser only, with no account and no stakes.

Shuffling the deck.

Redeals
Seed
Pyramid left: 28 of 28
Stock: ...
Legal now: ...
Score: 0
Moves: 0

Click or tap an uncovered card, then a card that makes 13 with it: Ace counts 1, Jack 11 and Queen 12, and a King goes with one press. The in-play row under the table lists every card you can use right now, as buttons that work the same way. Press the stock to draw a card onto the waste, or to turn the waste over when the stock runs out. On the keyboard, Tab to the table, then ← → ↑ ↓ move between cards, Home and End go to the ends of a row, Enter picks and pairs, Esc puts a card back, and D, U, H and P press the stock, undo, show a hint and turn legal pairs on or off.

Moves

No moves yet. Every pair, King, draw and redeal is listed here, newest first, and Undo takes them back one at a time.

Common questions

How do you play Pyramid Solitaire?: Remove cards in pairs that add up to 13 until the pyramid is gone. A card can be used only once nothing covers it: each card above the bottom row is overlapped by two cards in the row below, and both of those must be removed first. A King counts 13 and is removed on its own. Draw from the stock onto the waste whenever you like; the top card of the waste can pair with any uncovered pyramid card. Clear all 28 pyramid cards to win.
How do you set up Pyramid Solitaire with a real deck of cards?: Shuffle one 52-card deck with no jokers and deal 28 cards face up in seven rows: one card in the top row, two in the next, and so on down to seven in the bottom row. Lay each row a little lower than the one above so it overlaps that row's bottom half, with every card sitting between two cards of the row above. The 24 cards left over go face down as the stock, and the waste pile starts empty. That is the same layout this page deals.
What adds up to 13 in Pyramid Solitaire?: Ace counts 1, number cards count their number, Jack 11, Queen 12 and King 13. So the pairs are Ace and Queen, 2 and Jack, 3 and 10, 4 and 9, 5 and 8, and 6 and 7, in any suits. A King makes 13 by itself, so it is removed alone and never as half of a pair. That rule is why some versions go by Pyramid 13 or Solitaire 13.
How many times can you go through the stock in Pyramid Solitaire?: You choose. With no redeals you go through the stock once; with 2 redeals, the rule a first game starts with, you can turn the waste over twice for three passes; with unlimited you can keep turning it over. Cards are drawn one at a time, and only the top card of the waste is in play. Changing the rule starts a new deal.
Is every game of Pyramid Solitaire winnable?: No. Many deals cannot be cleared whatever you do, and deals here are shuffled without checking for a solution, so none is claimed to be winnable. When no uncovered pyramid card is a King and none can pair with another uncovered card, or with any card that can still reach the top of the waste, no pyramid card can ever be removed again; the game says the pyramid is stuck, and you can undo to try another line or start a new deal.
How do you win at Pyramid Solitaire?: You win by removing all 28 pyramid cards; the stock and waste do not have to be cleared. Some habits help: remove a King as soon as it is uncovered, since it never needs a partner, and when two pairs are possible, prefer the one that uncovers more pyramid cards. With redeals on, the stock comes round again in the order it was first drawn, less the cards you removed, so a card you pass now can still be paired on the next pass. None of this makes an unwinnable deal winnable.
Can I undo moves or replay the same deal?: Yes. Undo takes back one pair, King, draw or redeal at a time, all the way to the deal, and puts the stock, the waste and the score back with it. Every deal has a seed: a new random deal gets one from 1 to 999999, and typing any whole number from 0 to 4294967295 deals that seed, with the same cards under every redeal rule. Copy puts the seed and every move on the clipboard.
How is the score counted?: One point for every card removed: 2 for a pair and 1 for a King, whether the cards came from the pyramid or the waste. There are no stakes, timers or rewards.
Is my game saved if I close the page?: Yes, in this browser only. The game in progress is kept as its seed, its redeal rule, its list of moves and whether legal pairs are shown, and it comes back when you return. Your moves are not sent anywhere, and Start over at the top of the page forgets the saved game.
Can I play Pyramid Solitaire on a phone, tablet or computer?: Yes. The game runs in a current browser on an iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, Chromebook, Mac or Windows PC, with nothing to download or install. Tap or click the cards, or play from the keyboard; the In play row under the table also gives every usable card its own button, which helps on a small screen.

A pair goes only when both cards are uncovered and add up to 13, counting Ace 1, Jack 11 and Queen 12; a King is 13 and goes alone once uncovered. Every deal is shuffled from a seed that replays it exactly and holds all 52 cards once each, but not every deal can be cleared and none is claimed to be. The score is one point per card removed, with no stakes and no rewards.