Pyramid Solitaire

Pyramid is a quick solitaire of pairs and sums. You take apart a pyramid of 28 cards two at a time, using only cards that add up to 13.

How to play

The goal is to remove every card from the pyramid. The cards are laid out in seven rows, one card in the top row and seven in the bottom. All cards are face up.

• Open cards: a pyramid card is open once the two cards resting on it are gone. The seven cards in the bottom row are open from the start.
• Making 13: tap two open cards whose values add up to 13, and both leave the table. Count an ace as 1, a jack as 11 and a queen as 12. So a 6 goes with a 7, a queen goes with an ace, and a jack goes with a 2.
• Kings are worth 13 on their own. Tap a king once and it goes.
• The stock: the other 24 cards wait in the stock. Tap it to turn one card onto the waste pile. The card on top of the waste pile counts as an open card, so it can pair with a pyramid card.
• Trips through the stock: you can go through the stock three times in all. The status bar shows which pass you are on and how many cards are left in the stock.

You win when the whole pyramid is gone. The stock does not have to be empty.

On a phone, tap the first card and then the second. On a computer, click the same way. Undo takes a move back, and Hint points at a pair or at the stock.

The levels

All levels use the same pyramid and the same rules. What changes is how forgiving the deal is. Every deal on this site can be won, but the harder levels hide the win.

• Easy: pairs come easily and most reasonable choices work.
• Medium: some pairs block others, so look before you take.
• Hard: you must choose your pairs with care.
• Expert: winnable, but almost every way of playing loses.

The levels were sorted by a program that played each winnable deal many times with no plan at all. Deals the plain player often won are Easy, and deals it almost never won are Expert. Plenty of deals have no win at all. In the project's check of 4,000 deals, the solver found no win for about 45 in every 100, and those are never dealt.

Today's game

The daily game is a Medium deal. Everyone gets the same pyramid on the same calendar day.

Tips

1. Look for pairs in the bottom rows that uncover several cards at once. Opening the pyramid gives you more choices.
2. Take the kings as they appear. They cost nothing and each one opens up new cards.
3. When a number appears twice, think about which card each one should pair with. A 5 can pair with only one 8 at a time.
4. Count how many of each number are still in play. If the last 4 is buried, any 9 that needs it is in trouble.
5. Hold on to the stock. You have three passes, so use cards from it only when the pyramid has nothing better.
6. Use Hint to learn the patterns, then try to see them yourself.
7. If a line runs out of moves, undo a few steps. Often one early choice made the difference.

A bit of history

Pyramid is a member of the older family of patience games where you remove cards in pairs that add up to a set total.

Questions

Why can't I tap this card? It is covered by two cards below it. Remove those two first, and then it opens.

Do I have to clear the stock to win? No. You win the moment the last pyramid card leaves, even with cards left in the stock.

Can I pair two cards from the stock? Only the top card of the waste pile is in play. It pairs with an open pyramid card, not with a second stock card.

How many times can I go through the stock? Three. The status bar shows which pass you are on.