Pyramid Solitaire is a one-deck card game in which you remove uncovered cards in pairs that add up to 13. A King counts as 13 and can be removed alone. On Cards4.net, you win by clearing all 28 cards from the pyramid, even if cards remain in the stock or waste. The arithmetic is simple; choosing which pair to remove is where the game becomes interesting.
You can play Pyramid Solitaire alongside this guide. The rules below describe the Cards4.net version, including its single pass through the stock and hidden covered cards.
Pyramid rules at a glance
| Feature | Rule on Cards4.net |
|---|---|
| Deck | 52 cards, no jokers |
| Layout | 28 cards in seven overlapping rows |
| Legal removal | Two uncovered cards totaling 13, or one uncovered King |
| Available cards | Uncovered pyramid cards and the top waste card |
| Stock | 24 cards, drawn one at a time; no redeal |
| Win condition | Remove every card from the pyramid |
The stock is the face-down pile you draw from. The waste holds drawn cards, with only its top card available. A pyramid card is uncovered when neither of the two cards overlapping it from the row below remains. Removing only one of those blockers is not enough.
Card values and every pair that makes 13
Aces count as 1, numbered cards keep their printed values, Jacks count as 11, Queens as 12, and Kings as 13. Suits and colors do not affect matching, so 8♥ can pair with either 5♥ or 5♣.
| First card | Matching card | Total |
|---|---|---|
| A | Q | 1 + 12 = 13 |
| 2 | J | 2 + 11 = 13 |
| 3 | 10 | 3 + 10 = 13 |
| 4 | 9 | 4 + 9 = 13 |
| 5 | 8 | 5 + 8 = 13 |
| 6 | 7 | 6 + 7 = 13 |
| K | None needed | 13 |
Both cards must be available before a pair is removed. You cannot pair a card with one it still covers, even if their values add to 13. Clearing the blocker as part of that same pair does not make the move legal.
Set up the pyramid and play a turn
The seven rows contain 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 cards. Each row partly covers the previous one. At the start, the seven bottom cards are available; Cards4.net keeps the covered cards hidden until they are uncovered. The remaining 24 cards form the stock, and the waste starts empty.
- Look for an uncovered King or two available cards that total 13.
- Remove the King or pair, then check which pyramid cards became available.
- If you need another option, draw one stock card onto the waste.
- Use the top waste card with an uncovered pyramid card when they total 13. A waste King can be removed alone.
- Continue until the pyramid is empty, or until the stock is empty and no legal removal remains.
Drawing covers the previous waste card. That older card becomes available again if the cards above it are removed, but you cannot search through the waste or turn it back into a new stock. An empty stock does not end the game while legal removals remain.
A worked example: choose what the pair opens
Suppose the waste shows 8♥ and two uncovered Fives in the pyramid can match it. These two fragments show the cards above them. Each [?] is a hidden card, and [ ] marks a position already cleared. The 5♣, 5♦, and 9♠ are all uncovered.
[?] [?]
/ \ / \
[ ] [5♣] [5♦] [9♠]
Pairing 8♥ with 5♣ removes the last blocker of the hidden card on the left, so it turns over. Pairing the same 8♥ with 5♦ leaves the card on the right blocked by 9♠. Here, choosing 5♣ gives you a new card to work with. Check its rank before deciding whether to draw again.
Pyramid Solitaire strategy
An uncovered King needs no partner, so removing it cannot consume a card needed for another pair. Clear it and inspect the space it opens. For ordinary pairs, favor removals that uncover cards or help release a heavily blocked part of the pyramid.
Keep the two sides reasonably accessible. Clearing a narrow strip can leave several cards trapped behind the same remaining blockers. You do not need perfect symmetry, but you do need a route through the overlap pattern. When two identical ranks are available, compare what each removal uncovers; suits do not affect the choice.
Treat the stock as a limited source of opportunities. Before covering a playable waste card, check whether using it would remove a pyramid blocker and expose an older waste card. Drawing is legal even when a pair exists, but drawing automatically makes it easy to pass over useful combinations.
Why Pyramid rules differ between sites
Some versions expose the whole pyramid, allow redeals, or require clearing the stock as well. BVS distinguishes its Pyramid rules from Relaxed Pyramid, whose win condition only requires clearing the pyramid.
Cards4.net combines that pyramid-only finish with hidden covered cards and no redeal. Only the top waste card is playable outside the pyramid; the face-down stock card must be drawn first. Check these details before applying advice written for a different version.
FAQ
What is the goal of Pyramid Solitaire?
On Cards4.net, remove all 28 pyramid cards. You do not have to empty the stock or waste to win.
Can you remove a King by itself?
Yes. A King is worth 13, so an uncovered pyramid King or the top waste King can be removed without a partner.
Can you match two cards from the waste?
No. Only one waste card is available at a time. Match that card with an uncovered pyramid card, or match two uncovered pyramid cards.
Can you go through the stock more than once?
Not on Cards4.net. There is one pass through the 24-card stock and no redeal, although removing waste cards can expose earlier ones.
Put the pairs into practice
The pairs that make 13 stay the same in every Pyramid game. Their positions give you the choices: a Five may release a new card on one side while another Five leaves its neighbor blocked. The TriPeaks rules and strategy guide explores a similar choice using neighboring ranks instead of sums.