Question 1

How do you play Pyramid Solitaire?

Accepted Answer

Remove pairs of uncovered cards that add up to 13. Ace counts 1, Jack 11, Queen 12, King 13 — so a King clears on its own. Clear the whole pyramid to win.

Question 2

What are the pairs that add to 13 in Pyramid?

Accepted Answer

Ace + Queen, 2 + Jack, 3 + 10, 4 + 9, 5 + 8, 6 + 7, and a King alone. Six pairings and one single — that is the entire arithmetic of the game.

Question 3

Why can I not clear these two cards?

Accepted Answer

Either they do not add to 13, or one of them is covered. A card is only playable when both cards resting on its lower corners have been removed.

Question 4

Is Pyramid Solitaire winnable?

Accepted Answer

Rarely. Pyramid has one of the lowest win rates in solitaire — figures around 2% are commonly quoted for a single pass through the stock, and many deals are impossible from the moment they are dealt. Losing is the normal outcome.

Question 5

Why are so many Pyramid deals impossible?

Accepted Answer

Because a card can be stacked directly above its only remaining partner. Neither can ever be cleared, and nothing you do changes that. It is a property of the deal, not of your play.

Question 6

What is the best Pyramid strategy?

Accepted Answer

Dig downward rather than across — clearing two cards from the same area opens the card beneath both. Count what has already gone: if all four Sevens are used, every remaining Six is dead. And save the stock until the table genuinely offers nothing.

Question 7

Do Kings need a partner in Pyramid?

Accepted Answer

No. A King is worth 13 by itself, so a single tap clears it. Clearing an uncovered King is always a free move.

Question 8

Is Pyramid Solitaire free to play?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pyramid Solitaire is completely free here — free to play, nothing to install, and nothing that interrupts a game halfway through.

Question 9

Do I need to download anything to play Pyramid?

Accepted Answer

No. It runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to install and no app to update.

Question 10

Can I play Pyramid on a phone or tablet?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The layout adapts to the screen, cards can be dragged or tapped, and the whole game works on touch. It is the same site, not a cut-down version.

Question 11

Do I need an account to play Pyramid?

Accepted Answer

No. Open a game and play — there is nothing to register for. Your settings, statistics and bookmarks are kept in your own browser.

Question 12

Can I undo a move?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as many times as you like, with the Undo button or Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on a Mac). There is no penalty and no limit.

Question 13

Can I replay the same deal?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every game shows a deal number in the bottom-right corner. The same number always deals the same game. You can bookmark it, share it, or send it to us in a bug report.

Question 14

Does Pyramid work offline?

Accepted Answer

Once the page has loaded, the game itself runs entirely in your browser and does not need the network. Reloading the page does require a connection.

Question 15

Is there a timer, and can I turn it off?

Accepted Answer

There is a timer and a move counter in the bar at the bottom. Both can be hidden from Settings if you would rather play without them.

Question 16

Can I change how the cards look?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Settings offers five table colours, six card backs, and a four-colour deck where each suit gets its own colour — which many colour-blind players find much easier to read.

Question 17

Are there keyboard shortcuts?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Hotkeys button in the top bar lists them all. Every action has both a keyboard route and a mouse route; the keyboard is never the only way to do something.

Question 18

Is there anything I have to sign up for?

Accepted Answer

No. You can open any game and start playing immediately — there is no sign-up step and no paywall. Settings and statistics are kept in your own browser rather than on a server.

Question 19

What happens if I close the tab mid-game?

Accepted Answer

The game is not saved, so closing the tab ends it. If you want to come back to the same deal, note the deal number first — it will deal exactly the same game.

Question 20

What are the rules of Pyramid Solitaire?

Accepted Answer

Twenty-eight cards are dealt as a pyramid of seven rows. Remove pairs of uncovered cards that add up to 13. Aces are 1, Jacks 11, Queens 12, Kings 13 — so a King clears alone. Clear the pyramid to win.

Question 21

What card values are used in Pyramid?

Accepted Answer

Ace 1, numbers at face value, Jack 11, Queen 12, King 13. Suits are irrelevant.

Question 22

How many cards are in the Pyramid stock?

Accepted Answer

Twenty-four. The twenty-eight in the pyramid plus the stock make a full 52-card deck.

Question 23

How many times can I go through the Pyramid stock?

Accepted Answer

Three passes in the standard game — the initial deal plus two redeals. Some versions allow only one, which drops the win rate close to zero.

Question 24

Why is Pyramid Solitaire so hard?

Accepted Answer

Because pairs are permanent and the layout can trap you. If a card sits directly above its only remaining partner, neither can ever be cleared, and nothing you do will change it.

Question 25

Can I pair a pyramid card with the turned-up card?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The turned-up card from the stock counts as available and can be half of any pair.

Question 26

Should I always clear a King?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A King clears on its own, costs nothing, and opens whatever is underneath it. It is the only genuinely free move in the game.

Question 27

Is Pyramid Solitaire the same as Tut's Tomb?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Tut's Tomb, Pile of Thirteen and Solitaire 13 are all names for the same game.

Question 28

How long does a Pyramid game take?

Accepted Answer

About five minutes, which is just as well given how many deals cannot be won.

Question 29

Does suit matter in Pyramid?

Accepted Answer

Not at all. Only the numbers matter, and only whether they add to thirteen.