How to Play Pyramid Solitaire
Description
A pyramid of 28 cards waits to be cleared by pairing cards that add up to 13. Some deals flow cleanly; others are stuck before you've made three moves.
Objective
Clear the entire pyramid by pairing exposed cards that add up to 13.
Setup
Deal 28 cards into a pyramid of seven rows — one card at the top, growing to seven at the base, each row overlapping the one above.
The remaining 24 cards form the stock.
Rules
Only uncovered cards — ones with nothing resting on them — can be played.
Pair any two available cards whose numbers add up to 13 and remove them both. Aces count as 1, Jacks as 11, Queens as 12; Kings are worth 13 on their own and can be removed without a partner.
You can also pair a pyramid card with the top card of the waste pile.
Stuck? Draw a card from the stock onto the waste pile.
Winning
Clear the entire pyramid to win — the stock and waste piles don't need to be emptied.
You get a limited number of passes through the stock before the game is over.
More luck than skill — a single pass through the stock leaves little room to recover from a bad layout.