The pairing rule
Jack counts eleven, Queen twelve, King thirteen. A King clears on its own; every other card needs a partner that brings the total to exactly thirteen.
Pyramid Solitaire — make thirteen, clear the pyramid
Pyramid is the arithmetic Solitaire: twenty-eight cards stacked in a triangle, cleared by pairing cards that add up to thirteen. Rounds are short, which makes it a good game for a five-minute break.
Play Pyramid SolitaireWhich cards are free
Only a card with nothing overlapping it can be paired. Clearing the row below always opens two more cards above it, so order matters more than speed.
The stock and waste
Cards you cannot pair from the pyramid come from the stock. The waste top is always pairable, which is the escape hatch when the pyramid itself is locked.
Tips that actually help
- Look one row ahead: take the pair that unlocks two cards rather than one.
- Keep at least one low card free — aces and twos are the hardest partners to find late.
- Do not burn the stock just to move; every turn is one you cannot get back.
- Kings are free clears, but taking one early can strand the card beneath it.
Common questions
- Does a King need a partner?
- No. A King is worth thirteen by itself and clears as a single card.
- Why can I not select a card?
- It is still covered. Only cards with nothing overlapping them can be paired.
- Is Pyramid mostly luck?
- The deal matters, but pairing order decides most rounds — choosing which of two possible pairs to take is the real game.