The pyramid solitaire card game is a popular computer game, but did you know you can play this version of solitaire the old-fashioned way? All you need is a deck of cards and some clear instructions.
About Pyramid Solitaire
Since the middle of the eighteenth century, game enthusiasts have been playing a group of games, known as solitaire. Some historians believe that these single player card games may even have begun as a fortune-telling tool. Over the years, solitaire's popularity grew. There are now more than 100 versions of this game, one of which is pyramid solitaire.
Pyramid solitaire is a variation of the classic solitaire game. The cards are dealt out into a triangular shape or pyramid. The object of the game is to eliminate all cards in the pyramid. Many people find this game challenging, and it has a lower success rate than other versions of solitaire.
Playing the Pyramid Solitaire Card Game
Ready to try this fun card game? Find a table or other flat surface and a deck of cards, and get ready to have fun!
Setting Up the Game
Here's what you need to do to get started:
- Ensure that the deck of cards is well shuffled.
- Deal one card face up.
- Deal two more cards face up. These cards should be placed so they are partially overlapping the first card to make a triangle.
- Place three more cards on the previous two, forming a larger triangle.
- Continue this process to make four more rows. The last row, or the base of the triangle, will have seven cards in it.
- Place the remaining cards face down on the table in a pile. This is your stock or talon.
How to Play
When you've won this game, all the cards will be eliminated. Traditional pyramid solitaire does not consider the game won if there are any cards remaining in the stock. A slightly easier variation allows remaining stock cards. You can go through the stockpile three times during the course of the game.
- To begin playing, deal two cards face-up from the stock.
- Begin eliminating pairs of cards that add up to 13. You can only eliminate cards from the pyramid if the card is fully exposed, but you can always eliminate cards from the stockpile. You can start by immediately eliminating the kings, which have a value of 13 on their own.
- Continue eliminating pairs of cards, using the stockpile to help.
- The game is over when you've eliminated all the cards, can't make any more pairs of 13, or have cycled through the stockpile three times.
Strategies for Winning Pyramid Solitaire
It's not easy to win this game, but that challenge is part of what makes it so rewarding. When you do win, you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment. To make winning a bit more likely, keep the following tips in mind:
- Start with the kings. They are easy to eliminate right away.
- When possible, always choose to eliminate a card that exposes another card in the pyramid.
- Try to evenly expose cards in the pyramid, since this will give you more choices as the game progresses.
Have fun! The pyramid solitaire card game is difficult, but with practice, you'll learn more strategies to help you win.
