How to Win Pyramid Solitaire
Most Pyramid positions offer more than 1 legal pair. The useful pair is the one that opens access without spending a rank needed higher in the pyramid. A 6 and 7 might release 2 new cards, while a Queen and Ace on the same row might leave every blocker untouched. Both removals are legal, but only 1 improves the position.
This guide assumes you know the pair-to-13 rule and the stock controls. If those are new, start with how to play Pyramid Solitaire. The strategy below follows the certified version on our Pyramid table, where the goal is to remove all 28 pyramid cards before the available stock plays run out.
Read the Covered Cards Before Making a Pair
Start at the bottom row, but look 1 and 2 rows above it. Every covered card depends on the 2 cards touching its lower corners. A bottom card that helps remove its neighbor may expose 1 card. A pair taken from 2 different parts of the row may release 2 cards at once, which usually gives the table more ways to continue.
Visible rank information matters too. If an exposed 4 covers a Jack and its only available 9 is used elsewhere, that branch may wait for the stock to produce another 9. Before taking an easy pair, note which complements the newly exposed cards are likely to need.
Prefer Pairs That Release 2 New Cards
The strongest early removal often joins cards from separate supports. When both cards are the last blocker under different positions, removing the pair exposes 2 new cards. Those cards can form a pair with each other, match another exposed card or create 2 different routes into the next row.
A move that exposes only 1 card can still be correct when that card is a King or immediately matches another exposed rank. Count the playable options created by each removal and check whether it advances a branch that would otherwise depend on the stock.
Work Both Sides Toward the Center
Clearing only the left edge may feel productive because each exposed card is easy to see, yet the center cards often depend on progress from both sides. A branch that reaches the 4th row can stop when its next card still shares a support with an untouched branch on the opposite side.
Keep the table roughly connected. You do not need perfect symmetry, but alternate sides when the legal choices are close in value. The goal is to reveal central cards while enough outside cards remain available to pair with them. A narrow tunnel up 1 edge can leave the middle with no exposed partner.
Choose Between Identical Ranks by What They Cover
2 exposed 5s are interchangeable as values, but not as positions. If a waste 8 can pair with either 1, inspect the cards above each 5. Remove the 5 that is the final support under a useful card, or the 1 belonging to the more blocked branch. The other 5 remains available for a later 8.
No extra rule needs to be memorized here. When several copies of a rank are exposed, stop before choosing the nearest 1 and compare the cards they support. The pair total stays the same, but the next position does not.
Draw Only After Checking Every Tableau Pair
A stock draw changes the waste card and may bury the current one for the rest of the pass. Before drawing, compare every exposed pyramid card with the current waste and with the other exposed tableau cards. Also remove any available King. These checks prevent a playable waste card from disappearing under a new draw.
Once the waste changes, look at the board again. A pair removed from the pyramid may expose a complement for a waste card seen earlier, but that does not help if the earlier card has already passed. Stock timing is partly about preserving opportunities long enough for the tableau to catch up.
Remove Kings When the Space Helps
Kings leave without a partner, so an exposed King is always legal. Immediate removal is usually useful when it uncovers a card or completes the support needed by another branch. A King sitting on the open bottom row with nothing above it is less urgent because it does not block access.
Keeping a harmless King briefly can preserve the shape of the row while you compare other choices, but there is no scoring advantage in saving it. Remove it before drawing past a useful waste opportunity or whenever its departure exposes a card that can continue the current chain.
Count Complements Near the Last 3 Rows
As the pyramid shrinks, each remaining rank has fewer possible partners. If 2 Queens remain, each needs an Ace. If the visible Aces have already been used and the stock has passed the others, the deal is effectively closed. Count the scarce complements before spending 1 on a card that could use another copy later.
The useful pairs are fixed: Ace with Queen, 2 with Jack, 3 with 10, 4 with 9, 5 with 8 and 6 with 7. Near the top, note which ranks still cover the cards you must remove. A complement needed by the final 2 cards is more important than an equal-looking pair on a branch that already has alternatives.
Do Not Chase an Empty Stock at the Expense of the Pyramid
The stock is a source of partners, not a 2nd board to clear. A deal can finish with stock cards unused. Your attention should stay on the 28 pyramid cards and the access relationships between them. Removing a waste pair is worthwhile only when the pyramid card in that pair advances the table.
This separates Pyramid from TriPeaks, where every exposed tableau card follows a single waste sequence and long runs are rewarded. Pyramid has no run to protect. Every removal should be judged by the card it uncovers and the complement it consumes.
Recheck the Whole Board After Every Removal
A pair can expose a King, create a new tableau pair and give the waste a legal partner at the same time. Playing the 1st thing you notice may miss the better order. After each removal, scan the newly exposed row, then the remaining bottom edges, then the waste.
Near the end, this short pause is often the difference between a forced finish and an avoidable dead end. The final card does not need a special move; it simply needs its complement or to be a King. What matters is keeping that partner available until the card becomes exposed.
Pyramid Strategy Questions
Should I always remove a pair when I see 1?
No. Compare legal pairs by the cards they uncover and the complements they consume. A move that releases 2 positions is often stronger than one that changes no access.
Is it better to pair 2 pyramid cards or use the waste?
Use the option that improves access. A tableau pair can preserve the waste for later, while a waste pair may be necessary when the 2 tableau cards are supporting different branches.
Should I remove every King immediately?
Remove a King promptly when it uncovers another card or completes a release. A harmless bottom-row King can wait while you compare more urgent pairs.
Why do winning deals still become stuck?
A certified opening has at least 1 winning line, but another legal choice may spend a scarce complement or draw past a needed waste card. Legal does not always mean recoverable.
What should I check before drawing from the stock?
Check all exposed tableau pairs, all Kings and every pyramid card that complements the current waste. Draw only when none of those moves helps.
The broader Solitaire strategy guide explains how mobility and access apply across several families. For a different pair-removal table with open peaks, see how to play TriPeaks Solitaire.