Pyramid Rules

What the starting layout looks like

Pyramid uses one standard deck of 52 cards. A pyramid of 28 cards is built in seven rows: one card in the top row, two in the second, then three, and so on down to seven cards in the bottom row. The remaining cards go to the stock and are later turned over one at a time into the waste.

Only pyramid cards that are not covered by two cards from the row below count as available. If a card is still "holding up the roof", it cannot be removed. So the whole game is about clearing the lower levels and gradually opening up more and more available cards.

Which pairs add up to 13

Pyramid's main rule is very simple: you can remove pairs of cards whose values add up to 13. A king counts as 13 on its own and is removed without a partner. A queen pairs with an ace, a jack with a two, a ten with a three, a nine with a four, an eight with a five, and a seven with a six.

A pair can be made from two open pyramid cards, or from an open pyramid card and the top card of the waste. This makes the game feel fast, but every decision affects which cards open up next. A poorly chosen pair can slow the game down and leave the cards you need buried for far too long.

How the stock works

If no suitable pair is available, the player turns over the next card from the stock. It lands in the waste pile and can be paired with an available card from the pyramid. Sometimes that very card saves the game, so it is important not to burn strong combinations too early or act on autopilot at the first match you see.

Pyramid is a great lesson in patience. Sometimes it pays not to take the first pair you find, but to wait for a more convenient card to come out of the stock and open up several new positions at once. You can see this clearly if you start a game of Pyramid online and compare your decisions with the Pyramid guide and our strategy tips.

What helps you play more carefully

A strong Pyramid game is built around the bottom rows. The faster you free the cards that block two positions at once, the more options you have on the next move. So it pays to think not just about the current sum of 13, but about which cards will open up after a pair is removed.

The second key principle is to pay close attention to the waste pile. The top waste card often seems disposable, yet it frequently becomes the key to a convenient removal. Spend such cards without a plan and the game quickly loses momentum, turning into a string of random moves.

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