How to play Pyramid (2 Passes)
The Pyramid with a little extra room: you can go through the stock twice, recycling the waste once.
History & origin of Pyramid (2 Passes)
Pyramid belongs to the “matching” family of patiences — games where you don’t build sequences but pair cards that add up to a target, here 13. It appears in patience collections since at least the 19th century, and its Egyptian pyramid shape gave it both its name and its lasting visual appeal.
The rule is simple and quick: Ace = 1, Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13. Kings leave on their own; every other card pairs up to 13. That accessibility made it a staple of solitaire collections and, later, of digital solitaire suites.
Unlike Klondike or FreeCell, Pyramid leans heavily on the luck of the deal — many pyramids simply can’t be fully cleared — so it is often played as a light, fast game. Variants like the two-pass version ease that by letting you go through the stock again.
Facts about Pyramid (2 Passes)
- The values: Ace = 1, Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13. Kings are removed alone; every other pair must add to 13.
- It is more luck than skill: many deals can’t be cleared, so it works best as a quick, casual game.
- The pyramid of 28 cards has seven rows; only fully uncovered cards — with nothing on top — can be played.
- The two-pass variant lets you recycle the stock once — a small mercy that raises the odds.
How to play Pyramid (2 Passes) step by step
- Goal: clear the 28-card pyramid by making pairs that add up to 13 — with a little extra breathing room.
- Same values: Ace = 1, Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13. Kings leave on their own.
- Match uncovered pairs that sum to 13 (6+7, 4+9, Ace+Queen…), including the top of the waste.
- The difference: you may go through the stock twice — when it empties, click to recycle the waste once.
- Use that second pass carefully: it is your extra chance to reach the cards you still need.
- Uncover the lower cards early, prioritizing freeing the base of the pyramid.