We have all found ourselves in situations where we either needed to kill some time or just simply wanted to do something fun and relaxing, and Pyramid Solitaire can be exactly what you need.
We can all relate to each other in the sense that some situations are universal, and you have been in them regardless of where you are in the world. Whether you have been sitting waiting for someone or something being extremely bored or just found yourself at home and couldn’t think of what to do. Those are the perfect times when something like the game of Pyramid Solitaire can bring some relaxation, levity, and fun to an otherwise stressful or boring time. Not to mention that this card game is universal and there are very few people who haven’t heard of it or better yet, played it.
This article will provide an extensive look at what the game of Pyramid Solitaire is, what the rules are and how to play it, as well as some tips on how to win at Pyramid Solitaire.
Regardless of whether you have heard of Pyramid Solitaire, you have most definitely heard of Solitaire. Solitaire, also called Patience or Cabale, is a family of card games played by one person. It requires a single deck of 52 standard playing cards and the aim of the game is to organize a shuffled deck of cards into four piles (one for each suit) in ascending order from ace to king.
Pyramid Solitaire is one of the most popular games from the Solitaire family. The game, however, is slightly different to other variations of Solitaire. The game of Pyramid Solitaire, also called Solitaire 13, is a Solitaire card game that requires the player to remove pairs of cards that add up to a total of 13, which is the equivalent of the highest-value card in the deck. The player does this from a pyramid arrangement until all the cards are placed on the foundation. Pyramid Solitaire has very simple rules and it makes for a very easy-to-learn and play game. It is perfect for anybody who is interested in learning how to play Pyramid Solitaire as well as for anybody who is interested in switching up their solitaire games.
The game of Pyramid Solitaire has options that can make it a bit more interesting for you to play or simply make the game appeal more to you based on what you prefer. Perhaps most common when you play free pyramid solitaire online, a player can take advantage of the options button which will present you with different options for the gameplay itself. In most online versions you can choose between 1,2,3 or endless boards for a single game. If you would like to make it more interesting and competitive for yourself, you can enable timed mode and try to play as many boards as you can before the timer goes off. You can also choose to change the direction of the layout if you have a preference. Additionally, there are options regarding sound effects and music if you are interested in those aspects of the game. There are a lot of other options as well regarding hints and gameplay alerts as well as a few others.
While there is a wide variety of Solitaire card games, there is one thing that they all have in common, other than the fact that they require only one player. That thing is the very simplistic rules. Different rules, yes, but very simple and easy to learn. Pyramid Solitaire is no exception. The rules are as follows. The first rule, which is very important as it will set the whole game, is the set-up. The player must build the pyramid form with cards placing 1 card at the top, and 7 cards at the bottom. Next, we have the draw pile, which is formed from the remaining cards with only the top one being visible. The way to clear the table of cards is by making matches of two cards that make a value of 13 in total, which are then removed. However, matches can only be made with cards that don’t have any other cards on top. Furthermore, you can also use the top card taken from the draw pile to make matches. If it’s impossible to make any matches, the top card of the draw pile is discarded and placed in the waste pile. The cards that have been discarded and therefore moved to the waste pile can no longer be played till the game’s end. When the player reaches the point where no more moves can be made, the game comes to an end and it’s time for the scores to be calculated.
Solitaire card games are extremely popular, and Pyramid Solitaire is one of the most popular variants. However, there are many variants of Pyramid Solitaire as well. They differ in the fact that some aspects of the game are altered. There is Tut’s Tomb (also called King Tut) which involves dealing 3 cards at a time from the draw pile and repeating that until no more matches can be made. You would place all cards that total 13 in a stack and put the king of spades laid down first which represents King Tutankhamun atop the pyramid. Furthermore, there is Apophis which utilizes 3 waste piles instead of 1. There is also Giza which is a version of the game in which after the pyramid is formed, the remaining cards in the deck are dealt as 3 rows of 8 cards with the exposed cards open to match the exposed cards from the pyramid or other exposed cards. Another variation of the Pyramid Solitaire is the Triangle in which the initial deal consists of an inverted pyramid. Furthermore, there are other variations of Pyramid Solitaire that would be perfect to fill anyone’s preferred cup of tea.
The game of Pyramid Solitaire is very simple to understand, and it is easy to remember. The game is created for a single player as well as other puzzle-style Patience games or Solitaire. It only requires a single deck of standard playing cards. Before you can begin the game, you need to make sure you set it up in the correct way. After that, you are free to start playing and enjoying the game.
To start the player will reveal cards from the draw pile, one at a time. In case a card from the draw pile is not used, it needs to be covered up by the next card from the draw pile. That card can be utilized at a later point in the game, only if it gets uncovered as a result of the draw pile cards on top of it being discarded.
As the rule states, any two exposed cards that total 13 can make a match and therefore be discarded. Discarding matches is always optional and the player can choose whether they want to do it or if it is a better strategic move not to discard.
The way you would know if cards in the pyramid are exposed is if no other cards are overlapping them. The draw pile has only one visible card at a time and that is the last card that was turned up. Making it the only card in the draw pile that is exposed and available to play.
The player is able to make matches with two cards that are exposed on the pyramid structure or with one that is exposed on the pyramid and another one that is exposed on the draw pile.
As with any other game of any kind, you can just choose to play without so much as thinking of a strategy. And that’s fine for some people. They will still enjoy playing the game even if they don't necessarily win. However, most people like to have a strategy for pretty much any kind of game. So, for those who are interested, we will detail some tips that might help you win the game of Pyramid Solitaire.
Solitaire card games date back to the end of the 18th century, possibly as a form of fortune-telling in the Baltic region of Europe. It was believed that if a game ‘came out’ it indicated that the player’s wish would come true. There was a surge of cartomancy (tarot) at the time which is why it is believed that the game originated in that time period as there are certain similarities that can be observed between both activities. Not to mention that the word ‘cabale’ actually means ‘secret knowledge’.
There are some contemporary literature references that contribute to the perceived origin of the game of Solitaire. A reference from a German book of 1793 presents a picture of two people playing patience-spiel as a contest in which each player plays a game of what can be described as ‘grandfather’ patience. 1826 was the year the oldest ever collection of patience games was published in Russia. Followed by others in Germany and France. It wasn’t until the 1860s that the first English-language collection appeared with many of them being translations from French or German. There is a reference to a character playing a complicated kind of patience in Great Expectations (1861) by Charles Dickens.
Even though hundreds of solitaires are on record, they are simply variations of each other and can therefore be grouped into a few basic types. During the 19th century, people would go for games like Zodiac, flower garden, British Constitution which are games that require little to no thought. During the following century, a change could be observed with players leaning more towards more intelligent games. It was in the late 20th century that solitaires got a new lease on life with the personal computer as many traditional games were made available as software packages.
If you’re trying to find the perfect game for you and your friend to have some fun time together then look no further because Double Solitaire is exactly what you need. Double solitaire is a two-player variant of the most popular game of solitaire which is the Klondike. As per the name Double Solitaire (Double Klondike), this game is a two-player game, and it requires 2 full decks of cards of the same size, but they should still be distinguishable from each other. While seated across from each other, each player will set up a typical Klondike layout. Here comes the different part. The two players will share a communal foundation area in the space between the two layouts. This communal foundation area will have 8 potential stacks to accommodate for each pair of suits from the two decks. Each player will proceed to play their own layout as per Klondike rules with the only difference being that both players can build on any foundation regardless of whether they started it or not. Therefore, players need to be quick. The game is over when there are no more possible moves. The cards in the foundation stacks are then organized into their respective decks and the person with the highest number of cards in the foundation stacks is the winner of the game.
Sometimes we find ourselves really bored during our free time or we just need a way to pass the time. Card games have proven time and time again that they can provide an enormous amount of entertainment whether in a group or by oneself. That is why solitaire games are so popular to this day. They are the perfect way for anybody to destress regardless of where they are or even if they have a deck of cards. As we all know, with technology being what it is today, card games are accessible even on our computers, tablets, and phones. Therefore, a person doesn’t require an actual deck of cards in order to play, they can just play a free online pyramid solitaire game. An added bonus is the fact that these games are free so you can go and play pyramid solitaire online for free and not worry about the stresses of everyday life.
So, even if you have never played any solitaire of any kind, you should not hesitate to start. With how easy and simple they are to understand, all kinds of solitaire can be mastered in no time. We have covered everything you may need to know in order to start playing Pyramid Solitaire in this article, therefore you can go ahead and start playing Pyramid Solitaire like a pro.