Out of all the card games in the world, there can’t possibly be any that come close to the popularity of solitaire. It has been played by computer users for decades and its popularity is still huge. Pyramid solitaire is however one of the more challenging versions of the game.
The goal of all versions of solitaire has one goal in common: remove everything from the table. The way in which this is achieved differs from one variety to another. Most are however based on making pairs of similar cards or putting together a numerical sequence of cards. Things get a lot more interesting with pyramid solitaire as maths is also thrown into the equation.
Although the concept of the game is fairly easy to grasp, you can very easily paint yourself into a corner and your progress can grind to a halt. Before we get onto the tips, let’s quickly look at how the game is played.
As mentioned before the goal for pyramid solitaire is the same as any type of solitaire in that you should try and remove all of the cards. In a game of pyramid solitaire the cards are stacked in a pyramid formation. Depending on the variety of the game you are playing the pyramid can be larger or smaller. When playing online (which is the easiest way to enjoy the game) the rest of the cards would be stacked face down. A single card is turned face up next to it.
To remove cards you need to make combinations of 13. This needs to happen by pairing cards together that total 13. The only exception is the King, which is already worth 13. The rest of the cards carry the following values:
– Queen = 12
– Jack = 11
– Ace = 1
– The rest of the cards are equal to the number shown on them
As you make combinations of 13, the cards would be removed. If however you can’t remove cards directly from the pyramid, you would be able to do so by taking cards from the stack at the bottom and trying to combine them with the cards in the pyramid.
As you read through that you would have probably thought that it sounds fairly easy. In all honesty it is quite easy, but only up to a point. Improving your scores and also improving your chances of winning depend on these two easy tips:
1. Always play at speed: The game is run on time bonuses. The faster you remove the cards, the bigger the time bonus. If you however run out of options, you would be given the time towards the end to stop the game. You will then earn the points up to that stage, as well as the time bonus.
2. Think a few steps ahead: The idea here is to give yourself more options. When faced with two cards of the same value you can remove, you should try to avoid removing a card that only covers a single card. If you rather remove a card covering two cards, both of the cards will be turned face up, giving you more options.
By putting in some practice based solely on these two easy tips, you will be a pyramid solitaire pro in no time.