If your pyramid has a different number of rows or is not horizontally symmetrical, go backwards to figure out where you may have made a mistake while dealing.
Cards are only considered free when no other card is on top of them. Ace is low in this game and has a value of 1. Face cards are assigned special values: Jacks are 11, Queens are 12, and Kings are 13. Kings do not need a second card to form a match. Any free Kings can be removed on their own at any time. [5] X Research source
For example, if the very top of your pyramid is an ace and you have two Queens in your bottom row, one in your sixth row, and one in your fourth row, you have an unwinnable hand. At least one Queen is inherently impossible to match, making the top ace unreachable. [6] X Research source Many computerized versions of pyramid solitaire weed out the unwinnable games for you.
You have matched and removed every card in the tableau, stock, and waste. This means you have won the game. You have gone through the deck (moved all of the cards from the stock to the waste) three times. This means you have lost the game. [8] X Research source
Try using a reserve row if you’re having trouble winning the basic game. [9] X Research source
You could also make a pyramid with essentially the same layout as the basic game but with an extra row, making the base eight cards wide.
