Play Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire Online for Free (Half-Open Pyramid)
Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire keeps everything you love about classic Pyramid, pairs summing to 13, Kings removed alone, a triangular layout counting down to a single apex card, but softens the strict exposure rule so that a card needs only one of its two blockers removed before it becomes playable. That one change opens a flood of new moves and makes the game a rewarding introduction to the Pyramid family. Play free, no download required.
What is Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire?
Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire is a pairing patience game played with one standard 52-card deck. Twenty-eight cards are arranged into a seven-row triangle, apex at the top and a base row of seven cards at the bottom. The remaining 24 cards sit in a face-down stock pile, with one redeal permitted once the stock is exhausted. Your goal is to remove all 28 pyramid cards by matching pairs that add up to exactly 13, or by tapping a King alone, since Kings already equal 13.
The defining feature of Relaxed Pyramid is the half-open exposure rule. In standard Pyramid, a card buried beneath two others cannot be touched until both of those covering cards are gone. In Relaxed Pyramid, removing just one of the two covering cards is enough to make the hidden card playable. This roughly doubles the number of legal moves available on any given turn, which transforms the game from a near-impossible puzzle into a genuinely beatable challenge.
Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire history
Pyramid Solitaire itself became a household name through its inclusion in Microsoft Entertainment Packs and later Windows XP. The strict two-blocker rule produced win rates so low that many players found the base game discouraging rather than entertaining. Game designers responded by introducing gentler exposure conditions, and the half-open variant that would become known as Relaxed Pyramid spread through digital card-game platforms throughout the 2000s. Card game cataloguer David Parlett documented the original Pyramid rules, but the Relaxed variant is primarily a product of the digital era, refined through player feedback on mobile and browser platforms. Today it appears under several names including Half-Open Pyramid and sometimes simply "Easy Pyramid."
How to Play Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire
The flow of Relaxed Pyramid is identical to standard Pyramid except for the exposure rule and the presence of one redeal. Here are the exact steps:
- Deal 28 cards into a seven-row pyramid. Row 1 (apex) holds one card, row 2 holds two, and so on down to row 7 (seven cards, fully exposed at the start).
- Place the remaining 24 cards face-down into the stock pile.
- A pyramid card is playable as soon as at least one of the two cards overlapping it from the row below has been removed. It does not need both blockers gone.
- Tap two exposed cards (pyramid or waste top) that sum to 13 to remove both. Valid pairs: A+Q, 2+J, 3+10, 4+9, 5+8, 6+7.
- Tap a King to remove it alone.
- Tap the stock to draw one card to the waste pile. The top card of the waste pile is always available for pairing.
- When the stock runs out, flip the waste pile once to form a new stock (one redeal). No further redeals are allowed after that.
- Win by clearing all 28 pyramid cards. Cards remaining in the stock or waste do not matter.
Strategies to win Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire
Because more cards are reachable at any moment, Relaxed Pyramid rewards players who think about unlocking chains of moves rather than grabbing the first available pair.
- Think in chains, not pairs. When two partially-exposed cards can both be freed by removing a single shared blocker, plan the order so that the blocker removal unlocks the most downstream moves possible.
- Exploit half-exposed cards early. Cards that have only one blocker remaining are your most flexible resource. Identify them before drawing from the stock so you do not waste a stock card on a pair you could make for free.
- Conserve the redeal for stuck positions. Do not run through the stock recklessly. The one redeal is a safety net; if you burn through the stock drawing cards you do not need, the redeal may not rescue you from a deadlock.
- Identify the apex complement early. The apex card can only be removed after all 27 cards beneath it are gone. Check its rank as soon as you start and track whether its pair partner is accessible or buried deep in the stock.
- Remove Kings that block rows, not Kings that are isolated. A King in an exposed position on row 7 is harmless and can wait. A King sitting directly below a cluster you need to unblock should be removed promptly.
Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire rules and objective
The objective is to remove all 28 pyramid cards. Cards are removed in pairs summing to 13 or as solo Kings. A card is considered exposed when at least one of the two cards directly overlapping it from the row below has been removed; this is the key departure from standard Pyramid where both blockers must be gone. The waste pile top and any exposed pyramid card can form a pair together. The stock is drawn one card at a time, and one redeal is allowed.
Game setup
Shuffle a standard 52-card deck thoroughly. Deal one card face-up to row 1 (the apex), two to row 2, three to row 3, and so on through row 7. Each card in rows 1 through 6 physically overlaps two cards in the row immediately below it. The bottom row (row 7) starts with all seven of its cards fully exposed. Stack the remaining 24 cards face-down to form the stock. No foundations are used in this game.
Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire variants and similar games
Relaxed Pyramid sits in the middle of the Pyramid family difficulty spectrum. Here is how it compares to the other variants you can play:
| Variant | Exposure rule | Redeals | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Pyramid | Both blockers must be removed | None | ~5 to 8% |
| Relaxed Pyramid (this game) | Only one blocker needs removing | 1 | ~28% |
| Tut's Tomb | Both blockers (standard rule) | Unlimited | ~55% |
| Apophis | Both blockers (standard rule) | Cycles 3 piles | ~30% |
| Pharaoh | Both blockers (standard rule) | None | ~25% |
How difficult is Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire?
Relaxed Pyramid sits in the moderate range of solitaire difficulty. It is meaningfully harder than Klondike Turn One (which approaches 80% with optimal play) but far more forgiving than standard Pyramid. The relaxed exposure rule removes many of the dead-end scenarios that frustrate beginners in the base game, while the single redeal provides a second pass through stock cards that did not pair on the first cycle. However, the game can still produce unwinnable deals when key complementary pairs are distributed in a way that prevents them from ever being simultaneously exposed, even under relaxed conditions.
What is Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire's win percentage?
Under optimal play, Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire has a win rate of approximately 28%. That figure is roughly three to five times higher than standard Pyramid's 5 to 8% win rate, reflecting the combined effect of the single-blocker exposure rule and the one permitted redeal. Casual players who do not plan removal sequences in advance will win less often, typically in the 10 to 15% range. The 28% ceiling assumes perfect sequencing of available pairs and judicious use of stock draws.
What is the difference between Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire and standard Pyramid Solitaire?
The two games share an identical layout (28-card seven-row triangle, 24-card stock) and the same pairing mechanic (cards summing to 13, Kings alone). The difference is entirely in the exposure rule. In standard Pyramid Solitaire, a card cannot be played until both of the cards directly below it in the pyramid have been removed. In Relaxed Pyramid, removing just one of those two blockers is sufficient to unlock the card above.
This seemingly small change has enormous practical consequences. In standard Pyramid you often face situations where two cards you need are locked behind each other in a circular dependency, making the deal immediately unwinnable. The relaxed rule breaks many of those deadlocks by allowing partial exposure. Additionally, Relaxed Pyramid permits one redeal while standard Pyramid typically allows none, giving players a second look at stock cards they could not use on the first pass. The combined effect raises the win rate from around 5 to 8% to approximately 28%.
Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire FAQ
What exactly is the relaxed exposure rule in Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire?
In standard Pyramid Solitaire, a card is blocked until both of the cards sitting directly below and overlapping it have been removed. The relaxed exposure rule changes this threshold to one: as soon as either of the two overlapping cards is removed, the card above it becomes playable. This means a card that still has one blocker remaining is already accessible for pairing, which opens significantly more move options on every turn and prevents many of the circular deadlocks that make standard Pyramid so difficult.
How does the one redeal work in Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire?
When you draw through the entire stock pile and no cards remain face-down, the waste pile is flipped over to create a new stock. The cards return in reverse order of how they were discarded, so the card you drew last becomes the first card in the new stock. You get exactly one redeal per game. Once you draw through the recycled stock a second time, no further redeals are available. If no valid pairs remain at that point, the game ends in a loss.
Is Relaxed Pyramid Solitaire good for beginners to the Pyramid family?
Yes, Relaxed Pyramid is an excellent starting point. The pairing mechanic (totaling 13) is the same across all Pyramid variants, so learning it here carries directly over to standard Pyramid, Tut's Tomb, and others. The relaxed exposure rule and the single redeal mean that beginners will complete games more often, building intuition for removal chains, stock management, and apex tracking without hitting the wall of unwinnable deals that standard Pyramid frequently produces. Once comfortable, players can graduate to standard Pyramid for a stiff challenge.
Can you pair two partially-exposed pyramid cards with each other in Relaxed Pyramid?
Yes. Any card that qualifies as exposed under the relaxed rule (at least one blocker removed) can be paired with any other exposed card, whether that second card is also partially exposed or fully exposed. Both cards simply need to meet the relaxed exposure threshold independently. You are not required to pair an exposed pyramid card with the waste top; any two exposed cards summing to 13 are valid partners, including two pyramid cards that each still have one remaining blocker.
What strategy changes should I make when switching from standard Pyramid to Relaxed Pyramid?
The biggest adjustment is shifting from a linear row-clearing mindset to a diagonal-chain mindset. In standard Pyramid you tend to clear entire rows before moving up; in Relaxed Pyramid you can weave across rows, removing cards that are only half-unblocked. Prioritize moves that simultaneously half-expose multiple cards in the rows above, rather than finishing off any single row completely. Also, because more moves are available at each turn, stock draws become less urgent; exhaust all pyramid-only and pyramid-to-waste pairs before drawing, since you only get one redeal and should save stock cards for positions where pyramid pairs alone cannot progress.