How to play Tri Peaks Solitaire?

Goal of Tri Peaks Solitaire

The main goal of Tri Peaks Solitaire is to clear all the cards from the tableau by moving them to the discard pile. The game is won when all cards from the tableau have been transferred to the discard pile. The game is lost if no further moves are possible and the draw pile has been completely dealt.

Tripeaks Setup

Tri Peaks Solitaire is a solitary card game, which means it's meant to be played alone. At the beginning of the game, 28 cards are dealt face-up into the tableau, arranged in three overlapping peaks or pyramids. Each peak starts with one card at the top, then two in the next row, then three, and finally a row of four at the base. This creates a layout of three pyramids with 10 cards at the base.

In addition to the tableau, there's a draw pile with the remaining cards and a discard pile that starts empty.

Tri Peaks Solitaire Gameplay

The game starts by moving one card from the draw pile to the discard pile. The aim then is to transfer cards from the tableau to the discard pile. This can be done if a card in the tableau is of a value that's either one above or one below the card currently on top of the discard pile.

For instance, if the card on the discard pile is a 2 of Clubs, you can move a 3 or a 1 of any suit from the tableau to the discard pile.

Note that in Tri Peaks Solitaire, suits are irrelevant and the values can wrap around - meaning a King is considered to be one value below an Ace and an Ace one value below a King.

If there are no possible moves from the tableau to the discard pile, you must draw a card from the draw pile.

Tri Peaks Solitaire playable cards

Only certain cards from the tableau are playable. Any face-down cards or cards that are overlapped by others are not playable. They only become playable when the cards beneath them have been moved to the discard pile.

Tri Peaks Solitaire Strategy

The game involves an element of strategy as often you will have a choice of multiple cards to remove from the tableau. To increase your chances of winning, consider these strategies:

Uncover the Larger Peaks First: Focus on removing cards from the larger peaks first. By doing this, you will have more options to choose from as you progress.

Long Sequences: Attempt to build long sequences of cards in the discard pile. The longer the sequence, the more likely you are to turn over more cards.

Avoid Single Cards: Avoid leaving single cards that are blocking two others. It can be hard to find a match for these later in the game, which can lead to dead ends.

Keep an Eye on Draw Pile: Be aware of how many cards are left in your draw pile. If the draw pile is running low and you still have many cards on the tableau, you may need to change your strategy.

Tri Peaks Solitaire Terms

Tri Peaks Solitaire Tableau

The tableau is initially made up of 4 rows of 28 cards. There are 3 cards in the first row (three peaks). There are 6 cards in the second row. There are 9 cards in the third row. There are 10 cards in the 4th and bottom row. These 10 cards are turned face-up and all the rest are turned face-down.

Tri Peaks Solitaire Deck

The deck initially is made up of the 24 cards that are not in the tableau. They are turned over one by one into the discard.

Tri Peaks Solitaire Discard

The top of the discard pile is the card that you pair with another card in the tableau that is one greater or one less (including wrapping between Ace and King).

Tri Peaks Possible Gameplay

The game continues until all the cards are removed from the tableau or there are no pairs to be matched and there are no cards in the deck.