Pyramid Solitaire is a relatively obscure derivative of the traditional Solitaire or Patience style of solitaire. The name comes from the distinctive first board arrangement, where cards are placed in a pyramid-style shape, with an outer base building up to a narrow top, National Casino made using four stacks of cards. Pyramid Solitaire is particularly popular among those who enjoy solitaire, because of its innovative take on this classic Solitaire genre. In addition to being unique in the way that the board is laid out, the rules for this game are also unusual.
Unlike regular solitaire, pyramid solitaire only uses four stacks of cards. This means that there are thirteen possible rows, which correspond to the twenty-one National Cassino cards in the regular deck. By layering over these, you can form seven different categories, each one representing one of the twenty-one cards in the deck. You must successfully navigate all of these piles, which should be organized according to their color in order to best represent the sorting process.
In regular Pyramid Solitaire, you will need to memorize which pairs are available for you to use to place your bet. However, in pyramid solitaire, you may use any number of cards in any combination. In this version of the game, you must memorize pairs which will result in a win, in turn matching the number of your bet to the twenty-one card in the middle stack. You may switch stacks to make more matches, but doing so will cost you. Thus, the strategy of laying out piles in a pyramid has changed slightly to help accommodate the new rules for winning a multiple choice match.