TriPeaks Solitaire

1 Overview

Tri Peaks Solitaire (also called Three Peaks or Triple Peaks) is a solitaire card game played with a standard 52-card deck. The layout features three overlapping pyramids (peaks) of face-down cards. Players uncover and clear cards by playing sequences one higher or lower than the current top of the waste pile, regardless of suit. Goal: clear all cards from the tableau before running out of stock.

Tri Peaks is one of the most popular digital solitaire variants -- it was a pack-in on Windows and appears in virtually every mobile card game app. The chaining mechanic (playing long runs of sequential cards) makes it satisfying and fast-paced compared to Klondike.

2 Setup

1. Create three overlapping triangular peaks from 28 cards:
   • Row 1 (top): 1 card per peak = 3 face-down cards
   • Row 2: 2 face-down cards per peak = 6 face-down cards
   • Row 3: 3 face-down cards per peak = 9 face-down cards
   • Row 4 (base, overlapping peaks): 10 face-up cards across all three peaks
2. Place remaining 24 cards face-down as the stock pile.
3. Flip the top stock card face-up to start the waste pile.

A card in the tableau is "available" to play when no other card covers it.

3 Gameplay

1. Look at the top waste card. You may play any available tableau card that is one rank higher or lower (wrapping: Ace is both above King and below 2 in most versions, or Kings are high -- check your variant).
2. When you play a tableau card onto the waste pile, it becomes the new top card, and you can continue playing cards adjacent to it in rank. This creates "chains" of sequential cards.
3. Flipping tableau cards: when all cards covering a face-down card are removed, flip it face-up. It becomes available to play.
4. If no tableau card is playable, flip the top stock card onto the waste pile.
5. Continue until the stock is empty. At that point you may no longer draw -- play out the remaining available moves.

4 Strategy

• Plan chains ahead. Before starting a chain, look 3 to 4 cards ahead. A chain that dead-ends is worse than a shorter chain that uncovers a valuable face-down card.
• Uncover peaks first. Each peak's top cards are the hardest to reach. Prioritize clearing the top rows of all three peaks to give yourself maximum flexibility.
• Save stock cards. Don't draw from the stock if you have playable tableau cards. The stock is a limited safety valve -- use it only when genuinely stuck.
• Ace/King transitions. Know your variant's rule on Ace/King wrapping. Planning a chain through a King-Ace boundary can save entire sections of the tableau.