TriPeaks Solitaire is a fast, single-deck game built around chains: you clear cards one at a time by stepping up or down in rank, trying to knock down three pyramids before the stock runs out. The rules are simple enough to learn in a minute, but a few details — how the cards overlap, when rank "wraps," and how scoring rewards long runs — are worth getting exactly right. This page is a complete reference. When you're ready, play a hand to see it in motion.
What is TriPeaks Solitaire?
TriPeaks (also written Tri-Peaks or Three Peaks) is a single-deck open-style solitaire. Most of the tableau is dealt face up, so there's little hidden information — the challenge is sequencing your moves to keep a chain going rather than uncovering secrets. Each turn you remove one exposed tableau card whose rank is adjacent to the card on top of the waste pile, and the goal is to clear the whole tableau.
The setup
The tableau is dealt as three peaks of 28 cards, stacked in four rows so that each row overlaps the one above it by half a card:
- Row 1 (the peaks): three single cards, one at the top of each peak.
- Row 2: six cards — two tucked beneath each peak.
- Row 3: nine cards spanning the bases of the peaks.
- Row 4 (the base): ten cards, dealt face up.
That's 28 cards in the formation. One more card is turned face up to start the waste pile (the active card you build from), and the remaining 23 cards form the stock you draw from when you get stuck. Only the base row begins face up; the cards above it are revealed as the two cards covering them are cleared. A tableau card is available (playable) only when nothing overlaps it from the row below — that is, when both cards directly covering it have been removed.
The objective
Your goal is to clear all three peaks — every one of the 28 tableau cards. There are no foundations to build and no suits to sort; success is simply an empty formation. If the stock runs dry and no legal move remains while cards are still on the peaks, the deal is lost.
Legal moves
On your turn you may remove any available tableau card whose rank is exactly one higher or one lower than the card currently on top of the waste. Suit and colour never matter — only rank. The card you play moves onto the waste and becomes the new card to build from, which may expose fresh cards behind it.
Rank wraps around: Ace connects to both King and 2. So onto a 2 you can play an Ace or a 3; onto an Ace you can play a King or a 2; onto a King you can play a Queen or an Ace. This wrap is what makes long chains possible — a run can climb or fall straight through the King-Ace boundary, such as Queen → King → Ace → 2.
When no available card is adjacent to the waste, draw from the stock. The drawn card flips face up onto the waste and becomes the new build card. Drawing is always legal as long as stock remains, but it comes at a cost: each draw resets your streak (see below). There is no recycling in TriPeaks — once the 23-card stock is exhausted, that's all the help you get.
Scoring and streaks
TriPeaks rewards momentum. Every card you clear without drawing builds a streak, and the streak sets the value of each clear. The first card in a run is worth 10 points, the second 20, the third 30, and so on — the score added always equals the current streak length times ten. A four-card chain therefore scores 10 + 20 + 30 + 40 = 100 points, far more than the same four cards cleared with draws in between.
The catch is the reset: the moment you draw from the stock, the streak drops back to zero and the next clear starts again at 10. That single rule is the heart of TriPeaks strategy — every draw you can avoid keeps a bigger multiplier alive.
How you win
You win when all three peaks are cleared — every tableau card removed to the waste. Because you only ever draw 23 stock cards and there's no recycle, you can't simply grind through the deck; you have to keep finding playable cards before the stock empties. Like most solitaires, not every deal is winnable: some shuffles leave a card stranded with no legal path to it. Skilful play — chaining efficiently and prioritising the cards that unblock the peaks — is what turns a winnable deal into a win.
Frequently asked questions
Does the rank wrap around (King to Ace)?
Yes. Rank wraps in both directions, so an Ace and a King count as adjacent: you can play a King onto an Ace and an Ace onto a King. Combined with the normal up-or-down rule, this lets long chains ride right through the wrap — for example Queen, King, Ace, 2.
How do streaks work?
Each card you clear without drawing extends a streak, and the streak determines the points: the first card in a run scores 10, the next 20, the next 30, and so on, increasing by 10 each time. Drawing a card from the stock resets the streak back to zero, so the next clear starts again at 10. That makes long, unbroken chains far more valuable than the same cards cleared one at a time.
How many cards are in the three peaks?
The tableau holds 28 cards arranged as three peaks: one card at each apex, then a row of six, a row of nine, and a fully exposed base row of ten. The remaining 24 cards become the first waste card plus a 23-card stock.
Keep going
Now that the rules are clear, the next step is playing well. Our TriPeaks strategy guide covers how to plan chains, ride the wrap, and decide when to draw, and the solitaire glossary defines any term you're unsure about. Browse the full guides hub for more, or jump straight in and play TriPeaks Solitaire.