TriPeaks is a fast, friendly game with surprising depth. On the surface you're just tapping cards that are one rank away from the waste pile — but the difference between clearing a board and stalling out comes down to one idea: the streak. Beginners take whatever move is in front of them; skilled players plan the longest possible chain before they ever touch the stock. This guide explains how to read the board and, more importantly, why each habit works.
The goal, in one sentence
Clear all three peaks by removing exposed cards that are exactly one rank higher or lower than the current waste card. Rank wraps around, so an Ace links both a King and a 2. A card becomes available the moment nothing covers it, and removing a card can uncover one or two more beneath it. If the game is new to you, the fastest way to learn is to play a hand and watch how each removal opens the board.
Five principles that win games
1. Streaks are the heart of the game
Every consecutive card you remove without drawing from the stock builds a longer chain — and a longer chain scores far more than the same cards cleared one at a time. So before you tap anything, ask: what is the longest run I can make right now? A chain like 5-6-7-8 or 9-8-7-6 cleared in one streak is worth more than four separate pickups, and it saves your stock for later. Plan the run first, then execute it.
2. Look ahead before you commit
The order you remove cards changes what gets uncovered, so trace the chain in your head before you start it. A 7 might be playable two different ways, but only one of them keeps the run going afterward. Follow each possible chain to its end and pick the path that stays alive longest or that frees the most new cards. This look-ahead is the single skill that separates a high score from a stall.
3. Clear the peaks evenly and open two cards at once
Don't tunnel into one peak while the others stay tall. Spread your removals so all three peaks come down together — a lopsided board leaves you with fewer playable cards later. When you have a choice, prefer the card that uncovers two new cards rather than one: every extra exposed card is another link your next chain might use.
4. Draw from the stock only when you must
The stock is a limited resource, and every draw resets your streak to zero. Treat a draw as a last resort: exhaust every chain on the board first, and only flip a new waste card when you genuinely have no legal move. Drawing early is the most common way players throw away both points and cards they'll wish they had.
5. Use the Ace's wrap to bridge chains
Because rank wraps, the K-A-2 link lets you connect the top and bottom of the rank order. If a chain stalls at a King, an Ace can carry it onward to a 2 — and vice versa. Keep an eye on exposed Aces and Kings: they're often the hinge that turns two short, dead runs into one long, scoring streak.
Common mistakes that lose games
- Drawing from the stock too early — the number-one streak-killer.
- Removing a card that uncovers nothing useful, when another move would have opened the board.
- Not looking ahead for the longer chain, so you break a run that could have continued.
- Tunnelling into one peak and leaving the others too tall to finish.
- Forgetting undo exists — on CardHearth, undo is unlimited, so test a line and take it back if it dead-ends.
Practise the right way
Because every CardHearth deal has a number, you can replay the exact same board to test a different chain, or share it with a friend to see who finds the longest streak. Use unlimited Undo to explore a line and learn from a wrong turn — that's how you train your eye to read chains faster than grinding random deals. Bear in mind that not every deal is winnable, so a loss isn't always a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
How do streaks work in TriPeaks?
A streak is a run of cards you clear in a row without drawing from the stock. Each card you remove must be one rank higher or lower than the card currently in the waste, and the longer the unbroken chain, the more it scores. The moment you draw a new card from the stock, the streak resets to zero — so the skill is planning the longest possible chain before you draw.
Does the rank wrap around from King to Ace?
Yes. Rank wraps in both directions, so an Ace can be played on either a King or a 2, and a King can be played on a Queen or an Ace. That wrap is a useful bridge: you can use a King-Ace-2 link to splice two chains together that would otherwise be stuck at the ends of the rank order.
Are all TriPeaks deals winnable?
No. Not every shuffle can be cleared, even with perfect play, because the cards needed to extend a chain may all be buried. Strong play raises your win rate a lot, but some deals are simply dead. On CardHearth you can use unlimited undo to test a line and take it back, and replay numbered deals to study why one was unwinnable.
Keep going
Ready to put it into practice? Play TriPeaks Solitaire now, or branch out: how to win Klondike Solitaire rewards a different kind of planning, and our roundup of the best free solitaire and puzzle games points you to what to try next. The full guides hub covers the whole CardHearth library.