Pharaohs

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Pharaohs Solitaire is to move all cards from the pyramid-shaped tableau and the stock to the foundation pile(s) by removing pairs of cards that total 13 in value. The game is won when the tableau and stock are both empty and all cards have been successfully paired and moved to the foundation.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Pyramid Tableau: Deal 28 cards face-up in a pyramid formation:
• Row 1: 1 card (top)
• Row 2: 2 cards (overlapping the previous row)
• Row 3: 3 cards
• Continue this pattern until Row 7, which has 7 cards.
• Stock Pile: Place the remaining 24 cards face-down below the pyramid as the stock.
• Waste Pile: Next to the stock, leave space for a waste pile where unused drawn cards will be placed.
• Foundation Pile: This is where matched pairs totaling 13 are placed as they are removed from play.

Key Play Areas:

• Pyramid (Tableau): The main play area, consisting of 28 face-up cards arranged in a pyramid.
• Stock: The draw pile of 24 face-down cards.
• Waste: Discard pile for stock cards that cannot be played immediately.
• Foundation: Collects all pairs of cards removed from play.

Pharaohs Solitaire Rules:

• Card Values:
• Ace = 1
• 2–10 = Face value
• Jack = 11
• Queen = 12
• King = 13
• Pairing and Removal:
• Remove any uncovered pair of cards whose values sum to 13 (e.g., 8 + 5, Jack + 2, Queen + Ace).
• Kings (value 13) are removed individually as a single card.
• Accessibility:
• Only cards that are not overlapped by any other cards in the pyramid are available for pairing or removal.
• Stock and Waste:
• Draw cards one at a time from the stock pile. The top card of the waste pile is also available for pairing with uncovered cards in the pyramid or with another waste card if both are available and sum to 13.
• Building Sequences: There is no building of sequences; cards are only removed by pairing or as single Kings.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Remove any available pair of uncovered cards in the pyramid that sum to 13.
• Remove any single uncovered King from the pyramid.
• Pair the top card of the waste pile with an uncovered card in the pyramid (or with another waste card) if the sum is 13.
• If no moves are available, draw the next card from the stock and place it face-up on the waste pile.
• Continue removing pairs and drawing from the stock until no more moves are possible or all cards are cleared.
• When the stock is exhausted and no more pairs can be made, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all cards from both the pyramid and the stock have been removed to the foundation pile through valid pairs or single Kings.
• Loss: The game is lost (unwinnable) if there are no available pairs totaling 13 and the stock is exhausted, leaving cards remaining in the pyramid or waste pile.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Spaces: There are no refillable spaces in the pyramid; once a card is removed, the underlying cards may become available if they are no longer overlapped.
• Stock Exhaustion: Once the stock is depleted, the waste pile is not recycled or reshuffled; play continues only with available pairs among the remaining cards.
• Unplayable State: If the pyramid contains cards that cannot be paired to sum 13, and no more stock cards are available, the game is unwinnable.
• Multiple Waste Cards: If two cards are in the waste pile and both are available (top two), they may be paired if their values sum to 13.

Note: There are no wild cards, redeals, or additional cells in the standard Pharaohs Solitaire ruleset.

This guide is based on the most authoritative and recent rulesets for Pharaohs Solitaire, which is a variant of Pyramid Solitaire with no additional unique mechanics beyond the pyramid layout and pairing rules.