TriPeaks is won and scored by chains. Every card you play one rank above or below the waste extends your streak, and a long streak is worth far more than the same cards played in short bursts. The whole strategy comes down to one question before each move: which card lets me keep going longest?
Here is how to play TriPeaks Solitaire for longer chains and more cleared peaks.
The rules in short
- Play any uncovered tableau card one rank higher or lower than the top of the waste. Suits do not matter.
- Ranks wrap: Ace connects to both 2 and King.
- When nothing fits, draw a card from the stock. There is one pass, with no recycle.
- Clear all 28 cards in the three peaks to win.
Why chains matter
Each card scores 20 plus 10 for every card in your streak, itself included, up to 120 points a card. Drawing from the stock ends the streak.
| Card in the chain | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 30 |
| 2nd | 40 |
| 5th | 70 |
| 10th and on | 120 |
A chain of ten cards scores 750. The same ten cards played as five pairs, with a draw in between each, score 350. Clearing each of the three peak cards adds 100 on top.
1. Read the whole chain before the first card
When the waste shows a 7, you might see a 6 and an 8. Don't just take one. Follow each option forward: 8, 9, 10? Or 6, 5, 4, 3? Play the start of the longer chain.
2. Prefer cards that uncover others
Most of the tableau starts face down. A card that turns another card face up gives your chain one more option. Between two plays of equal length, take the one that uncovers something.
3. Use the wrap
Ace connects to both King and 2, so chains can turn the corner: J, Q, K, A, 2. Players who forget the wrap end chains early that could have kept going.
4. Draw last
The stock goes through once and every draw breaks your streak. Before drawing, check every uncovered card one more time. A draw is the right move only when nothing on the table fits.
5. Go up and down
A chain does not have to run in one direction. 7, 8, 7, 6, 5 is a legal chain if the cards are there. Switching direction is often what keeps a chain alive when one side runs dry.
When a deal won't clear
Deals are shuffled, not chosen to be winnable, and some cannot be cleared whatever you do. If the stock is almost gone and a peak is still covered, play for score instead: take every card you can in the longest chain available, and start the next deal.
Put it into practice in TriPeaks Solitaire, or see all solitaire games.