Three Peaks – Tri Peaks solitaire online
Tri peaks solitaire – clear the three peaks of cards: any free card that is one rank higher or lower than the face-up waste card can go on top – suit does not matter. Long streaks without drawing are the key.
Source: Wikipedia: Tri Peaks (game) – layout, rules, inventor Robert Hogue, over 90% solvable. Updated: .
How it is calculated
How to play Tri Peaks (Three Peaks)
Tri Peaks uses one 52-card deck. 28 cards form three peaks on the table: three tips at the top, then rows of six and nine cards, and at the bottom a row of ten face-up cards. The other 24 cards form the stock; the first of them lies face up next to it as the waste.
- Play a card: tap a free card that is one rank higher or lower than the waste card – suit does not matter. It becomes the new waste card, e.g. 7 – 8 – 9 – 8 – 7.
- Uncover: as soon as no card overlaps a face-down card any more, it turns face up and becomes playable.
- Draw: if nothing fits, tap the stock; the next card becomes the waste card and a new streak starts.
You win when all 28 peak cards are cleared. If the stock is empty and no free card fits, the game is lost.
King and Ace
Whether an Ace may follow a King (and vice versa) is not handled the same way everywhere. With “Connect King and Ace” the two count as neighbours, so ranks wrap around. Without it the game is noticeably harder.
Solvable deals only
According to its inventor Robert Hogue, over 90% of all deals can be solved. With “Solvable deals only”, a solver checks each shuffle before it is dealt: a depth-first search tries every sequence of moves while knowing all the cards. For you the game is still a challenge because you cannot see the face-down cards. If no confirmed deal is found quickly, you get an unchecked game and a note.
Tips
- Prefer cards that uncover face-down cards over bottom-row cards with nothing underneath.
- Hold a card back if it allows a longer streak later – for example two sixes for the path 5 – 6 – 7 – 6.
- Undo takes back as many moves as you like, including draws.
Storage and privacy
Wins, games, longest streak and your settings are kept in your browser’s localStorage (key tripeaks). Shuffling uses the browser’s cryptography API; nothing is sent to a server.
More solitaire: Pyramid solitaire, Klondike solitaire and Spider solitaire.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of Tri Peaks solitaire?
Move free cards from the three peaks to the waste pile if they are one rank higher or lower than the top waste card, regardless of suit. When nothing fits, turn over a card from the stock. The goal is to clear all 28 peak cards.
Can I play Tri Peaks solitaire free online?
Yes. Three Peaks runs right in your browser, including on phones, with no download and no sign-up.
Can you put an Ace on a King in Tri Peaks?
Rules differ. Here you can switch on “Connect King and Ace”; then an Ace may follow a King and a King may follow an Ace.
Is every Tri Peaks game winnable?
No, but according to its inventor over 90% are. With “Solvable deals only” you only get shuffles that a solver has confirmed as winnable.
How is Tri Peaks set up?
Three peaks of 28 cards: 3 tips, 6 and 9 face-down cards and 10 face-up cards at the bottom. The other 24 cards are the stock, one of which starts the waste pile.
Sources and legal basis
- Wikipedia: Tri Peaks (game) – layout, rules, inventor Robert Hogue, over 90% solvable
- Wikipedia: Depth-first search (solver for the solvability check)
- MDN: Crypto.getRandomValues()
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