All cards are facing forward and they must overlap. At the start of the game, 27 of those cards are dealt on the tableau in the shape of a pyramid, with 7 cards making up the base. Pyramid Solitaire uses a standard 52-card deck. Pyramid Solitaire - Basic rules and the tableau The game gets its name from the disposition of the cards on the tableau. Players can only collect two cards at a time, provided their combined value is 13. As with the great majority of Solitaire games, the goal is to clear the tableau and collect all the cards, but there is a catch to it. Pyramid Solitaire is a peculiar game that combines fun with a mild exercise of math.