TriPeaks Solitaire Strategy
TriPeaks looks like a reflex game and plays like a planning game. The stock is the only resource that runs out, so every decision comes down to one question: which play uncovers the most cards before I have to draw?
Play TriPeaks NowRule of thumb
- Between two playable cards, take the one that uncovers a face-down card.
- Before you play, look one step ahead in both directions: does the card you play let another uncovered card follow, up or down?
- Avoid a play that leaves a card stranded with no partner left to reach it.
- Without point bonuses, keep the three peaks opening evenly; a lopsided board runs out of options.
- Draw only when you must, or when the only play strands better cards and the stock is deep.
- Remember the wrap: a King next to an Ace is a bridge, not a dead end.
1. Value cards by what they uncover
Every peak card sits on top of nothing (the base row) or covers, together with a neighbour, a card above it. Playing a base-row card whose neighbour is already gone flips a new card face up; playing one whose neighbour is still there flips nothing. When two cards fit the waste, prefer the one that completes an uncovering. More face-up cards means more candidates for the next rank, which means longer runs and fewer draws.
2. Plan the run before the first card
With a 7 on the waste and a 6 and an 8 both playable, ask what follows each. If the 6 leads to a 5 and then a 4 that are already face up, and the 8 leads nowhere, play the 6. The run can also come back: 6, 7, 8 is legal if the 7 and 8 are still on the board after you played the 6. Uncovered cards you have not yet played remain available, so a run often zigzags: down through 6, 5, 4, then up again through 5, 6, 7 using the second copies.
3. Use the wrap
On CardCouch Ace and King are neighbours, so a Queen, King, Ace, 2, 3 run is legal. Players who treat the Ace as a dead end leave runs on the table. When you have a King and an Ace uncovered, they are a bridge between the high and low halves of the deck; keep them in mind rather than playing them as soon as they fit. (In an app without the wrap, Aces and Kings really are dead ends and should be cleared whenever they fit.)
4. Clear the peaks evenly (unless points say otherwise)
It is tempting to chase one peak to its top because the cards happen to fit. The cost is a board where the other two peaks are still mostly face down: few uncovered cards, short runs, many draws. Aim for a base row that is opened up across its full width early, so each draw has a good chance of matching something: every uncovered card matches two of the thirteen ranks, so the more uncovered cards of different ranks you have, the more ways a fresh stock card can fit. Opinions differ here: in versions that score points, finishing a peak earns a bonus, so guides for those versions often recommend clearing the peaks one at a time, left to right. CardCouch has no peak bonus, so keeping the board open is usually the sounder aim — and in either version, don't chase a peak if it strands cards elsewhere.
5. When to draw with a play available
Drawing costs a stock card and resets the streak, so the default is not to draw while a play exists. The exception: the only playable card would end the run at once and the cards it would help uncover are ones you need, while a draw could set up a longer run through cards already face up. That is a judgment call, and it is safer early, when the stock is deep, than late. Once the stock is nearly gone, take every play you can.
6. Use undo as a planning tool
Undo is not cheating in a one-player game; it is how you learn the deal. When a run ends, undo two or three cards and see whether a different order would have uncovered more. Doing this a few times teaches the pattern faster than any list of tips. Your best-moves and best-time records count only the line you finally played to a win; your longest-streak record is saved the moment you set it, so a streak you later undo still stands.
Frequently asked questions
Two cards fit the waste. Which do I play?
The one that uncovers something, or that leads to another playable card. A base-row card that uncovers a face-down card is usually better than one that uncovers nothing, because information and options are what win TriPeaks. Also check that the play does not leave a card stranded with no partner left to reach it.
Should I ever draw when I have a play?
Rarely, but yes: when the only play would end your run immediately and strand cards you need, and the stock is still deep. There is one pass, so every draw costs a stock card; the cost is easier to absorb early than late, when every stock card is precious.
Which peak should I clear first?
Opinions differ. In point-scoring versions finishing a peak earns a bonus, so guides for those versions often suggest clearing peaks one at a time, left to right. Without points, as on CardCouch, keeping all three peaks opening evenly usually keeps more cards uncovered and runs longer. Either way, never chase a peak if it strands cards elsewhere.
Why does a long run matter if there is no score?
A long run uncovers many cards without spending stock, and the stock is the only thing that runs out. The streak counter is a good proxy for how efficiently you are playing.
Can every deal be won?
No. Most deals are thought to be winnable with careful play, but some are not, and undo makes the rest fair. If you get stuck, undo to the last point where you had a choice and take the other card.