TriPeaks Strategy - Clear All 3 Peaks

Streaks — consecutive card plays without drawing from the stock — are the most important strategic concept in TriPeaks. Long streaks clear more cards efficiently and earn significantly more points. Before playing a card, look ahead to see if it leads to additional plays. If the foundation shows a 7 and you can play either a 6 or an 8, check which choice leads to a longer chain. If playing the 6 leads to a 5 which leads to a 4, that is a 3-card streak. If playing the 8 only leads to a 9 with nothing after, that is just a 2-card streak. Always choose the path that extends the streak longest. Even a one-card difference compounds over an entire game — consistently choosing 4-card streaks over 3-card streaks adds up to dramatically better results. Look for "bridges" between the three peaks. If the bottom row cards of two adjacent peaks form a sequence, you can chain plays across both peaks in a single streak, rapidly clearing a large area. When wrapping is enabled, Kings and Aces become bridges rather than dead ends. A sequence like ...Q, K, A, 2, 3... chains through the wrap for a 5-card streak that would be impossible without wrapping.

When you have a choice of which peak to work on first, several factors should guide your decision: Accessibility: Which peak has the most exposed cards? A peak with many face-up cards in the bottom row offers more immediate options. Connections: Which peak's exposed cards connect to the current foundation rank? Start with the peak that naturally flows from your current position. Difficulty: Look at the face-up cards. If one peak has many cards close in rank (e.g., 5, 6, 7, 8), it will be easier to chain plays. If another peak has scattered ranks (e.g., 2, 9, K, 4), it will require more stock draws. Balance: Avoid focusing exclusively on one peak while ignoring the others. If you clear one peak completely but have no stock cards left, the other two peaks become very difficult to clear. A general approach: start with the peak that has the most natural sequences available, then shift to the second peak when the first becomes difficult. Save the most challenging peak for last, when you have the most face-up cards exposed from clearing the first two peaks. The middle peak is often strategically important because it shares bottom-row cards with both side peaks. Clearing the middle can open up opportunities on both sides.

TriPeaks rewards players who plan 3-5 moves ahead rather than just playing the first valid card they see. Before each move, trace the sequence mentally. "If I play the 8, then the exposed 9 can be played, which exposes a 10, which I can then play..." Tracing these chains takes only a few seconds and dramatically improves your results. Pay attention to face-down cards that are about to be exposed. If removing a face-up card will reveal a face-down card, consider whether that new card might extend your current sequence. You cannot know its value, but you have a 1-in-13 chance of it being any particular rank — reasonable odds in a long sequence. Watch for "dead ends" — positions where playing a card leads to a rank with no exposed matches. For example, if you play to a 3 and no 2s or 4s are exposed, your streak ends. Recognizing dead ends before committing to a sequence lets you choose alternative paths. In the late game, look-ahead becomes even more critical. With fewer cards remaining, you can often map out the exact sequence needed to clear the remaining peaks — or determine that it is impossible and a different approach is needed.

The stock is your lifeline in TriPeaks. With only 23 cards, every draw matters. Avoid drawing when a play is available. Before reaching for the stock, scan every exposed card carefully. It is surprisingly easy to miss a valid play, especially when the foundation card's rank requires checking both +1 and -1 options across all three peaks. Save stock draws for when they will do the most good. In the early game, the peaks have many exposed cards, so draws are less critical. In the late game, each draw might be your last chance to match an isolated peak card. Count your remaining stock cards. If 18 peak cards remain and you only have 5 stock cards left, you need an average streak of 3+ cards per stock draw to win. If the math does not work, focus on finding the longest possible streaks. When you draw a card and it does not immediately match any peak card, do not panic. The new foundation card changes your options completely — a rank that was useless before might suddenly connect to a long sequence. Some advanced players make mental notes of stock card ranks as they draw. If you know you have drawn most of the 7s, you know that future 6s and 8s are less likely to lead to long streaks through that rank.

Understanding the scoring math helps you make better strategic decisions about when to extend a streak versus when to draw. In standard TriPeaks scoring, a streak of N cards scores 1 + 2 + 3 + ... + N = N(N+1)/2 points. This means: 5-card streak: 15 points (average 3 per card) 10-card streak: 55 points (average 5.5 per card) 15-card streak: 120 points (average 8 per card) Because streak scoring is triangular (each additional card is worth more), a single long streak is far more valuable than multiple short ones. A 10-card streak (55 points) is worth almost 4 times as much as two 5-card streaks (30 points total). This scoring structure means you should sometimes delay a play to build a longer streak. For example, if you can play one isolated card now (1 point) or wait until a stock draw gives you a 5-card chain (15 points), waiting is obviously better — provided you do not run out of stock cards. Peak-clearing bonuses add even more incentive for long streaks. If you can clear a peak during a long streak, the peak bonus multiplies the value of that sequence. Score-maximizing strategy and win-maximizing strategy are not always the same. Sometimes a play that breaks your streak but clears a critical card is better for winning, even if the score suffers. If your primary goal is winning, prioritize clearing peaks over maximizing score.