← Blog · 6 min read · Updated May 2026
TriPeaks Combo Bonus System Explained
TriPeaks is one of the few solitaire variants where how you win matters as much as whether you win. The combo bonus system rewards chaining peak removals together without flipping the stock — and the math is more lopsided than most players realize. A 10-card combo isn't twice as valuable as a 5-card combo. It's three times as valuable. This article explains why, and how to plan for it.
The Standard Scoring Rules
Most TriPeaks implementations score combos as follows:
- 1st card removed in a chain: 1 point
- 2nd card: 2 points
- 3rd card: 3 points
- … and so on incrementally.
Flipping the stock pile resets the combo counter to zero.
Why the Math Favors Long Chains
The cumulative score for an N-card chain is the sum of integers from 1 to N, which equals N × (N+1) / 2.
| Chain length | Cumulative score | vs. isolated plays |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | 2× isolated (3 × 1) |
| 5 | 15 | 3× isolated (5 × 1) |
| 10 | 55 | 5.5× isolated (10 × 1) |
| 15 | 120 | 8× isolated (15 × 1) |
| 28 (full clear) | 406 | 14.5× isolated |
A perfect single-chain clear of all 28 peak cards scores 406 points. The same cards removed in 28 isolated single-card chains score 28 points. The ratio is 14.5×.
What This Changes About Play
The "obvious" move isn't always optimal
Standard solitaire instinct says "always take a legal play." In TriPeaks, that's wrong. Sometimes the better move is to not play a card if doing so will break a longer chain you could otherwise build.
Stock conservation has compounding value
Each stock flip resets the combo counter. If you have a 6-card chain going, flipping the stock costs you both the 7th card of the current chain (would-be +7) and forces you to restart from +1 on the next chain. That's a swing of 6-12 points per unnecessary stock flip.
Look before each move
Strong TriPeaks players scan all visible peaks before making any move and plan the longest reachable chain from the current foundation. Then they execute the chain in the order that requires the fewest interrupting stock flips.
The Combo Bonus's Casino Origin
The scoring system isn't arbitrary. It comes from TriPeaks's design as a casino game in the early 1990s (before its Microsoft port). In casino TriPeaks, players bought into a hand for a fixed price and were paid based on the cumulative score they achieved. The combo bonus was engineered to make the game's expected payout closer to break-even only for skilled play; casual players, who took every legal move without planning chains, lost money on average.
Today's no-stakes online TriPeaks inherits this scoring system without the financial risk, but the underlying math still rewards skilled play dramatically more than casual play.
Modern Variants of the Combo System
Some online TriPeaks implementations modify the standard scoring:
- Capped combos: bonus stops growing after 5 or 10 cards. Casual-friendly.
- Time bonus: hold a combo within a time window or it expires. Increases speed pressure.
- Star levels: completing peaks gives star bonuses on top of combo bonuses. Common in mobile TriPeaks apps.
- Multiplier mode: each consecutive peak adds a multiplier (1×, 2×, 3×, etc.) rather than incrementing the per-card score. The math is similar but multiplier feels more dramatic.
How to Practice Chain Planning
Try this drill for 10 hands:
- Before any move, pause for 5 seconds.
- Identify the longest legal chain you can start from the current foundation.
- Find the order that exposes peak cards as you go (so the chain doesn't dead-end at a face-down card).
- Execute the chain. Resist sub-optimal "obvious" plays.
Within 20 hands of practice, your average score per hand will roughly double.
Play Now
Try chain planning on the main TriPeaks page. Your score is tracked per hand and over time, so you can see the improvement.