1. Build the Pyramid

Shuffle the cards and deal them to form a pyramid in the middle of the play area. The number of rows in the pyramid depends on the number of players, as

indicated below.

1 to 3 players: 5 rows (made of 15 cards total)

4 to 5 players: 6 rows (made of 21 cards total)

The cards overlap part of the card(s) above them, as shown here.

The cards in all of the rows except the last row are facedown. The last row is faceup.

2. Deal Cards

Deal each player a hand of cards according to the number of players, as shown below.
1 player: 13 cards
2 players: 6 cards
3 players: 4 cards
4 players: 5 cards
5 players: 4 cards

3. Draw Pile

Place the remaining cards facedown to form a draw pile.

4. Build the Alta-Hand

The alta-hand is a hand of cards that each player may choose from to make matches to cards in the pyramid.

Have each player donate a card from their hand to the alta-hand. All donated cards remain facedown until everyone has placed a card in the alta-hand. Then, the cards are turned over to reveal which cards are in the alta-hand. These cards remain faceup for the rest of the game.

In a 2- or 3-player game, a card from the top of the draw pile is drawn and added to the alta-hand.