Old Maid

How to play Old Maid

Old Maid is a classic family card game of pairs and a bit of bluffing. Nobody wants the one card that has no partner: the Old Maid. You play against one, two or three computer players.

The cards

The game uses a normal deck with the Queen of clubs taken out, so 51 cards are left. Cards make a pair when they have the same rank and the same colour: the 7 of hearts goes with the 7 of diamonds, and the 7 of spades goes with the 7 of clubs. Because the Queen of clubs is gone, the Queen of spades can never be paired. She is the Old Maid.

Goal

Get rid of all your cards. Every player who runs out of cards is safe. The last player, who is left holding the Old Maid, loses.

Turn by turn

All the cards are dealt. Some players get one card more than others.
Everyone throws away every pair in their hand.
On your turn, draw one face-down card from the player on your left. You can't see their cards, so pick by position.
If the new card makes a pair with one of yours, throw the pair away.
Then the next player draws from the player on their left, and so on around the table. Players with no cards are skipped.

End of the game

Pairs keep disappearing until only the Old Maid is left. The player who holds her at the end loses, and everyone else wins.

Playing on this site

Your cards are shown at the bottom. The face-down hand you draw from is in the middle: tap a card to take it, or use the arrow keys and Enter. Pairs are thrown away for you. Press Shuffle to mix your own hand so the computers can't track the Old Maid. Undo takes back your last draw, but the computer mixes its cards again.

Strategy tips

Watch the Old Maid's journey. If you drew her from a player, that player now knows you have her. Shuffle your hand before they draw from you.
Vary where you pick. Many players always pick from the middle or the ends. The Hard computer notices your habits and hides the Old Maid where you like to pick.
Count the pairs. When almost everything is paired, the few cards left tell you where the Old Maid may be.
Keep a calm face. In real life, your reaction when someone reaches for the Old Maid can give you away. Online, the Shuffle button is your poker face.
Small hands are safer. Fewer cards means fewer turns at risk, so pairs you make early really help.

Old Maid FAQ

Which card is the Old Maid?

In this version it is the Queen of spades. The Queen of clubs is removed before the deal, so the Queen of spades can never make a pair.

What counts as a pair in Old Maid?

Two cards of the same rank and the same colour, like the 5 of hearts and the 5 of diamonds, or the King of spades and the King of clubs.

Is Old Maid only luck?

Mostly, yes, which is why it is great for children. But hiding the Old Maid well and picking without a pattern do make a difference.

Do I lose as soon as I draw the Old Maid?

No. You can pass her on when another player draws from you. You only lose if you are still holding her when every other card has been paired.