Game guide · 10000ZW
Old Maid: a guide for your next round
Read the position before choosing your next action. Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. Start a new round when you are ready to try again. The queen of diamonds is removed from a standard deck, leaving 51 cards.
Two-player free game. Pairs are identified by rank, regardless of suit. Computer choices do not inspect the face-down card values.
Give this approach a try
Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. On your turn choose one face-down card from the computer’s hand. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Understand the aim
Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. Start a new round when you are ready to try again.
From the start of a round
- The queen of diamonds is removed from a standard deck, leaving 51 cards.
- All cards are dealt between you and the computer. Opening pairs of equal rank are removed automatically.
- On your turn choose one face-down card from the computer’s hand.
- A new matching pair is removed automatically. The computer then draws one card from your shuffled face-down hand.
- The round ends when only the unpaired queen remains. The holder of that queen loses.
Keyboard and screen controls
A careful first move helps you understand the round. Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below. The game area remains available above the explanation.
Try this example
Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. If you hold 6♣ and draw 6♥, both cards leave your hand as a pair. A queen can also pair with another queen.
Where a round can go wrong
The board gives you the information needed for the next action. The last queen is not always the queen first seen in your hand; queens can be exchanged and paired during play. The game area remains available above the explanation.
Questions about this game
During a round, what is the aim of Old Maid?
Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
On this page, how do the controls work?
Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below. Use the labelled controls for your next action.
Can you show an example?
If you hold 6♣ and draw 6♥, both cards leave your hand as a pair. A queen can also pair with another queen. The game is played locally in your browser.
For this game, which mistake should I avoid?
The last queen is not always the queen first seen in your hand; queens can be exchanged and paired during play. The instructions above use these same rules.
When I start, what rules and limits are used here?
Two-player free game. Pairs are identified by rank, regardless of suit. Computer choices do not inspect the face-down card values. The instructions above use these same rules.
On this page, how many people can play here?
You vs computer. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. A new round resets the current game.
During a round, which card is removed before dealing?
The queen of diamonds, leaving an odd number of queens in the deck. No download or player account is required.
For this game, do I remove pairs myself?
No. Equal-rank pairs are removed automatically after the deal and after each draw. The instructions above use these same rules.
During a round, can two queens form a pair?
Yes. There are three queens in the 51-card deck, so one queen eventually remains unmatched. You can start a new round from the game controls.
Does the computer choose by looking at my hidden cards?
Its draw chooses a face-down position, not a card value. The game is played locally in your browser.
