Game guide · ZZQHMY
Learn the rules of Old Maid
Use the controls beside the game rather than guessing the rules. Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. 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.
Try a more deliberate round
A careful first move helps you understand the round. On your turn choose one face-down card from the computer’s hand. Start a new round when you are ready to try again.
What counts as success
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.
A walkthrough of the rules
- 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.
Using the playing area
Read the position before choosing your next action. Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
See how the rules apply
A careful first move helps you understand the round. If you hold 6♣ and draw 6♥, both cards leave your hand as a pair. A queen can also pair with another queen. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
Watch out for this
Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. The last queen is not always the queen first seen in your hand; queens can be exchanged and paired during play. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Questions that come up during play
On this page, what is the aim of Old Maid?
Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. A new round resets the current game.
During a round, how do the controls work?
Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below. The game is played locally in your browser.
On this page, 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. No download or player account is required.
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. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
During a round, 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. A new round resets the current game.
During a round, how many people can play here?
You vs computer. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. No download or player account is required.
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. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
For this game, can two queens form a pair?
Yes. There are three queens in the 51-card deck, so one queen eventually remains unmatched. The worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
On this page, does the computer choose by looking at my hidden cards?
Its draw chooses a face-down position, not a card value. The controls work with mouse or touch.
