Quick Rules
Old Maid is the gentlest card game there is: no bidding, no scoring and nothing to remember. You play with one, two or three friendly computer players. The goal is simple: get rid of all your cards, and don't be the one left holding the Old Maid.
- The odd queen. One queen (the queen of clubs) is taken out of the deck, so one queen can never be paired. She is the Old Maid.
- The deal. All the cards are dealt out. Some players get one more card than others; that's fine.
- Pairs go down. Everyone puts down every pair they hold: two cards of the same rank, like two 8s or two kings. The game does this for you.
- Take a card. On your turn, take one card, without looking, from the player on your left. If it makes a pair, the pair goes down.
- Pass it on. Then the player on your right takes a card from you, and so on around the table.
- Safe! When you run out of cards, you're out and safe.
- The end. When every pair is down, one player is left holding the Old Maid. That player loses the game.
An Easy Game to Sit Down To
We built this version to feel like a relaxed game at the kitchen table. When it's your turn, the other player's cards are fanned out face down in the middle of the table. Tap any one, or press Pick for Me. Your pairs go down by themselves with a short note like "You drew the 8♦ and made a pair of 8s," and your hand is always kept in order. If you're holding the Old Maid, she wears a label so you can't miss her. When a computer player takes a card from you, you see which one it took.
If you run out of cards early, you can sit back and watch the others finish, or press Finish This Game Quickly. Every deal has a number, so you can play the same shuffle again or share it with a friend.
Tips
- Watch who takes the Old Maid. If a computer takes her from you, you know where she is, at least until someone draws from that player.
- On Easy, look to the right. Easy players never shuffle, so a card they just took sits on the right end of their hand.
- On Hard, mix it up. Hard players notice where you like to pick. Take from the left one turn and the middle the next.
- Enjoy the luck. Nobody can control the draw, so every player has the same chance. That's why Old Maid is perfect with grandchildren.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Old Maid game free?
Yes. Play as many games as you like for free, with no account, no download and no ads over the game.
Can the computer players see my cards?
No. The computer players cannot see your cards or anyone else's. When one of them draws from you, it takes a card at random, just like a person reaching for a face-down card. At the end of every game, Show All Hands lets you see what everyone was dealt, and the deal number lets you play exactly the same shuffle again.
What does the difficulty setting change?
Only how the computers hold their own cards, because drawing is blind for everyone. On Easy they never shuffle, so a card they take from you stays on the right end of their hand. On Normal they shuffle before you draw. On Hard, a computer holding the Old Maid moves her to the spot where you have been picking most often, so it pays to vary where you pick. They never see your cards on any level.
Which card is the Old Maid?
We take the queen of clubs out of the deck, so one queen can never find a partner. Whichever queen is left at the end is the Old Maid. In Settings you can add a joker as the Old Maid instead, or ask for pairs to match in color, which makes the queen of spades the odd one.
Why is there no Undo button?
Undoing a draw would let you peek at a hidden card and put it back, which wouldn't be fair to the other players. If you want another go, Replay This Deal shuffles the cards exactly the same way again.
Can I play with fewer players?
Yes. Choose one, two or three computer players in Settings. With one, it is a quick game for two in which every card you take comes from the same hand.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. Your game is saved in your browser after every move, so you can close the page and continue later on the same device.
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