Game guide · XDSTMALL
A practical guide to Old Maid
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.
Bring this focus to a round
Take a moment to check the current turn. On your turn choose one face-down card from the computer’s hand. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Your objective
Read the position before choosing your next action. Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. The game area remains available above the explanation.
The playing sequence
- 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.
Controls
Use the controls beside the game rather than guessing the rules. 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.
A closer look at one example
The example and rules describe the same game you can play above. 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 area remains available above the explanation.
A mistake to avoid
The last queen is not always the queen first seen in your hand; queens can be exchanged and paired during play. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
Common questions
For this game, 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.
For this game, 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 worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
During a round, 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. Keep the current game state in view while applying this rule.
During a round, 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 worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
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. Keep the current game state in view while applying this rule.
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.
For this game, which card is removed before dealing?
The queen of diamonds, leaving an odd number of queens in the deck. The controls work with mouse or touch.
Do I remove pairs myself?
No. Equal-rank pairs are removed automatically after the deal and after each draw. You can start a new round from the game controls.
On this page, can two queens form a pair?
Yes. There are three queens in the 51-card deck, so one queen eventually remains unmatched. Keep the current game state in view while applying this rule.
During a round, 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.
