Game guide · DTJSMODEL
Old Maid: how a round works
The board gives you the information needed for the next action. Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. Keep the goal in mind before your next move. 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.
One thing to notice as you play
On your turn choose one face-down card from the computer’s hand. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Aim for this result
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. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Step by step
- 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.
How your actions work
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. Start a new round when you are ready to try again.
Work through an 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. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
Avoid this misunderstanding
Take a moment to check the current turn. 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 about this game
On this page, what is the aim of Old Maid?
Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. The instructions above use these same rules.
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. You can start a new round from the game controls.
When I start, 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 worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
On this page, 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.
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. Use the labelled controls for your next action.
On this page, how many people can play here?
You vs computer. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. Keep the current game state in view while applying this rule.
During a round, which card is removed before dealing?
The queen of diamonds, leaving an odd number of queens in the deck. You can start a new round from the game controls.
On this page, do I remove pairs myself?
No. Equal-rank pairs are removed automatically after the deal and after each draw. The worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
When I start, can two queens form a pair?
Yes. There are three queens in the 51-card deck, so one queen eventually remains unmatched. A new round resets the current game.
For this game, 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.