Game guide · 371HOTEL
Find your footing in 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. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
Two-player free game. Pairs are identified by rank, regardless of suit. Computer choices do not inspect the face-down card values.
An idea for your next attempt
The example and rules describe the same game you can play above. On your turn choose one face-down card from the computer’s hand.
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. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
How a round unfolds
- 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.
Getting comfortable with the controls
Begin with the basic rule, then follow the result of your action. Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
A useful 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. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
One detail worth checking
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.
Further help with the game
When I start, what is the aim of Old Maid?
Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. The controls work with mouse or touch.
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.
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. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
On this page, 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 game is played locally in your browser.
When I start, how many people can play here?
You vs computer. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. You can start a new round from the game controls.
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.
When I start, do I remove pairs myself?
No. Equal-rank pairs are removed automatically after the deal and after each draw. The game is played locally in your browser.
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. Keep the current game state in view while applying this 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 worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
