- Players
- 2–6
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- 1 deck, one queen removed
- To win
- Don't hold the last queen
How to play Old Maid
Setup
- Take one queen out of a standard deck and put it away. Its partner is now the old maid.
- Deal all 51 cards. It doesn't matter if some players get one more card than others.
- Everyone looks at their hand and lays down any pairs (two cards of the same rank). With three of a kind, lay down two and keep one.
Playing
- The player left of the dealer fans their cards face down and offers them to the player on their left.
- That player takes one card without looking. If it makes a pair, they lay the pair down.
- Then they offer their own cards to the next player on the left, and so on around the table.
- When you run out of cards, you're safe and drop out.
The end
Eventually one player is left holding the unmatched queen. They're the Old Maid.
Tips and variations
- Poker face: if you hold the queen, try not to react when someone's fingers hover over it.
- Shuffle your hand before offering it, so nobody remembers where a card went.
- Matching colors: pairs must be the same color, which makes the game longer.
- Old Bachelor: remove a jack instead of a queen.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Old Maid with a regular deck?
Take one queen out of a standard 52-card deck, deal all the rest, and play as usual. The queen left without a partner is the old maid.
Which card is the Old Maid?
With a regular deck, the queen whose partner was removed. Some families remove three queens instead, leaving a single queen as the old maid.
Do pairs have to be the same color?
Not in the standard rules: any two cards of the same rank make a pair. Some families require matching colors (two red 7s or two black 7s) to make it harder.
How many players can play Old Maid?
Two or more. It works best with three to six.
Who wins Old Maid?
There's no single winner: everyone who gets rid of their cards is safe, and the player left holding the odd queen loses.