Game guide · XUEWEIBA
Old Maid: a guide for your next round
Take a moment to check the current turn. 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
Take a moment to check the current turn. On your turn choose one face-down card from the computer’s hand. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
What you need to achieve
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. Start a new round when you are ready to try again.
The order of play
- 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
Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
Try this example
Take a moment to check the current turn. If you hold 6♣ and draw 6♥, both cards leave your hand as a pair. A queen can also pair with another queen. Start a new round when you are ready to try again.
A mistake to avoid
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.
Game-specific help
For this game, 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. The worked example offers another way to follow the rule.
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 controls work with mouse or touch.
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. You can start a new round from the game controls.
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. You can start a new round from the game controls.
During a round, how many people can play here?
You vs computer. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. The controls work with mouse or touch.
During a round, which card is removed before dealing?
The queen of diamonds, leaving an odd number of queens in the deck. The game is played locally in your browser.
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.
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. A new round resets the current game.
When I start, does the computer choose by looking at my hidden cards?
Its draw chooses a face-down position, not a card value. You can start a new round from the game controls.