Game guide · CSDJJY
Find your footing in Old Maid
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. 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.
Give this approach a try
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
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 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.
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. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
An example to follow
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.
Watch out for this
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. Start a new round when you are ready to try again.
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. You can start a new round from the game controls.
On this page, how do the controls work?
Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below. Keep the current game state in view while applying this rule.
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 instructions above use these same rules.
When I start, 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 controls work with mouse or touch.
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. You can start a new round from the game controls.
How many people can play here?
You vs computer. This is local browser play, not internet matchmaking. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
When I start, 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. A new round resets the current game.
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. You can start a new round from the game controls.
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 instructions above use these same rules.