Game guide · WFMMGS
Old Maid: learn through an example
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.
An idea for your next attempt
Read the position before choosing your next action. On your turn choose one face-down card from the computer’s hand. The game area remains available above the explanation.
Your objective
Begin with the basic rule, then follow the result of your action. 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.
Input guidance
A careful first move helps you understand the round. Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below.
A closer look at one 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.
A common point of confusion
The example and rules describe the same game you can play above. The last queen is not always the queen first seen in your hand; queens can be exchanged and paired during play. The game area remains available above the explanation.
Clarifying the way this game works
For this game, what is the aim of Old Maid?
Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
How do the controls work?
Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
During a round, 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. The game is played locally in your browser.
For this game, 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.
For this game, 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.
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.
During a round, can two queens form a pair?
Yes. There are three queens in the 51-card deck, so one queen eventually remains unmatched. No download or player account is required.
During a round, 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.