Old Maid Card Game Rules

Old Maid Card Game Rules

Game Overview

Old Maid is a popular card game for children, known by various names in different parts of the world. It requires a standard deck of 52 cards, with one queen removed, or a special Old Maid card pack that is designed for this game. The game can be played by 2 or more players.

Objective

The objective of the game is to get rid of all your cards, except for the Old Maid card, which is the card left at the end, making the holder of this card the loser.

Setup

The dealer deals all the cards out to the players; generally some will have one more card than others, which does not matter. The players all look at their cards and discard any pairs they hold (a pair being two cards of equal rank, such as two sevens or two kings). The dealer begins, and deal and play are clockwise.

How to Play

At your turn, you offer your cards face down to the player to your left. The player selects a card without seeing it and adds it to their hand. If it makes a pair in their hand, they discard the pair. The player who just took a card then offers their hand to the next player to their left, and so on. If you get rid of all your cards, you take no further part in the game. The turn passes to the next player to your left, who spreads their cards for the following player to draw one. The game continues until all cards except for the Old Maid have been discarded.

Scoring and End of Game

The player left with the Old Maid card at the end of the game is the loser. In some variations, the game can be played in reverse, where the holder of the odd card (the last Queen or Jack or the Old Maid card) is the winner.

Common Variants

In some countries where the game has a male name, such as Black Peter, it is a Jack that is removed rather than a Queen, and the loser is the holder of the odd Jack at the end. There are also special Old Maid card packs available that have all the cards in matching pairs except for a single Old Maid card.

A Bit of History

Old Maid, or its variations, is known by different names in various parts of the world, such as Schwarzer Peter in Germany, Vieux Garçon or Le Pouilleux in France, Ekae in Thailand, and Papaz kaçtı in Turkey. The origin and inventor of the game are not clearly documented.

Where to Get the Game

old maid card game on Amazon

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Not discarding pairs at the start of the game — that is the very first thing to do, before the first turn.
Thinking you get to choose the card you draw: you take a card blind from your neighbour's spread hand, without seeing its face.
Always keeping the odd queen in the same spot of your fan, which quickly tells the other players which card to avoid.

FAQ

Can I play Old Maid with a deck of cards other than a standard deck? Yes. You can use a special Old Maid pack, in which every card comes in a matching pair except one. Some German Quartett sets also include a Black Peter card so the deck can be used for this game.
Can I play Old Maid with more than 2 players? Yes, the game works with two or more players.
Can two players end up holding the odd card? No. Exactly one card is left unpaired at the start (a queen is removed from the 52-card pack), so only one player can be left holding it.
How many cards do I deal to each player? You deal them all out. Some players will end up with one more card than others, which does not matter.
Is Old Maid a competitive or cooperative game? Old Maid is a competitive game: everyone is trying to avoid being left with the odd card.
Are there any variations of Old Maid that can make the game more interesting? Yes, several well-documented ones:

a. Black Peter (Schwarzer Peter): the German equivalent, where a jack is removed instead of a queen. It was traditionally played with a 32-card pack, and the loser got a black mark drawn on their face with a cork blackened over a candle flame. It is now more often played with a special 31- or 37-card pack whose Black Peter card shows a black cat or a chimney sweep.

b. The reversed version: the mechanism is exactly the same, but the player left holding the odd card at the end is the winner instead of the loser.

c. Papaz kaçtı ("the king escapes"): the Turkish equivalent, played with 49 cards — a standard pack with three kings removed. Play is anti-clockwise and each player offers their cards to their right-hand neighbour. Whoever is left with the odd king is eliminated, and further deals are played until only one survivor remains. In another scoring version, that player takes a penalty point instead, and the game ends when someone reaches 5 penalty points, the winner being the player with the fewest.

Can Old Maid be played digitally? Yes. For example, the HOYLE Card Games collection for Windows and macOS includes an Old Maid program alongside many other popular card games.
Is Old Maid suitable for children? Yes, Old Maid is a simple, fun game that is suitable for children. It helps improve memory and social skills, making it a great choice for family game night or a classroom activity. However, as with any game, it's important to ensure that the content and rules are age-appropriate for the children playing.
Can Old Maid be used as an educational tool? Yes, Old Maid can be used as an educational tool to teach children about card games, numbers, and basic strategy. For example, you can use Old Maid to teach children about even and odd numbers, or to help them practice counting and memory skills.
What is the history of Old Maid and how did it originate? The origin of Old Maid is not definitively known, and no single inventor is documented. What is clear is that the same children's game turns up all over the world under different names — Schwarzer Peter in Germany, Vieux Garçon or Le Pouilleux in France, Ekae in Thailand, Papaz kaçtı in Turkey — sometimes with a standard pack and sometimes with a purpose-made deck.