Game guide · 5AICAKE
The Old Maid playbook
Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. The game area remains available above the explanation. 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.
Practice beyond the first move
Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. On your turn choose one face-down card from the computer’s hand. Keep the goal in mind before your next move.
The goal to keep in mind
Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. 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.
Making your moves
- 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.
Your inputs
Keep the goal in view while choosing a move. Tap one of the face-down cards marked with a question mark. Your remaining unpaired cards are shown below. The game area remains available above the explanation.
One way to understand the rules
Begin with the basic rule, then follow the result of your action. If you hold 6♣ and draw 6♥, both cards leave your hand as a pair. A queen can also pair with another queen.
A useful caution
Check the rule below as you play. The last queen is not always the queen first seen in your hand; queens can be exchanged and paired during play. Try the rule on the board, then read the next instruction.
Clarifying the way this game works
When I start, what is the aim of Old Maid?
Make matching-rank pairs and avoid being the player left with the last queen. Use the labelled controls for your next action.
For this game, 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.
On this page, 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 game is played locally in your browser.
For this game, 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.
When I start, 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 instructions above use these same rules.
On this page, 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.
During a round, 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.
On this page, do I remove pairs myself?
No. Equal-rank pairs are removed automatically after the deal and after each draw. You can start a new round from the game controls.
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. Scores here do not represent cash or prizes.
When I start, does the computer choose by looking at my hidden cards?
Its draw chooses a face-down position, not a card value. The game is played locally in your browser.
