How To Play Old Maid: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

Home » How To Play Old Maid » How To Play Old Maid: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

Maybe your like

Skip to ContentQuizzes
  • Home
  • Random
  • Browse Articles
  • Quizzes & Games
  • All QuizzesHot
  • Love Quizzes
  • Personality Quizzes
  • Fun Games
  • Dating Simulator
  • Learn Something New
  • Forums
  • Courses
  • Happiness Hub
  • Explore More
  • Support wikiHow
  • About wikiHow
  • Log in / Sign up
Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow Old Maid Card Game Rules (And Fun Variations to Try) PDF download Download Article Grab a deck of cards and try out this classic with our simple guide Co-authored by Hunter Rising Reviewed by Ashton Wu

Last Updated: February 19, 2026 Fact Checked

PDF download Download Article
  • Object of Game
    • |
  • Rules
    • |
  • How the Game Ends
    • |
  • Winning Strategies
    • |
  • Game Variations
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
|Show more |Show less ARTICLE VIDEO X

This article was reviewed by Ashton Wu and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Ashton Wu is a Board Game expert at Shelfside. After delving into the Yugioh tournament community while growing up, Ashton launched himself into the board gaming community in 2014 and went into reviewing board games as a career full-time in 2019. His YouTube channel Shelfside has over 50K subscribers and over 4 million views, assisted by written reviews on the Shelfside website and BoardGameGeek.com. He also consults with gaming companies to build high-quality gaming products. Ashton is a tournament commentator, board game playthrough director, and host of the Shelfside Podcast, where he talks about board games with his business partner, Daniel. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to the Technology Management Certificate. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 432,635 times.

If you’re looking for a card game that’s perfect for the whole family, Old Maid is easy to learn for all ages. You’ll be taking cards from other players to make matches, but watch out for the Old Maid because she’ll make you lose the game! Even though the rules are simple, there are still some good strategies to know to help you win. Keep reading, and we’ll walk you through how to play, along with some fun variations to try out.

Old Maid: Quick Rules

  1. Remove 3 queens from a deck, and call the remaining queen the Old Maid.
  2. Shuffle the deck and deal all the cards out to the players.
  3. Play any pairs of cards that have a matching rank.
  4. The dealer offers their hand to the player on their left so they can take a card.
  5. That player chooses one and plays it to make a pair (or add it to their hand).
  6. Keep taking turns offering and taking cards clockwise around the table.
  7. Lose the game if there are no more cards and you have the Old Maid.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Object of Old Maid

PDF download Download Article
  1. Make pairs of cards from your hand and avoid getting the Old Maid. Make pairs of cards from your hand and avoid getting the Old Maid. During a game of Old Maid, you’re trying to find matching cards to play from your hand. You’ll take cards from one player, but another player will take cards from your hand. If you’re stuck with the Old Maid and there are no more cards left, you lose.
    2. Advertisement
Section 2 of 5:

How to Play Old Maid

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Remove 3 queens from a deck of cards. 1 Remove 3 queens from a deck of cards. Use a standard 52-card deck without jokers. After you take out the 3 queens, the one leftover becomes the Old Maid. The Old Maid is the single card in the deck without a pair, so you don’t want to end the game with it in your hand. [1]
    • You can also get an Old Maid deck that has pictures and illustrations if you want a more kid-friendly game.
    • Alternatively, leave all the queens in the deck and add in 1 joker to use as the Old Maid.
  2. Step 2 Deal the entire deck of cards to the players. 2 Deal the entire deck of cards to the players. You can play Old Maid with 2–12 players. Choose someone to shuffle the cards and deal them one at a time, face down, to the players. Keep dealing until there are no more cards left in the deck.[2]
    • If you want to play with more people, shuffle in another identical deck of cards.
    • It’s okay if some players end up with more cards than the others.
  3. Step 3 Play all the pairs you have in your hand. 3 Play all the pairs you have in your hand. Each player looks over the cards in their hand to check if they have any pairs of cards that have the same rank. Place each pair face-up in front of you.[3]
    • If you have 3 of the same card, only put two of them in front of you and keep the other in your hand.
  4. Step 4 Offer your hand to the player on your left when it’s your turn. 4 Offer your hand to the player on your left when it’s your turn. The dealer takes the first turn of the game. Keep the cards face down and fan them out in your hands. Hold the cards out to the next player to your left.[4]
  5. Step 5 Pick a card when someone offers their hand. 5 Pick a card when someone offers their hand. Whenever a player fans out cards for you, choose one randomly and take it from their hand. You can look at the card, but keep it secret from the other players.[5]
    • If the card matches one in your hand, play the pair of cards face-up in front of you right away.
    • If the card doesn’t have a match, add it to your hand.
  6. Step 6 Keep taking turns around the table. 6 Keep taking turns around the table. After you take a card, it’s your turn to offer your hand to the person on your left. Keep going around the table and making pairs while trying to avoid the Old Maid.[6]
    7. Advertisement
Section 3 of 5:

Ending a Game of Old Maid

PDF download Download Article
  1. You lose the game if you have the Old Maid after the last pair is made. You lose the game if you have the Old Maid after the last pair is made. Eventually, someone will get the last 2 matching cards and make the final pair. Whoever’s left holding the Old Maid loses the game, and everyone else wins![7]
Section 4 of 5:

Old Maid Winning Strategies

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Keep a straight face if you get the Old Maid. 1 Keep a straight face if you get the Old Maid. If you frown or groan when you get the Old Maid, the other players will be more cautious when they take a card from your hand. Once the Old Maid is in your hand, act normal and pretend like everything’s OK.
  2. Step 2 Shuffle your cards around. 2 Shuffle your cards around. Players who are paying attention may look at where you’re putting the cards in your hand, and might guess where a specific card is located. Before offering your hand, mix the cards up before fanning them out.
  3. Step 3 Use reverse psychology to convince someone to take the Old Maid. 3 Use reverse psychology to convince someone to take the Old Maid. When another player is choosing a card from your hand, try to psych them out into taking a different card. You could say something like, “You don’t want that,” when they’re over a number card, or “This is a really good card, you should take it,” when they’re near the Old Maid.[8]
    • Players might catch onto your tricks, so try reverse-reverse psychology. When they’re near the Old Maid, tell them, “That’s the Old Maid.” They may think you’re lying, but you’re tricking them into taking it anyway.
    • This gets really important when you only have 2 or 3 cards left in your hand. Take a little extra time to scheme and convince players to take the Old Maid from you.
  4. Step 4 Tuck the Old Maid behind other cards to entice players. 4 Tuck the Old Maid behind other cards to entice players. If you have the Old Maid, try hiding it behind another card when you fan out your hand. The player choosing a card might think you’re hiding a good card from them and end up taking the Old Maid from you.
  5. Step 5 Take cards from different spots every turn. 5 Take cards from different spots every turn. If you grab cards from the same spot in someone’s hand every time, someone might put the Old Maid there so that you take it. Choose cards from the ends on one turn and from the middle on the next to keep the other players guessing.[9]
    6. Advertisement
Section 5 of 5:

Variations of Old Maid

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Make pairs only if the color and rank both match. 1 Make pairs only if the color and rank both match. Normally, you can make a pair if the ranks of the cards match. In this version, the cards need to have the same rank and color, so it’s harder to find the matching card you need.
    • Example: A 6 of hearts and a 6 of diamonds would make a pair because they are both red. However, a 6 of hearts could not pair with a 6 of spades or 6 of clubs because they’re black.
  2. 2 Win the game if you have the Old Maid. Rather than losing the game by ending with the Old Maid, you win instead! This changes up the game so players are actively looking for the Old Maid card and trying to keep it a secret if they have it.[10]
  3. 3 Make the most pairs to win the game. In the standard game, everyone except the Old Maid wins, but this version offers up a little more competition. After everyone finishes making pairs, the Old Maid is out of the game. The remaining players count up how many pairs they made, and whoever has the most is the winner.
  4. 4 Eliminate players over multiple rounds. Play the game like you normally would, except whoever has the Old Maid at the end is eliminated from the game completely. Shuffle and deal the cards out to the remaining players to play another round. Keep playing rounds until one person is left and crowned the ultimate winner![11]
    5. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search Add New Question
  • Question When you set down a pair, does it go to the next player? Community Answer Community Answer Nope, you don't need to do anything with the pairs besides place them face-up in front of you. They'll sit there until the game is over. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 25 Helpful 51
  • Question When the person I was drawing from runs out of cards, do I draw from the next person? Community Answer Community Answer If the person to your left is out, then you would automatically skip them and the next person to your left is the one you would take from. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 12 Helpful 57
  • Question What if there is a tie on the number of pairs? Community Answer Community Answer The players can either play a one on one rematch, or accept the results as a tie. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 16 Helpful 34
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement

Video

Read Video Transcript

Tips

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

You Might Also Like

Easy Card Games with a Deck of Cards30+ Easy Card Games to Play with Family and Friends Card Games for Kids15+ Fun Card Games for Kids of All Ages Card Games for 3 People13 Best Card Games for 3 People Play Go FishHow to Play Go Fish with Playing Cards Card Drinking Games30+ Drinking Card Games That Are a Boozy Blast Play HeartsThe Ultimate Guide to Hearts: Free Printable Rules & More Play Golf (Card Game)How toPlay Golf (Card Game) Play Spoons (Card Game)How to Play Spoons: Instructions, Rules, & More Garbage Card GameHow to Play Garbage (AKA Trash) Play the Palace Card GameHow toPlay the Palace Card Game Card Games for 2 PeopleThe Best Card Games to Try with Only 2 Players Play UNOHow toPlay UNO Play 'Bitches' (Card Game)How toPlay 'Bitches' (Card Game) Play TrashHow toPlay Trash Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ https://www.ducksters.com/games/old_maid_rules.php
  2. ↑ https://youtu.be/2k1pHpGPMdc?t=34
  3. ↑ https://youtu.be/u9MMC76rvgA?t=31
  4. ↑ https://gamerules.com/rules/old-maid-card-game/
  5. ↑ https://gamerules.com/rules/old-maid-card-game/
  6. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/passing/oldmaid.html
  7. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/passing/oldmaid.html
  8. ↑ https://www.ducksters.com/games/old_maid_rules.php
  9. ↑ https://www.ducksters.com/games/old_maid_rules.php
More References (2)
  1. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/passing/oldmaid.html
  2. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/passing/oldmaid.html

About This Article

Ashton Wu Reviewed by: Ashton Wu Game Expert This article was reviewed by Ashton Wu and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Ashton Wu is a Board Game expert at Shelfside. After delving into the Yugioh tournament community while growing up, Ashton launched himself into the board gaming community in 2014 and went into reviewing board games as a career full-time in 2019. His YouTube channel Shelfside has over 50K subscribers and over 4 million views, assisted by written reviews on the Shelfside website and BoardGameGeek.com. He also consults with gaming companies to build high-quality gaming products. Ashton is a tournament commentator, board game playthrough director, and host of the Shelfside Podcast, where he talks about board games with his business partner, Daniel. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to the Technology Management Certificate. This article has been viewed 432,635 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 24 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 432,635 Categories: Matching Card Games | Card Games Article SummaryX

Old Maid is a fun card game that can be played with 2 to 8 players and a standard deck of playing cards. The goal of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your hand by making pairs. Whoever is left with the odd card out loses! Before you start the game, remove the Queen of Clubs from the deck so there’s an odd number of cards. Then, deal out all of the cards, and let everyone place any pairs in their hand face-up on the table. Now, have the dealer fan out their cards face-down. The player to the left of the dealer chooses one of the dealer’s cards. Next, that player fans out their cards for the player to their left, and that player chooses one of their cards. Play continues like this clockwise around the circle. Whenever you get a pair, place the cards face-up on the table. Once you play all of the cards in your hand, you’re out. Whoever gets stuck with the odd card out, the Queen of Spades, loses, and is the Old Maid! For game strategies, like how to trick the person to your left into picking the Old Maid card, read on. Did this summary help you?YesNo

In other languages Spanish Russian French Italian Portuguese Indonesian Czech Japanese
  • Print
  • Send fan mail to authors
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 432,635 times.

Reader Success Stories

  • Tamara Rangel

    Tamara Rangel

    May 2, 2017

    "We didn't remember if you dealt all the cards or a certain amount and had a draw pile. Now we know. Thank you."
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Ashton Wu Reviewed by: Ashton Wu Game Expert Click a star to vote Co-authors: 24 Updated: February 19, 2026 Views: 432,635 Tamara Rangel

Tamara Rangel

May 2, 2017

"We didn't remember if you dealt all the cards or a certain amount and had a draw pile. Now we know. Thank you." S. M.

S. M.

Jun 30, 2021

"We did not know how to play Old Maid, so thanks we found out!" Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

Quizzes & Games

Would You Survive in Borderland? (Alice In Borderland)Would You Survive in Borderland? (Alice In Borderland)PlayWhat Tarot Card Am I QuizWhat Tarot Card Am I QuizTake QuizAmong Us Play Style Personality QuizAmong Us Play Style Personality QuizTake QuizAdvanced Roulette GameAdvanced Roulette GamePlayIQ TestIQ TestTake QuizWhat Age Is My Brain QuizWhat Age Is My Brain QuizTake Quiz

You Might Also Like

Easy Card Games with a Deck of Cards30+ Easy Card Games to Play with Family and FriendsCard Games for Kids15+ Fun Card Games for Kids of All AgesCard Games for 3 People13 Best Card Games for 3 PeoplePlay Go FishHow to Play Go Fish with Playing Cards

Featured Articles

What 16 of the Most Common Hugs MeanWhat 16 of the Most Common Hugs MeanJuicy, Deep, & Hot-Seat Questions to Get to Know Your Friends BetterJuicy, Deep, & Hot-Seat Questions to Get to Know Your Friends Better40+ Talking Games to Play with Friends, Partners & More40+ Talking Games to Play with Friends, Partners & MoreMake FriendsHow toMake Friends

Trending Articles

Do I Have Brainrot QuizDo I Have Brainrot QuizWhat Emojis Mean Sex?What Emojis Mean Sex?What Pokémon Am I QuizWhat Pokémon Am I Quiz151 of the Juiciest “Most Likely To” Questions to Ask151 of the Juiciest “Most Likely To” Questions to AskSigns a Woman is Sexually Attracted to YouSigns a Woman is Sexually Attracted to YouDo You Agree with These Hygiene Hot Takes?Do You Agree with These Hygiene Hot Takes?

Featured Articles

The Different Types of People You Can Find in a Friend GroupThe Different Types of People You Can Find in a Friend GroupAn Introduction to Kibbe Body Types (with Styling Tips!)An Introduction to Kibbe Body Types (with Styling Tips!)Being the Little Spoon While Cuddling: Is It Better Than the Big Spoon?Being the Little Spoon While Cuddling: Is It Better Than the Big Spoon?From Alpha to Omega: A Guide to the 7 Male PersonalitiesFrom Alpha to Omega: A Guide to the 7 Male Personalities

Featured Articles

7 Easy Card Magic Tricks You Can Master in Minutes7 Easy Card Magic Tricks You Can Master in Minutes Perform Magic: 8 Tricks for BeginnersHow to Perform Magic: 8 Tricks for BeginnersHypnotize SomeoneHow toHypnotize SomeoneThe Easiest Guinness World Records to Break: Which Will You Try?The Easiest Guinness World Records to Break: Which Will You Try? Solve a Rubik's Cube in 20 MovesHow to Solve a Rubik's Cube in 20 MovesWhistle with Two FingersHow toWhistle with Two Fingers

Watch Articles

Grow Out Your BangsHow toGrow Out Your BangsDress PunkHow toDress PunkEnd a Long Distance RelationshipHow toEnd a Long Distance RelationshipDo E Girl EyelinerHow toDo E Girl EyelinerRespond to the Fire EmojiHow toRespond to the Fire Emoji Stop Your Glasses from Making Your Eyes Look SmallHow to Stop Your Glasses from Making Your Eyes Look Small

Trending Articles

Do You Agree with These "Hear Me Out" Character Hot Takes?Do You Agree with These "Hear Me Out" Character Hot Takes?Am I More Hannah Montana or Miley Stewart?Am I More Hannah Montana or Miley Stewart?The Most Attractive Zodiac Signs & What Makes Each Sign BeautifulThe Most Attractive Zodiac Signs & What Makes Each Sign Beautiful24 Different Types of Bras Explained24 Different Types of Bras ExplainedWhat Are the Korean Animal Face Types? (And Which Type Do You Have?)What Are the Korean Animal Face Types? (And Which Type Do You Have?)Can Your Finger Length Tell Your Personality?Can Your Finger Length Tell Your Personality?

Quizzes & Games

The Impossible QuizThe Impossible QuizTake QuizAm I a Genius QuizAm I a Genius QuizTake QuizEmoji TestEmoji TestTake QuizWhat Type Of Spirit Am I QuizWhat Type Of Spirit Am I QuizTake QuizFinish the Phrase QuizFinish the Phrase QuizTake QuizSimple Roulette GameSimple Roulette GamePlay wikiHow
  • Categories
  • Hobbies and Crafts
  • Games
  • Card Games
  • Matching Card Games
wikiHow Newsletter You're all set! Helpful how-tos delivered toyour inbox every week! Sign me up! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy.
  • Home
  • About wikiHow
  • Experts
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • Site Map
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Info
  • Not Selling Info
  • Contribute

Follow Us

×

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Develop the tech skills you need for work and life

Let's do this! X --571

Tag » How To Play Old Maid