Old Maid

Old Maid

Old Maid is a traditional children's game. You can buy a deck of cards designed for the game, but it can be easily played with a standard deck of cards:

Throw away all but one of the queens from the deck. You won't use the "extra queens" during play. (You may also want to throw out all black cards or all red cards to speed up the game). Deal all the cards out to the players. Players put down any pairs they have, then keep the rest of their cards in their hand, hidden from their opponents. From here on, take turns; on your turn, draw a card from any other player. If you made a pair, then put it down.

In the end, all cards except the "old maid" (the one queen left in the deck) will be down in pairs. Whoever holds that card loses! Everybody else wins!

The best part of this game is seeing another player draw the old maid away from you. You're supposed to keep it a secret when this happens (because other players will avoid drawing from the victim if they know that they risk the old maid by doing so), but young children usually laugh or gloat when the old maid gets taken from them. Adults playing can make the victim feel better by trying to draw the maid away from them.

BoardGameGeek Info

Publisher
(Unknown),(Web published),Adolf Johnsons förlag,Algazarra,AMIGO Spiel + Freizeit GmbH,Andrews & Blaine,Antwerpsche Hypotheekkas,Arrco Playing Card Co.,Arrow Games Ltd,ASS Altenburger Spielkarten,Berliner Spielkarten,Bielefelder Spielkarten,Birkel Teigwaren GmbH,Bizerba,Brandstätter Group,Built-Rite,Cardinal,Carlit,Cartamundi,Cathay Pacific,Chad Valley,Cheatwell Games,Chiefton Products Ltd.,Clifford Toys,Clown Games,Comas,Copag - Cia. Paulista de Artes Gráficas,Dagobert,Damm / Egmont,danspil,Diddl Spiele,Djeco,Dr. Herbert Schulze,Dr. Rolf Ottmüller,E. E. Fairchild Corporation,ED-U-Cards Mfg,Editoy,Eldorado,Ensslin & Laiblin,Esslinger Verlag J. F. Schreiber GmbH,F.X. Schmid,Falcon Games (I),Fan Games,Fisher Price,Franz Schmidt,Frito-Lay,Fritz Schulz Jun,Fundex,Garant Schoenmode,Golden,Granna,Green Giant Company,H. Reichardt,HABA - Habermaaß GmbH,Hallmark Games,Hamleys,Hausser,Heidmük-Verlag,Henbrandt Limited,Hensel's Drei Glocken,Heraclio Fournier,Holtz & Willemsen,Homann Erzeugnisse,Hoyle Products,IKEA,International Games,Invicta Games,Ivory Tower Publishing,J. CH. Mellinger Verlag,Jeux FK,Jeux Stella,Jewish Educational Toys,John Dickinson & Co,Jos. Scholz,Josef Hohlweg Wien,Jumbo,Kärnan,Kaysons Novelty Co.,KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH,King Cards,King International,Lademann Forlagsaktieselskab,LandesFeuerwehrVerband Bayern e.V.,McLoughlin Brothers,Melissa & Doug,Michael Stanfield,Milton Bradley,moses. Verlag GmbH,Mulder,Music Games,Nathan,Nature Conservation,Norisbank,Novel Toy Company,Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag,Obchodni Tiskárny,Omnium-Waalwijk,Oriental Trading Company,Otto Maier Benelux B.V.,P:OS Handels GmbH,Papita,Parker Brothers,Patch Products,Paul Lamond Games Ltd,Peliko,Pelikp/Martinex Oy,Pepys (Castell Brothers),Pestalozzi-Verlag,Piatnik,PlayMobil Interactive,Pressman Toy Corp.,Ravensburger Spieleverlag GmbH,Rewe,Richard Hauenstein,Roberts Brothers Games,Rudolf Forkel KG,Russell Manufacturing Company,Salamander,Schmidt Spiele,School Zone Publishing Company,Schwager & Steinlein,Selecta Spel en Hobby,Simba Toys,Sondertyp-Zigaretten,Sparkasse,Spear's Games,Die Spiegelburg,Tampereen Paperikonttori Oy,Teepe Sportverlag,Tietz und Pinthus,Tower Press,Trefl,The United States Playing Card Company,University Games,VEB Landesdruckerei Sachsen,Vereinigte Kunstanstalten Senkeisen,Verlag für Lehrmittel Pössneck,Volkswagen/Audi,W. H. Cornelius Ltd.,Waddingtons Games,Waldman,Walt Disney Productions,Walter Flechsig,Warren Company,Warren Paper Products Co.,Western Publishing Company,Whitman,WHSmith,Wild Party Games,Zahnärztekammer Schleswig Holstein,Zynga
Published in
1874
My Rating
0.0
BGG Rating
4.64
BGG Rank
26675
Players
2-6
Ages
4+
Duration
0:05
Complexity
1.0451 / 5
Eager to Play
No
Plays
1
Last Played
December 31, 2013
Time Spent
0:05

One play

  • December 31, 2013