How To Play Old Maid

Old Maid: A Timeless Card Game for All Ages

Introduction

Old Maid is a classic card game that has been enjoyed by people of all ages for centuries. It is a simple game to learn, yet it provides hours of entertainment. The game is perfect for family gatherings, parties, or any other time you want to have some fun.

Objective

The objective of Old Maid is to be the first player to get rid of all of your cards. The player who is left with the Old Maid card at the end of the game loses.

Materials

• A standard deck of 52 playing cards

Setup

1. Remove the Queen of Spades from the deck. This card is the Old Maid.
2. Shuffle the remaining cards and deal them out evenly to all of the players.

Gameplay

1. The player to the left of the dealer starts the game.
2. On your turn, you must offer your hand of cards to the player to your left.
3. The player to your left must choose a card from your hand.
4. If the card the player chooses matches one of the cards in their hand, they put the pair down in front of them and take another turn.
5. If the card the player chooses does not match any of the cards in their hand, they must keep the card and it is their turn.
6. Play continues until one player has gotten rid of all of their cards.

Variations

There are many different variations of Old Maid. Here are a few of the most popular:

• Slapjack Old Maid: This variation is played with a deck of 52 cards plus 4 jokers. The jokers are added to the deck and the Old Maid is removed. The game is played in the same way as regular Old Maid, but when a player slaps a pair of cards, they win the cards from the player who turned the pair over.
• Crazy Eights Old Maid: This variation is played with a deck of 52 cards plus 8 wild cards. The wild cards can be any card in the deck. The game is played in the same way as regular Old Maid, but when a player plays a wild card, they can call out any suit and the next player must play a card of that suit.
• Go Fish Old Maid: This variation is played with a deck of 52 cards plus 4 jokers. The jokers are added to the deck and the Old Maid is removed. The game is played in the same way as regular Old Maid, but when a player asks for a card that another player does not have, they must draw a card from the deck. If the player draws the card they asked for, they get to keep the pair and take another turn.

FAQ

• Can I look at my own cards?

No, you cannot look at your own cards.

• Can I trade cards with other players?

No, you cannot trade cards with other players.

• What happens if I get stuck with the Old Maid card?

If you get stuck with the Old Maid card, you lose the game.

• Can I play Old Maid with more than 4 players?

Yes, you can play Old Maid with more than 4 players. Just deal out all of the cards evenly to all of the players.

• Can I play Old Maid with a different deck of cards?

Yes, you can play Old Maid with a different deck of cards. Just make sure that you remove the equivalent of the Queen of Spades from the deck.