Old Maid: play online for free (solo & multiplayer)

Old Maid is a classic card game for 4 players. You form pairs and try not to get stuck with the one card that has no match, the Old Maid. If you enjoy Old Maid, you'll also like Crazy Eights.

You can play Old Maid online for free and you don't need an account to get started. Play against the computer or against other people online. Join a public table or create a private one and invite friends and family.

Old Maid by the numbers

Real totals from every game of Old Maid played on World of Card Games, updated October 2026.

Rules

Here's everything you need to play your first game. If you want the full reference or prefer learning by doing, our guide on how to play Old Maid has the complete rules and an interactive tutorial that walks you through a real game.

Objective

Form pairs and avoid being the player left holding the Old Maid, the one Queen that can't be paired. A pair is two cards of the same rank, like two 7s or two Kings. There are no points to count.

The deal

One Queen is removed from a standard 52-card deck, which leaves 51 cards and one Queen without a match. A random player deals all the cards face down, starting on their left, so the dealer holds one card fewer than the others. Before play starts, everyone puts any pairs already in their hand aside face down. The dealer goes first: the player on the dealer's left draws from the dealer's hand.

The play

On your turn you draw one card from the hand of the player on your right. Their cards are spread face down, so you can't see what you take. If the card pairs with one in your hand, the pair goes down face up. Otherwise you keep it. Then the player on your left draws from you, so play moves clockwise around the table. A player with no cards left is safe and is skipped. If your last card goes down on your own turn, the player on your left skips their draw and offers their hand to the next player instead.

Winning and losing

The game ends when every pair has been laid down. One card is left over, the odd Queen. Whoever holds it loses. Everyone else at the table wins.

How to win at Old Maid

Old Maid is mostly a game of luck. The card you draw is random, so no trick guarantees a win. What you can do is read the table and know exactly where the danger sits. Then let the odds work for you.

• Watch the pair counts. Every pair that goes down takes two more cards out of play, so you can see how close the end is.
• Keep an eye on hand sizes. A player with an empty hand is safe for the rest of the game and the Old Maid must be hiding in one of the hands that still hold cards.
• Note who draws a card without laying a pair down. Toward the end of the game, that's often enough to work out who holds the Old Maid.
• Don't panic when you draw the Old Maid. It only matters who holds her when the last pair goes down and your neighbor may pull her from your hand on the very next turn.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Old Maid card?

One of the four Queens is set aside before the deal, so only three Queens are in play. Two of them can pair with each other and the third has no match. Whichever Queen is left unpaired at the end of the game is the Old Maid.

Who wins a game of Old Maid?

Everyone except the player holding the Old Maid when the last pair is laid down. There are no points and no scores to count. One player loses and the rest of the table wins.

How do I play Old Maid with friends?

Host a private table and invite your friends. Click the round yellow Play button at the table's top left to open the Play menu. Choose "Host table", turn on "Private table" and type a table name. At your new table, click "Invite players" and copy the link for your friends. Friends can also choose "Join private" in the same menu and type the same name. Three friends fill the table. With fewer, add a bot at each empty seat.

Can I play Old Maid against the computer?

Yes. This page starts you in a game against bots right away. For another game, click the round yellow Play button to open the Play menu and choose "New game".

Can 2 people play Old Maid?

On this site Old Maid is always played with 4 players. You and a friend can share a private table and fill the two remaining seats with bots.

How long does a game of Old Maid take?

About 2 minutes on average across the games played on this site. A game runs until every pair is on the table and only the odd Queen remains.

Is Old Maid free to play here?

Yes. Old Maid is free in your browser with no download and no signup. You only need an account if you want to keep long-term stats or play ranked games.

What games are similar to Old Maid?

If you enjoy Old Maid, try the site's other classic card games, such as Crazy Eights, Cribbage and Go Fish.