Old Maid: Rules and How to Play
Old Maid is a card game for 2 to 8 players, about 5 minutes. Draw and pair up matching ranks; whoever holds the joker last loses. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- Two to eight players. Use a 52-card deck plus one joker, 53 cards in all.
- Deal out the whole deck. It's fine if it doesn't divide evenly and players end up with different numbers of cards.
- Lay down and discard face up any pairs of matching rank you were dealt. If you have three of a kind, pair off two and keep the third.
- The deck is a setting. The Japanese default keeps one joker; the Western default removes one queen (51 cards); a hidden-card variant removes one card face down before the deal so nobody knows what it was.
How to play
- On your turn, draw one face-down card from the player to your right (or left, by setting) — you don't know which card you're taking.
- If it matches a rank already in your hand, discard that pair face up. Otherwise keep it.
- Play passes to the next player once the draw is resolved.
- You can rearrange your own cards on your tray at any time — spreading one card out or tucking it to an edge, for example, is part of the bluff before it's drawn.
- Others only see your tray's layout (coordinates and card count), never the ranks or suits. The same is true in reverse: you can't see what you're about to draw.
Winning and scoring
- A player who reaches zero cards is ranked at that moment and drops out of future draws.
- Play continues until one player is left. That player is holding the one card nobody could pair (the joker by default), and loses.
- Finishing order becomes final placement, with the last player left in last place.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–8 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeckDeckWith one joker, whoever is left holding the joker loses. With a queen removed, the unpaired queen becomes the losing card. With a hidden card, one card is taken out face down, so nobody knows which card is the loser until the very end. | Which deck to use, and which card makes you lose. | One joker (Japanese default) | Yes |
| Draw direction | Which neighbour the active player draws from. | Draw from the right | Yes |
Terms
- Joker
- The one card with no match. Whoever holds it last loses.
- Tray
- The area where you can freely place your own cards. Sticking one out is a bluff before it's drawn.
FAQ
How do I draw?
On your turn, tap a face-down card on the next player's tray.
How does losing work?
Play continues until one player is left holding the one card nobody could pair (the joker by default).
How should I arrange my cards?
However you like — drag them freely. Sticking one card out, for instance, is part of how you bluff whoever draws from you next.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-23 · Run by Qdan, Inc.