How to Play Old Maid With Cards

This game is an easy one for younger children and is a good two player game. To play Old Maid with a regular card deck, at least four cards need to be removed. As the name suggests, a card featuring a female character is needed, and what better card to use than a queen! Only one queen is needed for this game, so the other three need to be removed, along with one additional card to balance the number of cards.

The remainder of the deck is shuffled and half is dealt to each of the two players. Obviously, one player will get the old maid (the one remaining queen). The object of the game is to run out of cards and not be the player holding the old maid at the end of the game.

Players take turns drawing one card out of the other person's hand, placing down pairs of cards (i.e. two 9s or two aces) that happen to form in their hands. As cards are removed, the odds for getting the maid in the draw increase until you are almost certain to get the card. The winner is the first one to run out of cards in his hand. The loser is the one who has the old maid (queen).

This game is very relaxed and laid back. It goes at a relatively slow pace, making it perfect for younger kids learning how to match. It likely can be played with more players, although I never have. Have fun and enjoy this simple, yet entertaining game!