Board Game

Old Maid

Released 1874 / 2-6 players / 5-5 min / Ages 4+

Also known as Agricola Schwarzer Peter, Alice Schwarzer Peter-Spiel, Alles Kocht, Augen auf im Straßenverkehr, Auto-peli, Behmen: A Cage Card Game, Bereboot Zwarte Piet, Bienenleben-Bienenfleiß, Birds, Black Peter, Black Susy, Bob der Baumeister, La Bonne Pioche, Brandschutzhelfer Klaus, Bugs Bunny El Conejo de la Suerte, Bussi Bär Schwarzer Peter, Caperucita Roja, Captain Kangaroo Noah's Ark Card Game, Cat Lady Old Maid, Černý Petr, Černý Petr: Děti, Černý Petr: Hrajeme si, Černý Petr: Psi, Černý Petr: Veselé obrázky, Černý Petr: Zvířata, Chicken Little: Donkey, Čierny Peter, Circus Donkey, Corrida del Toros, Crni Petar, Cuckoo Game, Czarny Piotruś, Daffy Duck Old Maid, Dagobert Duck, Des Oiseaux, Diddl auf dem Kaktus, Diddl Schwarzer Peter, Dieren Zwarte Piet, Dirty Old Maid, Donkey, Duck Tales Zwarte Piet, Fancy Dress Old Maid, Farmyard Donkey, FC Bayern Schwarzer Peter, Fekete Péter, Felix und der Schwarze Peter, Der Feuerteufel ist der Schwarze Peter, Fiddlesticks, Find the Diamond, Finding Nemo, Fred Basset, Frozen II: Pairs & Memo Game, The Game of Dont's and Old Maid, The Game of Good Old Maid, The Game of Merry Matches, The Game of Old Bachelor, Game of Old Maid, The Game of Old Maid, Gammel Jomfru, Garfield Odie Maid, El Gato con Botas, Giant Old Maid, Globi Schwarzer Peter, Goodbye Donald, Guten Appetit!, Hatschi-Peter, Heimische Kuchenkrauter, Hello Kitty Old Maid, Homann Sportspiel Schwarzer Peter, Hong Kong Phooey Old Maid, Jagd-Peter, Jean Qui Rit et Jean Qui Pleure, Jeu du Mistigri, Jewish Old Maid, The Jolly Game of Old Maid, Jolly Green Giant Card Game, Jumbo Old Maid, The Jungle Book Game, Kænguru-kort, Keiner will Stinky, Kennst Du Mich?, Kinder aus aller Welt Schwarzer Peter, Klein Duimpje, Kleine Verkehrslehre, Kleiner Schwarzer Rabe, Kli-Kla-Klawitter, Knax Wer ist Fetz?, L'uomo nero, Lalaloopsy Old Maid Card Game, Lalaloopsy Old Maid Travel Game Tote, Länder-Peter, Li'l Stinker, The Lion King, Little Miss Splendid's Game of Old Maid, Llama Drama!, Looney Tunes Odd Card Out, Looney Tunes Old Maid, Lucky Llama!, Lurchi Spiel Schwarzer Peter, Lustige Tiere, Magik Van Jou..., Mainzelmännchen Sportparade, Maja Schwarze Thekla, Märchen, Max und Moritz, Maxi Mini: Schwarzer Peter Biene Maja, Maxi-Mini: Schwarzer Peter, Maxi-Mini: Schwarzer Peter Schlümpfe, Medieval Old Maid, Mein erster Schwarzer Peter, Mein Schwarzer Peter, The Merry Game of Old Maid, Mickey Mouse Old Maid Cards, Mistiboo!, mistibOo!, Misticat, Mistigri, Mistigri des animaux, Der Mond im Mühlenteich, Monk's Hood, Monster Old Maid, Mother Goose Party or Merry Game of Old Maid, Mother Goose's Party, or the Merry Game of Old Maid, Motorsport, Mr Mean's Game of Old Maid, Munchhausens Abenteuer, Must notsu, Musta Pekka, Naughty Peter, El Negrito Pedro, Nijntjes Zwarte Piet Spel, Odd Card Out, Off With Her Head, Die Olchies Schwarzer Täter, Old Bachelor, Old Glory, Old Maid at the County Fair, Old Maid FarmVille Animal Games, Old Maid featuring The Big "G" Characters, Old Maid Game, Old Maid Space Age Edition, Old Maid Wildlife Edition, Old Maid: Numbers, Old Maid!, Old Maids, On the Farm Donkey, Original Struwwelpeter Schwarzer Peter, Ott, Paddington Le Valet Noir, Paddington Zwarte Piet, Parata Sportiva dei Gnomi, Parejas del Mundo, Parejas del mundo, Pass the Buck, Pass the Ugly Sweater, Paw Patrol: Old Bone, Peikko-peli, Pekka-peli, Le Père Fouettard, Petter-spel, Pferdefreunde, Pfiffikus, Pierino nero, Pierre le Négre, Pierre Noir, Pilzmännlein, Pingu Schwarzer Peter, Pinocchio, Piotruś, Piotruś Smoki Wawelskie, Piotruś: Świnka Peppa, Pippi Langstrumpf Schwarzer Peter, Pippi Langstrumpf Schwarzer Seeräuber, Playmobil Schwarzer Peter, Playmobil Zwarte Piet, Pocahontas Zwarte Piet, Poto Sucio, Pouilleux, Pulgarcito, Pupazzo Cornuto, Rewe Sportspiel, Rose Petal Place Where Is Nastina?, Rower Moje Marzenie, Royal Old Maid Game, San Francisco Vs Fog, Die Schlümpfe Schwarzer Peter, Les Schtroumpfs De Smurfen, Der Schwarze Peter Lehrt Euch Zählen!, Schwarze Petra, Der Schwarzer Peter, Schwarzer Peter, Schwarzer Peter Ausmal-Spiel, Schwarzer Peter Berufe, Schwarzer Peter Bunte Tierwelt, Schwarzer Peter Bunte Welt, Schwarzer Peter Fantasy, Schwarzer Peter Heidi, Schwarzer Peter in Aktion, Schwarzer Peter Märchen, Schwarzer Peter mit Kindern aus aller Welt, Schwarzer Peter Tiere im Zoo, Schwarzer Peter und Schnipp-Schnapp, Schwarzer Peter Verkehrszeichen, Schwarzer Peter Wer macht was, Schwarzer Peter Zootiere, Schwarzer Peter-Spiel, Schwarzer Peter: Der Wald und Seine Leute, Schwarzer Ritter, Schwarzer Tiger, Schwarzer Zahnpeter, Schwarzer-Peter-Spiel, Simon de Schoorsteenveger & Boerderij Kwartet, Slob, Sloth, Slow Poke, Sneaky Sharks, Sorte Per, Sorteper, Sprookjes Duet 1, Super Schwarzer Peter: Katze, Super Things: Secret Spies, Svarta Maja, Svarte Petter, Svarteper, Svarti-Pétur, Tammy Card Game, Tiana's Fairytale Game, Tiersport-Peter, Troll-spel, Das Verkehrsteufelchen lernt es nie!, Die Vogelhochzeit, Vogelwelt, W. Busch Quartett mit Schwarzen Peter, Waagen Quartett, Wer kennt die Farben?, Wer machts richtig?, Wie Wird Das Wetter, Winnie the Pooh, Wir feiern Vogelhochzeit, Witch Switch, Woodland Old Maid, Woody Woodpecker and his Friends, World's Smallest Old Maid, Wuzzles, You're a Grouch!, Zauberkarussell, Zoo Schwarzer Peter, Zwarte Piet, Zwei gehoren zusammen, Старая дева

Designer: (Uncredited)

Artist: (Uncredited)

Publisher: (Public Domain), (Self-Published), (Unknown), (Web published), Adolf Johnsons förlag, AG Müller (AGMüller), Algazarra, AMIGO, Andrews & Blaine, Anker Play Products, Antwerpsche Hypotheekkas, Arrco Playing Card Co., Arrow Games Ltd, ASS Altenburger Spielkarten, Bazoo Global, Berliner Spielkarten, Bielefelder Spielkarten, Birkel Teigwaren GmbH, Bizerba, Brandstätter Group, Built-Rite, Cardinal, Carlit, Cartamundi, Cathay Pacific, CES, Chad Valley Co Ltd., Cheatwell Games, Chiefton Products Ltd., Chronicle Books, Clifford Toys, Clown Games, Comas, Copag Cards, Creative Child Games, Dagobert, danspil, Diddl Spiele, Djeco, Dr. Herbert Schulze, Dr. Rolf Ottmüller, Drechsler, 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, General Mills, Golden, Gramicus, Granna, Green Giant Company, Greenbrier International, Inc., H-B Productions, Inc., H. Reichardt, HABA, Hallmark Games, Hamleys, Hausser, Haywire Group, Heidmük-Verlag, Henbrandt Limited, Hensel's Drei Glocken, Heraclio Fournier, Holtz & Willemsen, Homann Erzeugnisse, Horizon Group USA, Hoyle Products, IKEA, International Games, Invicta Games, Ivory Tower Publishing, J. CH. Mellinger Verlag, JA-RU Inc., Jeux FK, Jeux Stella, Jewish Educational Toys, Jogojoy, Jogojoy, 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., Magtoys, McLoughlin Brothers, Melissa & Doug, MGA Entertainment, Michael Stanfield, Milton Bradley, moses. Verlag GmbH, Mudpuppy, Mulder, Muppets, Inc., Music Games, N.W. Damm & Søn (Damm), Nathan, Nature Conservation, Norisbank, Novel Toy Company, Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag, Obchodni Tiskárny, Oetinger Spiele, Omnium-Waalwijk, Oriental Trading Company, Otto Maier Benelux B.V., Otto Maier Verlag, P:OS Handels GmbH, Paletti, Papita, Parker Brothers, Patch Products, Paul Lamond Games Ltd, Peaceable Kingdom, Peliko Oy, Pepys (Castell Brothers), Pestalozzi-Verlag, Piatnik, PlayMobil Interactive, Porst-Spiel, Pressman Toy Corp., Raeapteek, Ravensburger, Rewe, Richard Hauenstein, Roberts Brothers Games, Rudolf Forkel KG, Russell Manufacturing Company, Salamander, Schaper, Schmidt Spiele, School Zone Publishing Company, Schwager & Steinlein, Selecta Spel en Hobby, Shuffle, Simba Toys, Sondertyp-Zigaretten, Søstrene Grene, Sparkasse, Spear's Games, Die Spiegelburg, Spin Master Ltd., Super Impulse, Tampereen Paperikonttori Oy, Teepe Sportverlag, ThinkFun, Tietz und Pinthus, Tower Press, Toysmith, Trefl, The United States Playing Card Company, University Games, VEB Landesdruckerei Sachsen, Vereinigte Kunstanstalten Senkeisen, Verlag für Lehrmittel Pössneck, Verlag Rudolf Forkel, Volkswagen/Audi, W. H. Cornelius Ltd., Waddingtons, Waldman, Walt Disney Productions (Disney), Walter Flechsig, Warren Company, Warren Paper Products Co., Western Publishing Company, Whitman, WHSmith, Wild Party Games, Winning Moves International Ltd, Zahnärztekammer Schleswig Holstein, Zynga

Description

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.