They come in many different designs – funny, vintage, educational, etc.

Get a deck of unique Old Maid cards crafted explicitly for this game.

Nevertheless, when it comes to the cards, you have two options: Old Maid is a simple card game, and you won’t need anything other than the cards and a table to play it. It’s also noteworthy that Old Maid was known mainly as a drinking game before becoming popular with kids and families. Nevertheless, historians believe that Old Maid most likely originates in similar Asian games. The main difference is that while the English version asks players to symbolically avoid an unmarried woman (quite characteristic of the prudish Victorian era), the continental version of the game has borrowed its name from a famous German robber Johann Peter Petri. Old Maid’s rules closely resemble another European game called Black Peter (known in many countries under local language variations including Černý Petr, Piotruś, and Pekka-pelikortit). According to historical sources, the game was invented around 1883. Old Maid is a traditional British card game dating back to the 19th century. Why We Love It: Watching as someone unwittingly draws the single worst card from your hand while holding your laughter makes Old Maid genuinely memorable! A Brief History of Old Maid At the same time, they must avoid the ‘old maid’ – the only card without a matching pair. Main Objective: Players aim to match their cards in pairs and get rid of them as soon as possible. So, in the end, Old Maid is all about luck – and that, combined with the slightly malicious joy of watching someone taking out the wrong card away from your hand, makes this game totally worth it.Ĭategory: Card-passing kid-friendly card game

All it takes to master this game is some focus, basic recognition of the involved cards, decent observation skills, and self-control (which I’ll explain shortly).īut there’s only so much you can affect in this game with your skills.

Old Maid focuses on collecting and discarding pairs of matching cards. Read on for the complete instructions on how to play Old Maid. Other similar games to Old Maid (our guides).This Old Maid rules guide will cover the following: This joyful game is all about matching, guessing, and luck, making it a perfect choice for a game night with your family, including its youngest members. Not familiar with Old Maid? Maybe you know this classic family-friendly card game under some of its other names, including Scabby Queen, Vieux Garçon, Schwarzer Peter, or Black Peter. Not sure how to play? Learn the Old Maid rules right here. It’s simple, fast-paced, fun, and you can enjoy it pretty much everywhere. Old Maid is a traditional card game that can appeal to all age groups.

Antique old maid cards