Learn the game

Old Maid rules

Learn the Old Maid rules used in DeNiro Card: the deal, legal moves and how to win. House rules vary; these are the rules at DeNiro Card tables.

How to play Old Maid

1. One Queen (any suit, chosen by the shuffle) is removed, leaving 51 cards and one Queen that can never pair.
2. Two to four players, chosen on the setup card. The whole pack is dealt out, so some hands hold one card more, and every pair in each hand is discarded at once.
3. On your turn you take one unseen card from the next player still in. A new pair drops immediately.
4. Once your hand is empty you are safe.
5. The last player left holding the odd Queen loses. Everyone else wins and shares the pot.
6. Your clock: at a coin table against the computer you get up to 90 seconds for each move, and the table header counts down the exact time left. If it runs out, the table plays that move for you on the merits. You are not forfeited, nothing extra is charged, and your stake and payout are unchanged. Each of your first three missed moves keeps the full clock; miss a third in a row and the rest of the hand runs at computer speed, about two thirds of a second a turn, which in practice finishes it for you. Making one move yourself puts the full clock back. An Online table against real people runs its own, separate clock; watch the same countdown there.

Common questions

Playing in DeNiro Card

Practice lets you play any game with no account and no coins. Coin tables use virtual play coins and need a DeNiro account; choose a coin stake before joining one. Leaving an active coin game forfeits the stake and adds a 10% leaving fee. Play coins have no cash value and cannot be cashed out.

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