**Old Maid** is one of the simplest matching card games, but deck preparation often causes confusion because it requires modifying a standard 52-card deck before dealing.
Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about setting up and preparing an Old Maid deck:
---
### 1. How do you turn a standard 52-card deck into an Old Maid deck?
To prepare a standard deck for Old Maid, you must ensure there is **exactly one unmatched card** (the "Old Maid") and that all other cards can be paired up completely.
1. Remove **3 Queens** from the deck, leaving only **1 Queen** (usually the $\text{Queen of Spades}$). This single Queen becomes the "Old Maid."
2. Keep all other 48 cards (Aces through Kings) in the deck. Because every other rank has an even number of cards (4 of each rank), they will all pair up neatly.
3. Shuffle the remaining **49 cards** thoroughly before dealing.
> **Alternative Method:** Instead of removing 3 Queens, you can remove a single **Joker** or a single **Jack** from the deck, making the remaining matching card the "Old Maid." However, removing 3 Queens is the most traditional method.
---
### 2. How many cards are dealt to each player?
Deal **all 49 cards** face-down, one at a time, clockwise around the table until the entire deck is distributed.
Because 49 is an odd number, **it is completely normal for some players to have 1 more card than others** (e.g., in a 3-player game, one player gets 17 cards while two players get 16). This does not affect gameplay or fairness.
---
### 3. What should players do immediately after the deal?
Before taking turns drawing cards from each other:
1. Every player looks at their hand and finds all matching **pairs** of the same rank (e.g., two $7\text{s}$, two $\text{Aces}$, two $\text{Kings}$). Color or suit does not matter—only the rank.
2. Players place all their initial pairs **face-up on the table** in front of them.
3. If a player holds **3 cards of the same rank** (e.g., three $5\text{s}$), they discard **1 pair** and keep the $3\text{rd}$ card in their hand.
4. If a player holds **4 cards of the same rank**, they discard **2 pairs**.
---
### 4. What happens if someone is dealt 3 Queens by mistake?
This means the deck was not prepared properly before dealing. If more than 1 Queen remains in the deck, multiple players can form pairs and discard them, leaving **no Old Maid left in the game**.
If you notice this during the initial pair-discarding phase, stop the game, retrieve the extra Queens, shuffle the 49-card deck, and re-deal.
---
### 5. Can you use dedicated "Old Maid" commercial decks?
Yes. Custom Old Maid card decks come with pre-made matching picture cards (often depicting professions or characters) and a single dedicated "Old Maid" card.
* Dedicated decks typically contain **37 to 39 cards** (19 paired characters plus 1 Old Maid).
* Setup is even simpler: shuffle the entire custom deck and deal out all cards evenly among players.