Track the Queens
There are three Queens in play and only one pair of them can go down. Watch the discard pile. Once a pair of Queens has gone down, the one Queen left is the Old Maid.
Know who has it
- If you hold it, you can't hide it. The next computer player draws from your hand at random, so every turn you have a chance of passing it on.
- If a player takes it from you, you know they have it. You draw from the player after you, so if that's the one holding it, every draw is a risk.
- Players shuffle their hands after each draw, so a card's position in a hand never gives it away.
Small hands are safer
The fewer cards you hold, the sooner you're out and safe. Every pair you make brings you closer. A hand of one card that isn't a Queen only needs one lucky draw to finish.
3 or 4 players
With four players the deck is split thinner, so hands are smaller and players go out sooner. With three, games last longer and the Old Maid moves round the table more often.