Here at our phenomenal NetBet online casino, we strive to continuously update our ever-growing library of casino games. There are many historical card games that have influenced casino games today, one of those being Old Maid. At our casino, we have a wide array of titles which we consider the finest on the market so let us give you some background on Old Maid and its history.
What is Old Maid?
Old Maid is a classic card game usually played between 2-8 players where the general objective is to get rid of all of your cards before any of your opponents. This can be played with a standard deck of cards but a joker must be added to the deck to act as the ‘old maid’. This game has Victorian origins where decks had an old maid card which modern decks do not have.
Cards are distributed to the players by the dealer and initially, players must look for any pairs of cards they have and any that they do have must be placed face up in front of them. You then go around to each player fanning your cards in front of them making sure they cannot see what cards you have. A player chooses to take a random card from their adjacent opponent’s hand. Each time this is done if you then make a new pair you would again lay it out face up in front of you.
This process continues until all pairs are down and someone is left with the ‘old maid’, making them the loser. It is a simple game loved by families and children all the way up to gamblers and professionals. Rules can be tweaked from version to version but the original objective always remains the same. Old Maid is a true classic card game that still holds up today.
History of Old Maid
As mentioned, Old Maid is one of the oldest card games still being played to this today. Historical background on this game varies but the majority of historians give credit to Germany for first officially bringing the game to light in 1821. This game likely was inspired by different card games from Ancient times and was originally intended as a drinking game with the loser having to drink. It became more popular when Frenchman Vieux Garcon started to spread the game around France using a French deck of cards.
This is where the Old Maid name comes from as old French card decks included them as a suit. As with most games, it eventually made its way to the USA later in the 1800s with the boom of casinos. The Americans took the game to a whole new level but marketed it to gamblers and transformed the way the game was played. Fast forward to modern times and the game is massive in the casino world and still enjoyed by casuals.
Online Old Maid at NetBet
At NetBet, we have plenty of card games for players to enjoy. Whether you are looking for classic titles or modern twists and features, NetBet has you covered. Head to the card games section of our online casino and you will see the amount of choice on offer.
Of course, our most popular online card game is blackjack, which can be played in many different variations. We have a number of classic blackjack titles as well as Live Casino versions and spin-off titles like Multihand Blackjack. If you are looking for something different, why not try some of our other popular card games like Brag, Craps, Baccarat and more. The influence of Old Maid on the casino industry is clear to see and without it, things would look very different today.
When you choose our fantastic NetBet Casino, you can enjoy a whole range of top-quality card games. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at NetBet, we regard player wellbeing as our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information.
