The game known as "Old Maid" is a favorite that will continue to be
played as long as cards exist. How it is played is within the knowledge
of everybody, but the following variation is not so well-known, and it
is certainly more exciting.
Instead of taking out of the pack any of the queens, in this variation
the Queen of Clubs is removed. Then, the passing on of cards from one
player to another and the pairing, whenever possible, proceeds in the
usual way. But a red queen can only be paired with the other red queen,
which makes the Queen of Spades a troublesome card.
Whoever is left with it at the end of the game is a very unfortunate
old maid, since spades are the most unlucky cards of the whole pack.