How to play Papaz Kaçtı (Old Maid): rules and tips

Papaz Kaçtı ("the king ran away") is the Turkish Old Maid: a game of luck and poker faces where everyone watches everyone else. This guide explains the rules and tactics of Old Maid on Boombala.

How many players?

Three to six. The more players, the smaller the hands and the faster the game.

The deck: why is a king missing?

The king of clubs is taken out of a 52 card deck. Of the three kings left, two pair up and one is always left alone. Everyone tries to get rid of that king: hence the name.

The deal and pairs

• All 51 cards are dealt out one by one; some players may get one card more.
• Two cards of the same rank are a pair: two sevens, two jacks, two aces… The suit doesn't matter.
• Everyone throws out their pairs at once. Four of a rank make two pairs.

Drawing

1. On your turn, draw any card from the hidden hand of the next player still holding cards.
2. If it pairs with a card you hold, throw both out.
3. If not, it stays in your hand, and the player you drew from takes the next turn.

A player who runs out of cards is safe and sits out the rest of the hand.

Who loses, who wins?

In the end every pair is gone and the player holding only the lone king loses the hand: they take a papaz. A table plays 3, 5 or 7 hands; after the last one the fewest papaz win, and players level with the fewest win together.

Example

Can is already safe. Ayşe holds the king of hearts and the five of diamonds; Ali holds only the five of spades. Ayşe draws the five of spades from Ali and throws out the pair of fives. Ali is out of cards and safe. Ayşe is left alone with the lone king and loses the hand.

Tactics to pass on the king

• Keep a straight face: stay calm while you hold the king. At a table with voice and video, a face is the biggest giveaway.
• Few cards, high risk: with two cards left and one of them the king, it has an even chance of being drawn.
• Positions mean nothing: on Boombala hands are shuffled after every draw, so drawing from the same place never helps.
• Watch the pairs: the pairs thrown out tell you which ranks are gone, and so where the partners of your odd cards may be.

Old Maid on Boombala

On your turn the hand you draw from opens up in the middle of the table as a fan of backs: tap the card you want. The card you drew lights up green, and the king glows red while you hold it. Whoever ends up with it gets "Papaz kaldı!" across the table. Invite friends with a link and let bots fill empty seats.