Memory Card Game (Concentration): Rules, Odds and Tips
Memory, also called Concentration, Pairs or Pelmanism, is the card game where every card lies face down and you turn over two at a time looking for matches. It is one of the first games small children can beat adults at, and it needs nothing more than a deck of cards or a set of picture cards.
What You Need
- A deck of playing cards, or a picture memory set. For young children, start with 6 to 10 pairs; for older players, use the whole deck.
- A table or floor big enough to lay all the cards out face down in a grid.
- 1 or more players. With more than 4, play in teams.
How to Play
- Lay out the cards. Shuffle and place every card face down in rows, not touching.
- Turn two. On your turn, turn over any two cards so everyone can see them.
- Match? If they are a pair, take them and go again. If not, turn them face down in the same places and the turn passes to the left.
- Remember. Everyone watches every card that is turned over, because knowing where cards are is the whole game.
- Winning. When all pairs are taken, the player with the most pairs wins.
What Counts as a Pair with Playing Cards
- Same rank and colour: the 7 of hearts pairs with the 7 of diamonds. This gives 26 pairs from a full deck, and is the most common rule.
- Same rank only: any two 7s pair. Easier, because each card has three possible partners.
- Smaller deck: for young children, take out just the aces to 5s of two suits, for 10 pairs.
The Odds: Luck Versus Memory
On the very first turn nobody knows anything, so a match is pure luck: your second card is the partner of the first only one time in (number of cards minus 1). After that, memory takes over. We simulated a single player with perfect memory who always turns an unknown card first, then its partner if they have seen it. Such a player needs about 1.6 turns per pair on average:
| Pairs | Lucky first match | Turns, perfect memory |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 in 11 (9%) | about 9 |
| 10 | 1 in 19 (5%) | about 16 |
| 12 | 1 in 23 (4%) | about 19 |
| 18 | 1 in 35 (3%) | about 28 |
| 26 (full deck) | 1 in 51 (2%) | about 41 |
So even a perfect memory needs about 60% more turns than there are pairs, because the cards you have never seen have to be found first. A real player, especially a tired adult, needs a lot more, which is why small children with sharp short-term memory often win.
Tips to Remember More
- Turn an unknown card first. If it matches a card you have seen, you score; if not, you learn something new.
- Say it out loud. "Seven, top left corner" is easier to remember than a silent look.
- Use the grid. Think in rows and columns rather than a jumble.
- Watch the other players. Their turns show you cards for free.
Variations
- Classroom memory: cards with a word on one and a picture or translation on the other. Great for vocabulary and spelling.
- Team memory: teams take turns, and teammates may help each other remember.
- Timed solo: play alone against a timer or count your turns, and try to beat your best.
- Scatter layout: scatter the cards randomly instead of in a grid, which makes it much harder.
Who Is It Good For?
Memory works from about age 3 with picture cards, and it is useful in class, see our classroom games. For other games where remembering cards helps, try Go Fish, or play Old Maid, which also uses pairs. Choose who goes first fairly with a coin flip.
Where the Game Comes From
Matching games of this kind are old and played in many countries. The name Pelmanism comes from the Pelman Institute, a British memory-training school of the early 1900s, and Concentration became widely known through an American television quiz show of the same name that ran from 1958.
FAQ
How do you play the Memory card game?
Lay all cards face down. On your turn, turn over two. If they match, keep them and go again; if not, turn them back. The player with the most pairs wins.
What is a pair in Memory with playing cards?
Usually two cards of the same rank and colour, such as the 7 of hearts and the 7 of diamonds. That gives 26 pairs from one deck.
Do you get another turn after a match?
Yes. In standard rules, finding a pair gives you another turn.
How many cards should young children use?
Start with 6 to 10 pairs, then add more as they get better.
What is the best strategy in Memory?
Turn over a card you have not seen yet first. If it matches one you remember, take the pair; if not, you still learn something new.