Go Fish rules
The goal
Collect the most books. A book is a set of all four cards of the same rank. Players ask opponents for specific cards to complete their sets. When you complete a book, you set it aside and score one point. The player with the most books at the end wins.
Setting up
Go Fish is played with a standard 52-card deck by two to four players. How many cards each player gets depends on the number of players:
| Players | Cards each |
|---|---|
| 2 or 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 5 |
The remaining cards form the draw pile, called the ocean. Players look at their cards and keep them hidden from their opponents.
How to play
Taking turns
On your turn, ask one opponent for cards of one rank, for example “Do you have any 7s?” You can only ask for a rank you already hold at least one of. If you have the 7 of hearts, you can ask for 7s.
If your opponent has the cards
If the opponent has any cards of that rank, they must give you all of them. You then get another turn, and can ask the same opponent or a different one for any rank you hold.
Go fish
If the opponent has no cards of that rank, they say “Go fish!” and you draw one card from the ocean. If it’s the rank you asked for, show it to everyone and take another turn. If it isn’t, your turn ends and play passes to the left.
Making books
When you collect all four cards of a rank, for example all four 7s, announce it straight away and place the book face down in front of you. It scores one point. You don’t need to wait for your turn to make a book.
Winning
The game ends when either:
- all 13 books have been made, or
- one player runs out of cards and the ocean is empty.
If a player runs out of cards while the ocean still has cards, they draw one card straight away and play on. The player with the most books wins. If there is a tie, the tied players share the win.
Ready to play?
Deal a game of Go Fish against the computer, or invite a friend.