How to Play Go Fish

Go Fish may be the first card game most of us ever learned. It needs nothing more than an ordinary deck, it takes a minute to explain, and it works just as well for a seven-year-old as for a table of grown-ups after Sunday dinner. Underneath the simple rules there is a real game of memory and good guessing, which is why it stays fun long after childhood. This page explains the standard rules, exactly as our free online Go Fish game plays them, with examples you can follow along.

What You Need

• A standard 52-card deck with the jokers taken out. Suits don't matter in Go Fish at all; only the ranks do.
• Two to six players. Three or four is the sweet spot. Our game seats you with one, two or three computer players.
• A table with room in the middle for the pond, and room in front of each player for books.

The Goal

A book is all four cards of one rank: four Aces, four 9s, four Queens and so on. There are 13 ranks, so there are 13 books to be made in every game. The player who has made the most books when the last one goes down is the winner.

The Deal

Shuffle and deal the cards one at a time, face down, going round the table. How many each player gets depends on how many are playing:

The cards that are left over are spread face down in the middle of the table, in a loose, messy pile. This is the pond, and the cards in it are the fish. Pick up your own cards and sort them by rank so that pairs and threes sit together. Keep them hidden from everyone else.

In a family game the player on the dealer's left usually goes first. In our game the deal number decides who starts, and turns then pass to the left: from you to West, then North, then East, and back to you.

Taking a Turn

1. Ask for a rank

On your turn, choose one other player and ask them for a rank. The one firm rule is that you must already hold at least one card of the rank you ask for. If you hold the 7 of hearts you may ask "Ruth, do you have any 7s?" If you hold no Kings, you may not ask for Kings.

2. If they have any, they hand over all of them

The player you asked must give you every card of that rank they hold. They can't keep one back, and they can't refuse. You put the cards in your hand, and then you ask again, of the same player or anyone else, for the same rank or a different one. As long as you keep getting cards, your turn keeps going.

3. If they have none: "Go fish!"

If the player has no cards of that rank, they say "Go fish!" You draw one card from the pond.

• If the card you draw is the rank you asked for, show it to everyone and ask again. This is called a lucky catch.
• Otherwise, keep the card in your hand without showing it, and your turn ends. Play passes to the left.

House rule: many families say a lucky catch only counts if it's the exact rank you asked for, which is our rule. Some say any card that makes a book counts. A few say a lucky catch doesn't give another turn at all; you can choose that in our game's Settings. See rule variations.

Making Books

The moment you hold all four cards of a rank, whether you got them by asking, by fishing or in the deal, lay them face up on the table in front of you. That is a book, and it's yours for good: nobody can ask you for it or take it away. Our game lays books down for you automatically and shows them in front of each player with a count.

When Your Hand Runs Out

You may give away your last cards, or lay down a book that empties your hand. When your turn comes round with no cards in your hand, draw one card from the pond and then take your turn as usual. If the pond is empty too, you are out of the game, but the books you made still count at the end.

The same happens in the middle of your own turn: if you make a book with your last cards and are due to ask again, draw a card and keep going.

House rule: some families let a player with an empty hand draw five cards instead of one, to get them back into the game. Turn it on in Settings. See rule variations.

When the Pond Is Empty

Late in the game the pond runs dry. From then on, a "Go fish!" simply ends your turn, because there is nothing to draw. Players who run out of cards are out. Play continues among those still holding cards until every book is made.

Winning

The game ends when all 13 books are on the table. Count them up: the player with the most books wins. If two or more players tie for the most, they share the win. With 13 books and three players, you need at least five to be sure of winning outright.

Worked Example

Here is a short stretch of a three-player game: you, West and East.

1. You hold A, 4, 4, 7, 9, J, K. You ask West, "Any 4s?" West has one 4 and hands it over. You now have three 4s, and you ask again.
2. You ask East for 4s. East says "Go fish!" You draw the 2 of clubs. Not a 4, so your turn ends.
3. West asks East for Jacks. East hands over two Jacks. West asks again: "You, any 9s?" You hand over your 9. West asks East for Queens. "Go fish!" West draws a card and keeps it hidden. West's turn ends.
4. East asks you for 4s. You must hand over all three. East lays down four 4s as a book. Ouch: asking for 4s told East you had them.
5. Your turn. You remember that West asked for Jacks and got two, and you hold one Jack. You ask West for Jacks and get both, and you also remember West asked for 9s, so West has at least two 9s now.

Notice how much of the game is listening. Every question tells the table something. Our game writes each exchange out in plain words, for example "West asked you for Kings. You gave 2 Kings.", and shows beside each player the ranks they have asked for and still hold.

Quick Reference

Good Manners at the Table

• Answer honestly. Saying "Go fish" when you hold the card is the one real way to cheat in this game.
• Draw from anywhere in the pond, not from a stack you've peeked at.
• Ask clearly, naming both the player and the rank, so everyone can hear and remember.

Once you know the rules, our Go Fish strategy guide explains how to use what you hear to make more books. If you enjoy simple family games, try War or Old Maid next.