How to Play Go Fish: Rules with Interactive Tutorial

Go Fish is a "book collecting" card game played by 2 to 6 players, where each player aims to collect sets of 4 cards of the same rank, called "books." It's just as easy to learn as Old Maid, another family classic. Players start with 5 cards each (7 in a 2-player game).

When it's your turn, you ask another player if they have a specific card, for example, a 9. If they do, they must give you all cards of that rank, and on top of that, you get another turn. If they don't, they tell you to "Go Fish!" and you draw from the pond (the collection of cards in the center). The game ends when any player's hand is empty, and the player with the most books wins.
Below you'll find a complete explanation of the rules, and above, you can play an interactive tutorial to help you learn how to play Go Fish. Whichever way you choose, you'll get acquainted with the rules in no time.
Once you're ready, you can play Go Fish Online for free at World of Card Games. You can play against other people online or with friends. We recommend a couple of games against our bots first, but that's up to you.
Let the Go Fish fun begin!

Go Fish at a glance

A gentle matching game where you fish for the cards your opponents hold.

Objective

The objective is to collect the most "books".

A "book" is a set of 4 cards with the same rank, such as 4 Jacks or 4 Sixes.

Deal

Each player is dealt 5 cards (7 cards in a 2 player game) from a standard deck of 52 cards.

The remaining cards go face down in a pile at the center of the table. This pile is called the "pond".

A random player is chosen to go first.

Play

On your turn, you first pick a card from your hand. For example, a Jack. You then choose another player and ask if they have any cards of that rank. For example, "Rob, do you have any Jacks?".

If the asked player has any cards with that rank (Jacks in this case), they must give them all to the asking player. The asking player then gets to ask again.

If the asked player does not have any cards of that rank, they say "Go Fish!". Now the asking player draws a random card from the pond in the middle, if any remain. If they draw a card with the rank they asked for, they get to ask again. Otherwise play proceeds to the next player, in clockwise order.

When a player collects 4 cards of the same rank, this is called a "book". These cards are removed from their hand and they score 1 point.

Game End

The game ends when any player's hand is empty.

The player with the highest score (most number of books) wins!

The rules in practice

A turn can snowball. Say you hold two Nines and ask Kate for Nines. She has one, so she hands it over and you get to ask again. Now you ask Rob for Kings because you're holding one, and his two Kings come to you as well. You keep asking until someone finally says "Go Fish!", so one lucky turn can pull in cards from around the whole table.

The pond can rescue a failed ask. You ask Kate for Sixes and she has none, so you go fish. If the card you draw is a Six, you get another turn right away. If it's anything else, it goes into your hand and play moves to the next player. Either way you've gained a card, so a "Go Fish!" is never a total loss.

Books score themselves. Suppose you hold three Jacks and ask Rob for Jacks. He hands over his one Jack, and you now have all four. The book is removed from your hand and you score 1 point on the spot. That also shrinks your hand, and since the game ends the moment any hand is empty, finishing books while you're ahead pushes the game toward a win for you.

Strategy basics

A few habits will win you more games from your very first one.

• Treat every ask as information. Anyone who asks for a rank holds at least one card of it.
• Remember who took cards from whom. Cards that change hands are cards you can track.
• Ask for ranks you hold only one of. More copies are still out there, and you risk less if the question comes back at you.
• Go after the biggest hands. More cards means better odds of a hit.
• Vary who you ask, but don't feel you must vary what you ask for. Announcing a new rank every turn maps out your hand for everyone.

History

Go Fish first appeared around the mid 19th century.

Frequently asked questions

Who goes first in Go Fish?

A random player is chosen to take the first turn. After that, play moves clockwise whenever a turn ends.

Do I get another turn if my ask succeeds?

Yes. When a player hands you cards, you ask again right away. You also get another turn if you're told to go fish and draw the exact rank you asked for from the pond.

Do I have to give up all my cards of the asked rank?

Yes. If someone asks you for a rank you hold, you must hand over every card of that rank, not just one of them.

What happens when I complete a book?

The 4 cards are removed from your hand and you score 1 point right away. Once a book is scored, those cards are out of the game, so nobody can ask you for them.

When does the game end?

The moment any player's hand is empty. Everyone then compares books, and the player with the most books wins.

Helpful Links

Pagat.com Go Fish Page