Go Fish Rules
Players
2, 3, 4, (5+)
Go Fish is a simple game that is popular with children. There are many variations of it, the rules here describe how it works on this website. It may not be exactly the way you are used to playing.
Objective
To collect as many "books" as possible.
A book is four cards of the same rank. The player with the most books at the end of the game wins.
Dealing and setup
The game can be played by 2 - 4 players.
First cards are dealt to the players, if there are 2 players then each gets 7 cards, if there are 3 players then each gets 6 cards and if there are 4 players then each gets 5 cards.
Once the dealing is done the rest of the deck is put in a random pile on the table.
Asking and fishing
The initial player is selected at random.
The player can then ask one of the other players for a particular rank.
For example: you might ask a player if they have any sixes. You may only ask for ranks that you already have at least one card of - if you don't have any sixes yourself you can't ask for them.
If the player you ask has any sixes, then they must give them to you, and you get another turn and can ask again.
If the player doesn't have any sixes then they will tell you to "Go Fish" which means that you will draw one card from the pile on the table. If you get a six from the pile, then you show it to the other players and get to play again. If you get anything else from the pile you are finished with your turn and the player next to you plays.
Scoring
If you have 4 of the same rank then you show the cards to the other players, and then place the four cards in a pile next to you. (This is called a book.)
The player with the most books at the end of the game wins.
Drawing new cards
It can happen that you finish all the cards in your hand, either because someone else asked you for the last cards that you had, or you just got a book made up of your last four cards. If you have no cards then you can draw new cards from the pile on the table, the same number of cards as you got at the start of the game.
If there are three or four players then it can happen that one of them finishes their cards and there are no cards left in the pile for him to draw. In that case the player who finishes his cards is out of the game and will simply have to wait while the remaining players finish the game.
Strategy
Not much to say here. Just watch what the other players are asking for so you can know what cards they definitely have. If you're playing with more than two players make sure to pay attention to what the other players ask each other for and what they say Go Fish too, that way you can learn which cards they definitely have and which cards they definitely don't have.
Go Fish is a fun game that will amuse and entertain even the youngest card players. It is similar to the game Authors.
The Pack
The standard 52-card pack is used. Some cards will be dealt and the rest will form the stock pile.
Object of the Game
The goal is to win the most "books" of cards.
A book is any four of a kind, such as four kings, four aces, and so on.
Rank of Cards
The cards rank from ace (high) to two (low).
The suits are not important, only the card numbers are relevant, such as two 3s, two 10s, and so on.
The Deal
Any player deals one card face up to each player. The player with the lowest card is the dealer.
The dealer shuffles the cards, and the player to the right cuts them.
The dealer completes the cut and deals the cards clockwise one at a time, face down, beginning with the player to the left.
If two or three people are playing, each player receives seven cards. If four or five people are playing, each receives five cards. The remainder of the pack is placed face down on the table to form the stock.
The Play
The player to the left of the dealer looks directly at any opponent and says, for example, "Give me your kings," usually addressing the opponent by name and specifying the rank that they want, from ace down to two. The player who is "fishing “must have at least one card of the rank that was asked for in their hand. The player who is addressed must hand over all the cards requested. If the player has none, they say, "Go fish!" and the player who made the request draws the top card of the stock and places it in their hand.
If a player gets one or more cards of the named rank that was asked for, they are entitled to ask the same or another player for a card. The player can ask for the same card or a different one. So long as the player succeeds in getting cards (makes a catch), their turn continues. When a player makes a catch, they must reveal the card so that the catch is verified. If a player gets the fourth card of a book, the player shows all four cards, places them on the table face up in front of everyone, and plays again.
If the player goes fishing without "making a catch" (does not receive a card he asked for), the turn passes to the left.
The game ends when all thirteen books have been won. The winner is the player with the most books. During the game, if a player is left without cards, they may (when it's their turn to play), draw from the stock and then ask for cards of that rank. If there are no cards left in the stock, they are out of the game.
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