How to Play Go Fish
How to Play Go Fish
Go Fish is an easy, social card game about remembering what people hold and collecting matching pairs. You need a normal deck of cards, and you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. This guide uses the common pairs version for 2–6 players; rules can vary by region or family, so house rules are always worth agreeing on before you begin.
Quick facts
| Feature | Rule |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–6 |
| Cards | One standard 52-card deck, with jokers removed |
| Goal | Collect the most pairs of cards with the same rank |
| Starting hand | 7 cards each for 2–3 players; 5 cards each for 4–6 players |
| Turn direction | Clockwise, beginning with the player to the dealer’s left |
What you are trying to do
Your goal is to make pairs. A pair is two cards with the same rank, such as two queens or two sevens. The suits do not have to match: the seven of hearts and the seven of clubs make a pair. You earn one point for every pair you place face up in front of you. When the cards have all been paired, the player with the highest score wins.
What you need
Use one ordinary 52-card deck and take out the jokers. You also need a flat place to play and a way to track scores, such as paper and a pencil or a notes app. Choose one person to be the first dealer. The dealer changes for the next round if you decide to play several rounds, but one round is enough to learn the game.
Set it up
Shuffle the deck thoroughly. Deal the cards one at a time, face down, starting with the player on the dealer’s left and moving clockwise. Deal seven cards to each player when there are two or three players. With four, five, or six players, deal five cards to each person.
Everyone may look at their own hand, but keep the cards hidden from everyone else. Place the undealt cards face down in the middle. This pile is called the stock. Before the first turn, each player checks their hand and puts any pairs face up in front of them. Set each pair aside and count it as one point. If a player has three cards of one rank, they put down only one pair and keep the extra card hidden in their hand.
How to play
- Begin your turn. The player to the dealer’s left goes first. On your turn, choose one other player and ask for a rank, such as “Do you have any eights?” A rank is the identifying value of a card: ace, two through ten, jack, queen, or king.
- Ask only for a rank you hold. You must already have at least one card of the rank you name. For example, you may ask for queens only if a queen is in your hand. You may not ask for a particular suit in this version; ask for the rank instead.
- Hand over every card of that rank. If the chosen player has one or more cards of the requested rank, they must give you all of them. For example, if they have two eights, they hand over both eights. You may then ask any player for another rank that you still hold, so your turn continues.
- Go fish when the answer is no. If the chosen player has none of the rank you requested, they say, “Go fish!” Draw the top card from the stock and show it to everyone.
- Continue or pass after drawing. If the card you drew has the rank you asked for, keep it and take another turn. If it has a different rank, add it to your hand, and the turn passes clockwise to the next player. If the stock is empty, simply pass the turn instead of drawing.
- Put down pairs immediately. Whenever two cards of the same rank come together in your hand, place that pair face up in front of you. Do this during your turn, after receiving cards or drawing. You may not use a completed pair to ask for more cards because it is no longer in your hand.
- Handle an empty hand. If you have no cards left but the stock still has cards, draw a new hand of five cards. If fewer than five remain, draw all the cards left. Put down any pair you draw. If the stock is empty, you stay out of the asking part of the game, but your pairs still count.
- Keep taking turns. Play moves clockwise. Remember the ranks people ask for and the cards they collect; those clues can help you decide whom to ask next.
How you win
Continue until every card has been placed into a pair, or until no more useful moves remain because the stock is empty. Each face-up pair is worth one point. Count the pairs in front of each player. The highest total wins the round. If two players have the same number, they share the win, or you can play another round as a tiebreaker.
Easy first-game tips
Start by asking a player who is likely to have the rank you need. If someone has just asked for fours, they probably hold at least one four, so remember that information. Keep your cards grouped by rank in your hand rather than by suit; this makes pairs easier to spot.
Pay attention to what leaves each hand. If a player gives away two kings, they cannot be holding another king unless they drew one later. You do not need to remember everything, though. Simply tracking a few ranks and asking clear questions is enough to make your first game fun.
When you draw a card that does not match your request, do not be disappointed: it may create a pair with something you already hold. Also, ask different players instead of repeatedly choosing the same person. Spreading out your questions gives you more chances to discover the missing card.
Quick questions
Can I ask for a rank I do not have?
No. In this common version, you must hold at least one card of the rank you ask for.
Do the suits need to match for a pair?
No. Any two cards with the same rank make a pair, even when their suits are different.