To play Go Fish, follow these steps:
- Setup : Use a standard 52-card deck. If 2-4 players are playing, deal 7 cards to each player; if more players, deal 5 cards each. Place the remaining cards face down in the center as the stock or "pond"
- Objective : The goal is to collect the most "books," which are sets of four cards of the same rank (e.g., four kings, four aces)
- Gameplay :
- The player to the left of the dealer starts.
- On your turn, ask any other player if they have cards of a specific rank that you already hold at least one of in your hand. For example, "Do you have any threes?"
* The player asked must give you all cards of that rank if they have any. If they do, you get another turn
* If the player does not have any, they say "Go Fish," and you draw the top card from the stock
* If you draw the card you asked for, you show it and get another turn; otherwise, your turn ends
- Making Books :
- When you collect all four cards of the same rank, immediately place the set face up in front of you
* If you run out of cards in your hand during the game, draw five new cards from the stock (if available)
- Ending the Game :
- The game continues until all thirteen books have been collected or the stock runs out and players run out of cards
* The player with the most books wins
Additional Notes :
- You must ask for a rank you already have in your hand
- Turns continue as long as you successfully receive cards from others or draw the card you requested from the stock
- Variations exist, such as playing with pairs instead of four-of-a-kind or different numbers of cards dealt initially
This is the standard and widely accepted way to play Go Fish.
