Go Fish

Overview

Ask another player for a rank, collect sets of four, and try to end with the most. The first card game most people ever learn.

No governing body publishes rules for this game. This page describes the most common form. House rules vary, so agree them before you start.

1. Setup

Two to six players, standard 52-card deck.

Players	Cards each
2–3	7
4+	5

The rest go face down in a pool — the pond or ocean.

2. Play

On your turn, ask one specific player for one rank: "Do you have any sevens?"

You must already hold at least one card of that rank. You cannot fish for something you have none of.

• If they have any, they must hand over all of them, and you go again.
• If they have none, they say "go fish" and you draw from the pond. Your turn ends — unless you happen to draw the rank you asked for, in which case you show it and go again.

3. Books

Collect all four cards of a rank and you have a book. Lay it face down in front of you.

4. Ending

The game ends when all thirteen books are made, or the pond is empty and hands are exhausted.

The most books wins — not the most cards, and not whoever runs out first.

If you run out of cards while the pond still has some, draw a new hand and carry on.

Commonly argued

• You must hold a card of the rank you ask for.
• You get another turn when your ask succeeds, and keep going until it fails.
• Most books wins, not first to empty your hand.
• They must give you all of them, not just one.