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Go Fish Rules

Go Fish is a friendly matching game where players ask each other for cards to build sets of four. It is one of the first card games most people learn.

👥 2–6 players ⏱ 10–20 min 🎯 Difficulty ●○○○○ 🃏 Collecting Games

Setup

Deal 5 cards to each player (7 cards with 2–3 players). The rest of the deck sits face-down in the middle as the draw pile.

How to Play

On your turn, ask any other player for a specific rank you already hold (e.g. "Do you have any kings?"). If they do, they must hand over every card of that rank and you go again.

Going Fish

If the player you asked does not have the rank, they say "Go Fish!" and you draw one card from the pile. If you draw the rank you asked for, show it and go again; otherwise your turn ends.

Scoring

Whenever you collect all four cards of a rank, lay them face-up as a "book." The player with the most books when the draw pile runs out wins.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cards do you deal in Go Fish?

5 cards per player for 4+ players, or 7 cards each for 2–3 players.

Can you ask for a rank you have none of?

No — most rule sets require you to hold at least one card of the rank you ask for.

What ends a game of Go Fish?

The game ends when the draw pile is empty and a player runs out of cards, or when all 13 books are made. Most books wins.

▶ Play Go Fish online — free