How to play Go Fish: rules and tips

Go Fish is the card game most of us learned first, and it’s still a great one. The rules fit in a sentence, a round takes a few minutes, and there’s more memory and bluffing in it than you’d think.

What you need

• 2 to 6 players (it’s best with 3 to 5).
• A standard 52-card deck, with no jokers. Suits don’t matter in Go Fish, only ranks: A, 2, 3 … 10, J, Q, K.

Dealing

Put the rest of the deck face down in the middle, spread out a little. This is the pond (or ocean).

Taking a turn

1. Ask one player for a rank you already hold. For example: “Puff, do you have any 7s?” You must have at least one 7 to ask for 7s.
2. If they have any, they hand over all their cards of that rank, and you take another turn.
3. If they don’t, they say “Go fish!” and you draw the top card of the pond.
   • If you draw the rank you asked for, show it and take another turn.
   • Otherwise, your turn ends and play passes to the left.

Making books

When you collect all four cards of a rank (four Queens, say), that’s a book. Lay it face up in front of you right away. There are 13 books in the deck.

Running out of cards

If your hand is empty, draw a card from the pond and carry on. If the pond is empty too, you sit out the rest of the game, but your books still count.

Winning

The game ends when all 13 books have been made. The player with the most books wins.

Go Fish strategy

1. Ask for what you have most of. If you hold three 9s, one more makes a book.
2. Listen to everyone’s questions. If Pip asks for Jacks, Pip has a Jack. When it’s your turn, you know who to ask.
3. Remember who has nothing. If someone just said “Go fish” to a request for 4s, they probably don’t have any 4s.
4. Every question gives something away. Asking for a rank tells the table you hold it, so go after ranks you can finish quickly.
5. Late in the game, ask the right person. With few cards left in the pond, use what you remember instead of fishing.

Play Go Fish online

Kepo Go Fish is Go Fish against Pip, Mochi and Puff from the Kepo family, free in your browser with no ads. Tap a card to pick its rank, then tap a friend to ask. Your friends remember who asked for what, so watch your questions. A hint button suggests a good ask when you’re stuck.