Go Fish facts for kids

Go Fish or Fish is a fun card game. It's usually played by two to five people, but up to ten players can join in. A game can last from about 5 to 15 minutes.

How to Play Go Fish

Four cards of the same number or face value make a "book."

To start, cards are dealt from a standard 52-card deck. If there are four or fewer players, each person gets seven cards. If there are more players, each person gets five cards.

The cards left over are spread out in a messy pile. This pile is often called the "ocean" or "pool."

Taking Your Turn

When it's your turn, you ask another player for cards of a certain rank (like all the Threes or all the Kings). For example, you might ask, "Bob, do you have any Threes?" You must have at least one card of the rank you are asking for in your hand.

If Bob has any Threes, he must give you all of them. If Bob doesn't have any Threes, he tells you to "go fish!" or just "fish." Then, you draw one card from the "ocean" pile.

What Happens Next

If the card you draw is the one you asked for (a Three, in our example), you show it to everyone. You then get another turn!

If the card you draw is not what you asked for, your turn ends. Play then moves to the player on your left.

Making Books

When you collect all four cards of the same rank (like all four Queens), you have made a "book." You must place these four cards face up in front of you.

The game continues until all possible "books" have been made and laid down.

Winning the Game

The player who has collected the most "books" at the end of the game is the winner!

Different Ways to Play

People sometimes change the rules of Go Fish. Here are a few variations:

• A player might only give you one card when you ask, even if they have more of that rank.
• Instead of collecting four cards for a "book," players might collect pairs (two cards of the same rank).
• If you draw the card you asked for, you might not get another turn. The turn would just pass to the next player.
• You could ask for a very specific card, like "Bob, do you have the Ace of Spades?" You still need to have at least one Ace in your hand to ask for it. This is like the game Happy Families.
• If all matches are made and one player has a card left but no more cards to draw from the "ocean," that player loses.
• Players might save their "books" face down. After the main game, the player with the most books can ask others for ranks they remember them having. If correct, they win that whole book. The goal is to collect a book of every rank.
• The winner could be the first player to run out of cards.
• Jokers can be used. Two jokers might form a "book" on their own.
• Instead of turns going around in a circle, the turn might switch to the person who said "go fish."

Game Strategy

When you "fish" and draw a card you didn't have before, it's a good idea to ask for that rank on your next turn. Otherwise, try to ask for ranks you already have in your hand.

In some harder versions of the game, remembering which cards other players have is very helpful. Go Fish relies on players being honest about their cards.

Special Card Decks

You don't always have to use a standard 52-card deck. Some companies make special Go Fish decks. For example, U.S. Games Systems, Inc. made a Kids Classic Go Fish Card Game with 169 cards!

Other special card packs can be used to play similar games. For instance, Safari Pals packs use animal features to make sets. Some packs even use personalized names for the sets.

There is a game similar to Go Fish called Quartets.

See also

In Spanish: ¡Pesca! para niños