1Object of the game
Collect more books than anyone else. A book is all four cards of one rank, such as four kings or four 5s. There are 13 ranks, so there are 13 books to win in every game. You get cards by asking other players for them and by drawing from the pond, and you remember who asked for what so you know where to fish next.
2Setup
- Shuffle a standard 52-card deck. Deal cards one at a time, face down: 7 cards each for 2 or 3 players, 5 cards each for 4 or more players.
- Spread the rest of the deck face down in the middle of the table, or leave it in a neat stack. This is the stock, which most families call the pond or the ocean.
- Everyone picks up their hand and keeps it hidden. If anyone was dealt a complete book of four, they lay it face up in front of them.
- The player to the dealer's left takes the first turn, and play moves left around the table.
3The play
- Ask one specific player for a specific rank, like "Maria, do you have any queens?" You must already hold at least one card of the rank you ask for.
- If that player has any cards of that rank, they must give you all of them. You then take another turn and can ask the same player or someone else for any rank you hold.
- If they have none, they say "Go fish!" and you draw the top card of the pond.
- If the card you draw is the rank you just asked for, show it to everyone and take another turn. Otherwise, keep the card and your turn ends. Play passes to the left.
- Whenever you collect all four cards of a rank, show them and lay the book face up in front of you. Completing a book also earns you another ask.
4End of a hand
The game ends when all 13 books have been made. If a player runs out of cards before then, on their turn they draw one card from the pond and ask for that rank. If the pond is empty and they have no cards, they're out for the rest of the game while everyone else keeps playing. Go Fish is played as a single game, so there's no scoring across rounds unless your family wants to keep a running tally.
5Scoring
Go Fish has no points. Count each player's books when the game ends; the most books wins.
| For | Points |
|---|---|
| Book of four (all four cards of one rank) | 1 book |
| Total books in a game | 13 |
| Books needed to guarantee a win | 7 |
| Cards left in your hand at the end | No value |
With 13 books available, 7 books clinches the game even if play continues. Ties are possible with 3 or more players, such as two players with 5 books each and one with 3. Most families call it a shared win.
6Winning
Once all 13 books are on the table, count them. The player with the most books wins. Because 13 is odd, a two-player game can't tie. With more players a tie for the most books is possible; most families declare a shared win or play a quick tiebreak game. Some groups end the game as soon as someone runs out of cards or the pond is empty, as pagat.com describes, and count the books at that point.
7A worked hand
Three players: Ana, Ben, and you. You were dealt 7 cards: 7♣, 7♦, K♠, 4♥, 2♣, 9♦, and J♠. On your turn you ask Ben, "Do you have any 7s?" Ben has the 7♥ and hands it over. You got what you asked for, so you go again. You ask Ana, "Any 7s?" She has none and says "Go fish!" You draw the top card of the pond, and it's the 7♠. Since you drew the rank you asked for, you show it to the table. You now hold all four 7s, so you lay them down as your first book, and you ask again. You try Ana for kings. "Go fish!" This time you draw the 3♥, which isn't a king, so your turn ends. Your hand is now 6 cards: K♠, 4♥, 2♣, 9♦, J♠, and 3♥. Ana heard you ask for kings, so she knows you have at least one.
8House rules
The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.
- Five cards for everyone
- Pagat.com deals 5 cards each for 3 or more players and 7 each only in a two-player game. Bicycle deals 7 each for 2 or 3 players.
- Game ends when someone runs out
- Pagat.com ends the game as soon as any player runs out of cards or the stock runs out, then counts books. Bicycle keeps playing until all 13 books are made.
- Pairs instead of books
- For young children, collect pairs instead of fours. Pagat.com lists this, and the Australian game called Fish, as common variants.
- Turn ends after Go Fish
- Some families end your turn after any Go Fish draw, even if you pull the card you asked for. This keeps turns short with little kids.
- Ask the table
- In some homes you ask everyone at once instead of one named player. Anyone holding the rank must hand it over.
9Mistakes people make
- You can only ask for a rank you already hold at least one card of.
- When asked, you must hand over every card of that rank, not just one.
- Drawing the card you asked for from the pond gives you another turn, but drawing any other card ends it.
- A book is four of a kind, not a pair, unless your group has agreed to play the pairs variant.
10Playing better
- Pay attention to every question. If Ben asks for 9s, you know he holds at least one, so he's the one to ask when you get a 9.
- Ask for the rank you hold the most of. If you have three jacks, landing the fourth completes a book right away.
- When a player gets told "Go fish" for a rank and then someone else asks you for the same rank, you learn who's collecting what.
- Don't rush to ask for a rank you just drew from the pond. Everyone sees you draw; asking right away tells them what you picked up.
- Late in the game, count books on the table. If only two ranks are left, you can often work out exactly who holds what.
Go Fish: questions people ask
- How many cards do you deal in Go Fish?
- Bicycle's rules deal 7 cards each with 2 or 3 players and 5 cards each with 4 or 5 players, and most families use 5 for larger groups too. Pagat.com deals 5 each for 3 or more and saves 7 for two players. The rest of the deck goes face down in the middle as the pond.
- Do you get another turn if you fish the card you asked for?
- Yes. If you're told "Go fish" and the card you draw from the pond is the rank you asked for, show it and take another turn. If you draw anything else, keep it and your turn ends. Getting cards directly from another player also lets you ask again.
- What happens when you run out of cards in Go Fish?
- Under Bicycle's rules, when your turn comes you draw one card from the pond and ask for that rank. If the pond is also empty, you're out of the game, and your books still count at the end. Some families instead end the whole game as soon as anyone runs out.
- Do you have to have the card to ask for it in Go Fish?
- Yes. You must hold at least one card of the rank you ask for. You can't ask for queens if you have no queens. This rule is why listening matters: when someone asks for a rank, you learn they're holding at least one card of it.
- How many books are in Go Fish?
- There are 13 books in a standard deck, one for each rank from ace through king. Each book is all four cards of that rank. Since 13 is odd, a player with 7 books has guaranteed the win, and a two-player game can never end in a tie.
- How do you win Go Fish?
- The player with the most books when the game ends wins. The game ends when all 13 books have been laid down, or in some versions as soon as a player runs out of cards or the pond is empty. Cards left in your hand don't count for anything.
- What age is Go Fish for?
- Go Fish works for kids as young as 4 who can recognize numbers and match ranks. It's often the first real card game children learn. For very young players, deal fewer cards, play with pairs instead of fours, or let them hold their cards face up while they learn.
Sources
Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- How to Play Go Fish, Bicycle Cards. Read September 28, 2026.
- Go Fish, pagat.com. Read September 28, 2026.
Also on the table: Crazy Eights, War, UNO, Kings in the Corner.