Go Fish

GO fish

In the card game “Go Fish,” each member of a team of two, three, or four players are dealt five cards. The rest of the cards are tangled and face down between the players.

Players must hold their cards such that they can see them, but no one else can.

Game set up

In order for the game to begin, one of the players has to be designated as the dealer. The dealer determination comes about by each player getting one card from a shuffled deck.

As a result, the dealer will be the player with the lowest card since Aces are high and 2s are low.

Then the dealer shuffles the cards, and the participants form a circle. Following that, the dealer distributes the cards one at a time, face down, clockwise, and in groupings of three.

Each player receives five cards if there are more than four players. If there are less than four players, each receives seven cards.

Place the remaining cards face down in the circle’s centre to form the “ocean.”

How to play

Fishing is a common tactic in poker, and it begins when the player on the left of the dealer asks another player, “Do you have any Queens?”

Regardless of whether or not the player has the requested card, they must hand it over. Next, the questioner probes the same or another player to see if they have another or the same type of card in their possession.

In the event that a player is unable to supply the requested type, they say “go fish”, and the asker takes the top card from the deck. A new player fishes for cards to the left, and the game continues from there.

When a player has four of a kind, they create a book. Each time a book construction occurs, the player must arrange the four cards they used to make it face up in front of them to show the other players.

When all 13 books are complete, the game is over. The winner of the game is the one who has the most books in his or her library.

At any time throughout the game, if a player is out of cards, they can choose one from the ocean to play with the next time they take a turn. A player’s game is over when there are no more cards in the ocean and their book count is set.

How to win

When either all of the cards are laid down on the table or the draw pile is empty, the game is over. The player with the most sets of four wins the game.

The rules of Go Fish are straightforward, but the game is a lot of fun to play. Making the draw pile a pool of cards and requiring players to request specific cards.

For example, “the 5 of diamonds,” rather than just “5”, are just two instances of how house rules can change the game’s play.

Rules

It requires playing cards and a regular 52-card deck to start enjoying Go Fish. People of all ages can enjoy playing Go Fish, despite its reputation as a simple game for the young.

However, it’s actually a lot of fun for individuals of all ages.

Go Fish’s goal is to rack up the most “books,” or fours of a type, at the end of the round. There is a clockwise rotation in which each player takes their turn.

Extra

  • The best strategy is to ask for a specific card instead of asking for a specific rank. A card of the same rank must be in your collection.
  • Keep track of the other players’ cards and what they want.
  • It’s a good idea to guess a card’s rank if you’ve just drawn a new one from the pool.
  • At the beginning of the game, focus more on Go Fishing. Additionally, you’ll be able to obtain additional books and matches in the future because of this.

Go Fish FAQ

What is the objective of go fish?

To amass as many sets of four as possible.

What are the common go fish variations available?

Australian Go Fish.
Minuman
Happy Families
Educational Go Fish
Backstab Fish

How to create sets of four or a “book”?

To have a better chance of creating a “book”, you need to accumulate more cards. The moment you have four identically numbered cards in your hand, one from each suit, you lay them face up on the table.