How to Play Go Fish: Rules, Setup & Scoring

Go Fish is the first card game most of us ever learned, and it is still one of the best ways to teach kids how a deck of cards works. The rules take about two minutes to explain, a full game takes 15 to 30 minutes, and there is just enough memory and guessing involved to keep adults entertained too.

This guide is part of our complete guide to card games. Here you will learn the standard rules: how many cards to deal, how turns work, what a “book” is, and how the game ends.

Game snapshot

Players	2 to 6
Deck	Standard 52-card deck, no jokers
Deal	7 cards each with 2 to 3 players, 5 cards each with 4 or more
Goal	Collect the most books (sets of four of a kind)
Time	15 to 30 minutes

What you need

One standard 52-card deck and two to six players. Remove the jokers before you start. That is genuinely all there is to it, which is why Go Fish is the default first game in so many households.

Setting up

Choose a dealer (drawing cards for the lowest card is the classic method, or just volunteer). The dealer shuffles and deals one card at a time, face down, starting to their left:

2 or 3 players: deal 7 cards to each player.
4 or more players: deal 5 cards to each player.

Place the remaining cards face down in the middle of the table. This is the draw pile, often called the pond or the ocean. The player to the dealer’s left goes first.

How a turn works

On your turn, pick any other player and ask them for all their cards of one specific rank. The catch: you must already hold at least one card of that rank. So “Do you have any sevens?” is only legal if you have a seven in your hand.

Two things can happen:

They have them: they must hand over every card of that rank. You get another turn and can ask again (any player, any rank you hold).
They do not: they say “Go Fish,” and you draw the top card from the pond. Your turn then passes to the next player.

Making books

Whenever you collect all four cards of one rank, for example all four kings, lay the set face down in front of you. This is called a book, and each book is worth one point. Announce it so everyone can keep track.

If you run out of cards in your hand during the game, draw a fresh hand from the pond (the same number you were dealt at the start) and keep playing, as long as cards remain in the pond. If the pond is empty, you are out of the game and simply wait for it to finish.

How the game ends

The game ends when all 13 books have been collected, which usually happens around the time the pond runs dry and players start running out of cards. Count your books. The player with the most books wins. Ties are common and perfectly fine, especially in family games.

Simple strategy

Go Fish is mostly luck, but three habits will win you more games:

Ask the player holding the most cards. More cards in hand means better odds they hold the rank you want.
Remember what people ask for. If someone asked you for queens two turns ago, they probably still have at least one queen. Ask them back for it.
Track the books. Once a book is completed, those four cards are gone from play. Do not waste asks on ranks that are already finished.

Variations

Pairs for young kids: instead of books of four, play that pairs count. It shortens the game and suits ages 4 to 6.

Jokers wild: add the two jokers as wild cards that can complete any book. Agree on this before dealing, since it changes the odds.

FAQs

How many cards do you deal in Go Fish?
Deal 7 cards to each player with 2 or 3 players, and 5 cards each with 4 or more players.

Can you ask for a rank you do not have?
No. You must hold at least one card of the rank you are asking for. This is the single most-misunderstood rule in the game.

What happens when the pond runs out?
Players who run out of cards are out of the game. Play continues with asking only, until all books are collected.

Is Go Fish played with pairs or four of a kind?
The standard game uses books of four. Pairs is a common house variation for younger children.

Is Go Fish good for kids?
It is one of the best first card games for ages 5 and up: it teaches ranks, turn-taking, and basic memory with almost no reading required.

Keep playing

How to Play Spades: the classic 4-player partnership bidding game.
How to Play Rummy: melds, sets, and runs for 2 to 6 players.
How to Play Cribbage: the board game of the card world, a race to 121.