How to play Go Fish

What you need

One standard 52-card deck with the jokers taken out. Suits do not matter in Go Fish; only ranks do, from ace down to 2. That makes it easy to play with a worn or mismatched deck, as long as all 52 cards are there. Check the count before a game with young players: a missing card means one book can never be finished.

Some boxed children's "Go Fish" decks use pictures and pairs instead of standard cards. Those follow the rules printed in their own box. This guide covers the standard-deck game.

Set up the game

1. Choose the dealer. Bicycle's method: anyone deals one card face up to each player, and the lowest card deals.
2. Shuffle and cut. The dealer shuffles, and the player to the dealer's right cuts.
3. Deal one at a time, clockwise, face down, starting with the player on the dealer's left.
4. Hand size. With two or three players, deal seven cards each. With four or five, deal five each. Bicycle does not give a number for six; five each is the usual choice.
5. Make the stock. Put the rest of the deck face down in the middle, spread out a little so anyone can reach it. Kids call it the pond.
6. Sort your hand by rank so you can see what you hold. If you were dealt all four of a rank, the Bicycle rules do not say what to do; most tables lay it down as a book right away.

Playing Go Fish, turn by turn

1. The player left of the dealer starts. Look at any one opponent, use their name, and ask for a rank: "Maya, give me your kings."
2. You must already hold that rank. You can only ask for a rank you have at least one card of.
3. If they have it, they hand over all of them. Every card of that rank goes to you, not just one. This is a catch, and you show the cards so everyone can see it was real.
4. A catch means you go again. Ask the same player or a different one, for the same rank or a different rank. Your turn continues as long as you keep catching.
5. If they have none, they say "Go fish!" You draw the top card of the stock. If it happens to be the rank you asked for, show it; that counts as a catch and you ask again. Otherwise your turn ends and play passes to the left.
6. Complete a book, lay it down. When you have all four cards of a rank, show them, place them face up in front of you, and take another turn.
7. Running out of cards. If your hand is empty when your turn comes, draw one card from the stock and ask for that rank. If the stock is also empty, you are out of the game.
8. The game ends when all 13 books are complete. The player with the most books wins.

Tips that make Go Fish less of a guess

1. Ask for the rank you hold the most of. If you have three sevens, one catch completes a book and gives you an extra turn. A single card needs three more to finish.
2. Ask the player who asked for that rank. If Sam asked someone for jacks, Sam holds at least one jack. Asking Sam for jacks later is far better than guessing.
3. Remember who received cards. When Eli handed you his queens, you learned Eli has no more queens. Do not waste a question there.
4. Be careful what your questions reveal. Every request tells the table you hold that rank. If you hold a lone card that someone else probably needs, asking for it advertises a target.
5. Spread your asks when you are guessing. If you have no information, ask the player with the most cards in hand. They are more likely to hold any given rank.
6. Late in the game, count. When most books are down, look at which ranks are left and how many cards each player holds. You can often work out exactly who has what.
7. Ask again after a catch. New players sometimes stop after one success. A catch is a free extra question, so use it.

Squabbles and the official rule

"Can I ask for a rank I don't have?"

No. The person asking must hold at least one card of that rank. Asking for a rank you do not hold to bluff is not allowed.

"I'll just give one of my fives."

The opponent must hand over every card of the requested rank, not just one.

"I drew the card I asked for, but my turn's over anyway."

Under Bicycle's rules, getting the card you asked for is a catch, whether it came from a player or the stock. Show it and ask again.

"A pair is a book."

In standard-deck Go Fish a book is four of a kind. Pair-based versions belong to some children's decks and are a different set of rules.

"I'll ask for a red seven."

Suits and colors do not matter. You ask for a rank, and all cards of that rank come to you.

"My hand is empty, so I'm out."

Not while the stock has cards. On your turn, draw one and ask for that rank. You are out only when your hand and the stock are both empty.

"Someone said 'Go fish' but they had the card."

The Bicycle rules set no penalty. A common house fix is that the player hands over the cards when discovered and the asker takes another turn. Agree on it before playing with competitive cousins.

Popular variants and house rules

• Pairs Go Fish (house variant for young children). Books are pairs instead of fours. Games are faster and four-year-olds finish books more often. Use seven cards each for two or three players.
• Ask for exact cards (house variant). You ask for a specific card, such as "the queen of hearts," and must hold a card of that rank. It is slower and leans harder on memory.
• Lucky draw is not a catch (house rule). Some families end the turn after a stock draw even if it matches. It makes the game slightly faster. State it at the start.
• Stop when the stock runs out (house rule). End the game when the pond is empty and count books. Handy when bedtime is near.
• Team Go Fish (house variant). Partners sit opposite each other, may not ask each other, and pool their books at the end. Lets a younger child play with an older sibling.

Teaching Go Fish to a child in five minutes

1. "We're trying to collect all four of the same number. Four sevens, four queens. That's called a book."
2. "On your turn, pick someone and ask for a number you already have: 'Grandpa, do you have any fives?'"
3. "If they do, they give you all of them, and you get to ask again."
4. "If they don't, they say 'Go fish!' and you take one card from the pond. If it's the number you asked for, show us and ask again. If not, it's the next person's turn."
5. "When you get all four, put them down in front of you."
6. "When all the books are made, whoever has the most wins."

For a child's first game, play with your hand face up so they can see how you decide what to ask. Turn it back over once they are asking for the right things on their own.

Ages and group size

Bicycle lists Go Fish for ages 4 and up and 2 or more players. Four-year-olds can play once they recognize card ranks; numbers and face cards can be practiced by sorting the deck together first. The pairs variant helps the youngest players. The game works best with three to five players, where there is enough information to remember without too long a wait between turns. With two players it moves quickly but feels more like guessing. Six is fine with five cards each. A game usually takes 15 to 25 minutes.

Go Fish questions parents ask

Sources and edition notes

Bicycle Cards standard-deck Go Fish, books of four. Pair-based children's decks and house rules for a lucky drawn card differ. The deal, hand sizes, asking, catches, books, the empty-hand rule and the ending follow Bicycle's Go Fish page. The six-player hand size, books dealt at the start, ties, penalties and all variants marked as house rules are common practice, not part of the Bicycle text.

Sources rechecked October 22, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.

• Bicycle Cards: Go Fish rules

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