Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Starting the game
• Part 2 of 3: Taking turns
• Part 3 of 3: Winning the game
• Necessities

Go Fish is a great fun, easy to learn game to play with friends. It is a kind of quartet for 2 to 6 players that you can play with a normal card game. The goal is to collect sets of four cards and be the first to play all of your cards. Thanks to the different fun ways that each game can run, Go Fish guarantees endless fun.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Starting the game

1. Decide who shuffles the cards first (the dealer). Go Fish is a great game because it can be played with almost any group of friends: you can play it from 2 people, and up to 6 players. For example, the first player to shuffle the cards could be the person whose birthday is as follows or the player who won the previous game.
   • Try to arrange a turn to shuffle the cards so that it doesn't have to be done by the same player each time.
2. Let the dealer shake and distribute the cards among all players. If you play with 2 or 3 people, each player must receive 7 cards. If you play with 4 players or more, everyone receives 5 cards.
   • Remove all jokers before shuffling and dealing the cards.
   • You can look at your own cards! Be careful that your cards are not visible to other players.

   Tip: For a change, try using 2 decks of cards and deal each player double the number of cards. The game will take longer and it will be less easy to remember which cards each player has.

   
   
3. Spread the remaining cards face down in the center of the table. This will be the fishing pond. Make sure that the cards are left face down during the entire game so that no one can peek.
   • If you don't have much space, you can also put the cards in one stack. When someone has to draw a card from the fishing pond, they simply take the top card from the deck.
4. Have the person to the left of the dealer play first. This is another reason to set up a turn to shuffle the cards - that way, everyone will be the first to act every now and then!

Part 2 of 3: Taking turns

1. Start your turn by asking one player if he or she has a specific card. See if you already have multiple copies of a particular type of card and then ask for the remaining cards in that sequence to form a set as soon as possible. For example, if you already have 2 jacks in your hand, you only need 2 more to complete the sequence. Keep in mind that you can only ask one player a question per turn and that you can only ask for one type of card.
   • "Kind of card" refers to the rank of the card, not its suit. It does not matter whether a player has an Ace of Hearts or Ace of Diamonds. If the player has any Ace, they must give the card to you.
   • You can only ask for a card if you already have at least one in your hand. For example, you cannot ask for a farmer if you don't have a farmer in your hand yet.
   • Remember that with your questions you are giving away which cards you have in your hand. If you have a good memory and keep track of which player has which cards, you have an advantage.
2. Give all cards of the specific rank to the player who asked the question. For example, if someone asks about ladies, you must give all ladies in your possession to that person. You cannot lie or withhold cards.

   Tip: Try to keep your facial expression as neutral as possible when the question was not asked directly to you. If you fail to do this, you will inadvertently give away valuable information about the cards you have!

   
   
3. Ask another question if you guessed correctly and thus got the cards you asked for. With a bit of luck, you will be able to take a turn several times before you have to fish and the next player takes a turn. If you get another turn, you may ask the same player another question about other cards or ask a question to another player.
   • Remember that the object of the game is to create a sequence with the cards you already have in your own hand.
4. Tell the player "go fish" or "go fishing" if you don't have the cards he or she asks for. This is the most fun part of the game! If an opponent asks for ladies and you don't have any, you say "go fish". After this, the next player takes his turn.
   • It can be fun to send opponents fish, but do so in a respectful way. After all, don't forget that you're playing a game with your friends!
5. Take a card from the fishing pond when you are sent fishing yourself. It is actually not that bad to have to get an extra card from the fishing pond, especially at the beginning of the game. This will give you more cards to play with, potentially making it easier for you to create sequences.
   • You must keep the card you drew in your hand, even if you would rather not have drawn it. You may not exchange the card for another card.

Part 3 of 3: Winning the game

1. Set aside sets of 4 cards of the same rank to remove them from your hand. You are not allowed to hold strings in your hand. Once you complete a sequence, put it on the table in front of you for everyone to see. In most variations of Go Fish, the first person to put all the cards on the table is the winner. The intention is therefore to complete the series as soon as possible.
   • In some variations of the game, each set consists of 2 cards instead of 4 cards.
   • Sets of 4 are often referred to as a quartet in this game as well.
2. Take another turn after placing a sequence on the table. After you place a sequence on the table, your turn continues. This way you can work on your next series before other players have the chance to take your cards.
3. You win the game when you have no more cards in your hand. The first player to put all the cards on the table is the winner. If necessary, the other players can continue to play to determine who is in second place. After this the third place can also be determined, etc.

   Try this too: Instead of winning by getting rid of all your cards, you can keep playing until all the cards from all players and the cards from the fishing pond have been put down. In this variant, the player with the most complete sets wins.

   
   
4. End the game when the fishing pond is empty, even if no one has "won" at the time. This is an optional ending that can come in handy if you like fast paced games. In this situation, you can decide that the player with the most complete sets wins or that the game ends in a draw.
   • You can also choose to continue playing after the fishing pond is empty. You then just take turns, without being sent fish at the end of your turn.

Necessities

• Card game with 52 playing cards