How To Play Go Fish Card Game: Go Fish Game Rules

Overview

If you are looking for a children’s card game that can be played with any deck of cards, then you can consider the Go Fish Card game. As long as the deck of cards contains 52 cards. Go through this post to know the rules of the game and how to play this game. 

Objective

The object of the game is to have the most 4 of a kind. Once a player gets the 4 of a kind, the cards are laid down and the game continues. 

go fish rules

Go Fish Card Game Rules

. If a player runs out of cards while the game is still ongoing, the player can draw five more cards from the middle deck. In a situation where the cards in the middle deck is less than five, the player can draw all the cards. 

. If the card a player draws from the middle gives a 4 of a kind, the cards are laid down.

. When a player runs out of cards and the cards in the middle deck is finished, the player discontinues the game and continues to watch other players play. 

. A player can decide to ask a different player at each turn. 

Number of Players Needed

The Go Fish Card game is played between two to six players. If there are more than four players, then you deal five cards to each player. If there are just four players or less playing the game, you deal seven cards to each player. 

Equipment

You need the following to play this game

. Flat surface, preferably a table.

. A deck of card (containing 52 cards) 

Setting Up

The players must appoint a dealer. An easy way to appoint a deal is to share a single card among all players. The player with the lowest card becomes the dealer in the game. The dealer gets to shuffle the cards and deal five cards to each player. All cards must be faced down and shared in a clockwise manner. The remaining deck is placed in the middle within the reach of all the players and is known as the middle deck or ocean. The players get to draw from the middle deck as the game progress. 

How To Play Go Fish Card game

The player on the left side of the dealer is the first player to start the game. To play the game, a player picks up a card from his stack of cards and choose an opponent and ask if the opponent has the given card. If the player opponent has the card asked, he gives the card to the player that requested for it. More than one card can be exchanged in a go, as long as they are similar to the one the player requested for. If the opponent doesn’t have the card requested, he replies with ‘Go Fish’. The player can proceed to draw a card from the middle deck or ocean. If the card a player draws doesn’t match the one he asked for, the card becomes a part of the opponent’s hand while the player continues to play. As soon as a player gets 4 of a kind (4 cards with the same number), the player places the card face down beside him. 

Winning The Game

After the game ends, all players count their cards. The player with the most 4 of a kind becomes the winner of the round. 

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