There are numerous Go Fish card game variations available globally, fashioned each to their own uniqueness based on their country of origin.
Fortunately for us, the majority of people play Go Fish with only a regular card deck! You probably have seen people play with actual Go Fish cards, but you couldn’t find them in your nearest store.
Worry not because if you have regular playing cards at your convenience, you can use just that to play Go Fish with your family and friends.
In this article, we will show you step-by-step how to play Go Fish with regular playing cards.
1. Have a deck of regular playing cards.
It is important to first have a regular playing card deck. Unlike Go Fish cards, these cards are obtainable in most stores, and you probably already have one.
This deck of cards is also called a standard 52-card deck that (usually) contains 54 cards.
These 54 cards comprise four suits of the following list, where each suit consisting of Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King cards.
2. Remove Joker cards.
There is no need for Joker cards in a regular game of Go Fish, so set them aside.
3. Start playing!
With the remaining cards, you can start playing Go Fish. To win a Go Fish game, one needs to obtain the most “books” by the end of the game.
With a regular deck, a book consists of a set of the same rank cards. For example, four Kings, four 1s, four 9s, etc.
If you are playing a two-player game, deal seven cards to each player and five cards each if you play with more than two players.
Spread out the remaining cards in a jumbled pile in the middle of the circle of players, which is the “pool of fish.”
If it is your turn to play, ask another player for cards of the same rank as any card you have in your hands. They must give all cards of the same rank that they have to you.
If they do not have the rank that you requested, they tell you to “go fish”. This is when you “fish” for a card in the card pile in front of you. The game continues in a clockwise direction.
If you need more specific instructions on how to play Go Fish, we can help you here.
Remember, you will need two or more people to play Go Fish.
Tips: If you’ve got no one to play with, you can go online and try these free online Go Fish card games to play with bots, online players or even invite your faraway friends and families.