You · Books0
Pond38
Computer · Books0
Play to all 13 books. An empty active hand draws one card.
The computer uses its own cards and public requests. Unmatched fish stay hidden.
Go Fish
Ask wisely, remember the replies and collect four of a kind. Play a complete 13-book deal or a shorter hand against a computer.
Your actions0
Requests0
About Go Fish
Go Fish is a traditional request-and-collect card game. This original browser version uses a standard 52-card deck and plays against one computer. Its strategy comes from deciding which held rank to request and remembering public information.
Two finish rules are available because published Go Fish rules differ. Neither mode uses numbered levels. New deals provide fresh hands; restarting lets you compare decisions on the same deal.
How to play Go Fish
- 01Two players receive seven cards each from a standard 52-card deck. The other 38 cards form the pond. Select who starts before dealing.
- 02Ask for a rank you hold. The opponent gives you every card of that rank; if you receive cards, ask again. Four matching ranks automatically form a book worth one point.
- 03If the opponent has none, draw one card. Drawing the requested rank grants another ask; any other draw passes the turn, even if it makes a different book.
- 04All 13 books mode continues until every rank is collected. An empty active hand draws one card while the pond remains. Short hand stops when either hand or the pond empties; most books wins, and equal scores tie.
- 05The casual computer cycles through its held ranks. The memory computer remembers public requests and transfers. Neither reads your hidden cards or the pond order.
- 06Restart repeats the current deal; New deal shuffles. Local saving replays legal requests. Restored unfinished games start paused. There is no online multiplayer or money stake.
Go Fish controls
- Ask
- Click or tap a held rank. Tab to a rank and press Enter or Space for keyboard play. A request and its draw resolve together.
- Pause
- Pause between requests; hidden pages pause automatically. Computer turns resolve after a short thinking delay. Resume an unfinished saved deal explicitly.
- Deal and save
- Choose the finish rule, computer and first player. Restart repeats the seed; New deal shuffles. Valid browser-local saves restore the request history; unavailable storage does not block play.
Go Fish: modes and scoring
All 13 books is a full-deck game: empty active hands refill one card while stock remains, and a completed deal awards all 13 books.
Short hand ends as soon as a hand or the pond empties, and can tie. Memory uses earlier public requests; Casual cycles through its held ranks. Neither strategy is guaranteed to win.
Go Fish tips and strategies
Track public information
A request proves that the asking player holds that rank. Later transfers and completed books can invalidate that clue; a failed hidden fish does not reveal its rank.
Keep the turn
Use known ranks when you hold them. Receiving several cards at once can complete a book and preserve the initiative.
Know the ending
In short games the pond may run out before 13 books exist. Compare completed books, rather than counting uncollected cards.
- Remember a rank the computer requested: it had that rank then, unless you have since taken it.
- A successful request keeps your turn, so use public clues before fishing blindly.
- The short rule scores completed books only; a large hand is not a winning score.
Go Fish FAQ
How many cards do you start with?
In this two-player game each player starts with seven cards. Four cards of one rank make a book. Suits do not affect requests.
Do you always ask again after fishing?
Only when you draw the rank you requested. Otherwise the turn passes, even if you complete a different book.
Can I play with a friend online?
This version is single-player against a computer. It does not provide rooms, accounts or network opponents.
Must I give every matching card?
Yes. When asked for a held rank, all of that rank transfers automatically.
What if my hand empties?
All 13 books refills the active hand with one card if available. Short hand ends immediately instead.
Can the computer see my hand?
The decision function receives only its own cards, hand and pond counts, and remembered public requests. Local storage is not an anti-tampering service.