Practice Go Fish with a coach

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The Go Fish table

The practice game needs JavaScript. The rules page has everything you need to play for real.

The table

Who asked for what (crossed out: handed over since)
You
West
East

Your hand

Coach

Goal: collect books. A book is all four cards of one rank, which is the number or letter on a card, such as the four sevens or the four kings. When all 13 books have been made, the player with the most books wins.

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Tips appear here as you play.

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About this practice game

One practice game: you and two computer players each get 5 cards. On your turn you ask one player for a rank, which is the number or letter on a card, such as all their sevens. Four cards of one rank make a book, and the most books wins. The Coach explains each rule as it comes up, and the Hint tells you whom to ask and why. Never seen it played? Press Watch a narrated deal: the computer plays all three players with every hand face up and explains each question.

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How Go Fish works

Three players, 5 cards each. You play against two computer players, West and East. The rest of the cards are the draw pile, face down. Whoever is to the left of the dealer asks first, and play passes to the left: you, then West, then East.
A rank is the number or letter on a card. All four sevens are one rank, and all four kings are another. Suits do not matter.
On your turn, ask one player for a rank you hold. You must already have at least one card of that rank. You say it like this: “West, do you have any sevens?”
If they have any, they hand over all of them, and you ask again. You may ask the same player or the other one, for any rank you hold.
If they have none, they say “Go fish!” You draw the top card of the draw pile. If it is the rank you asked for, you show it and ask again (some groups do not allow this; the practice game does). Otherwise your turn is over.
Four cards of one rank are a book. It is put down face up at once. The cards in it are out of the game, so nobody can ask for them any more.
A player with no cards draws one from the draw pile when it is their turn. If the draw pile is empty too, that player sits out. The deal, which is one whole game from the first card dealt to the last book, ends when all 13 books have been made.

How to use this page

Want to see a whole deal first? Press Watch a narrated deal, above the board. The computer plays all three players with every hand face up, and says what each question was, why it was chosen and what came of it. Press Next and Back to step through it, or Play to let it run by itself, or pick a part of the deal from Jump to. Back to playing returns to your own game, which watching does not change.
Read the line at the top of the board. It says whose turn it is, and on your turn what to click.
Step 1: click West or East to choose whom to ask. Step 2: click one of your cards. You ask for every card of that rank. (You can also click a card first and then a player.)
Your hand is shown in groups of the same rank. Each computer player is a row of face-down cards with a count, and the books each player has made are shown beside the cards.
The table called Who asked for what lists every rank each player has asked for, oldest first. A crossed-out rank means that player has since handed those cards over or put them down as a book.
Stuck? Press Hint. It names one good question and says why.
When all 13 books are made the Coach adds them up. Press Deal again for new cards.

What the questions tell you

Asking for a rank means you hold it. A player can only ask for a rank they already have, so when West asks East for jacks, West holds at least one jack.
They keep it until it is taken. A player holds that card until they hand it over to someone who asks for it, or put it down in a book. If West asked for jacks and nobody has taken West’s jacks since, West still has one. If you hold a jack too, asking West for jacks cannot fail.
“Go fish” tells you too. A player who says it had none of that rank. They get one only if a card they draw later happens to be that rank.
Your questions tell the others what you hold. If you ask for sevens and a player holds a seven, that player can ask you for sevens and take every one you have. The computer players remember every question and use it this way.

Common beginner mistakes

Asking a player who just said “Go fish” for that rank. They had none a moment ago. They only have one now if they drew a card since, so ask someone else.
Forgetting what the others asked for. Every question is free information. Look at Who asked for what before you choose.
Spreading your questions across many ranks. You hold two or three of one rank? Asking for that rank is usually best, because every card you collect brings you closer to a book.
Asking a player who holds only a card or two when another player holds many. The more cards a player holds, the more likely they have your rank.

Simple strategy

First use what you have heard: if a player asked for a rank you hold and has not handed it over, ask that player for it.
If nothing you have heard helps, ask for the rank you hold the most of.
When nothing says who holds the rank, ask the player with more cards.
Do not ask a player for a rank they just said “Go fish” to.
When you have no cards left on your turn you draw one from the draw pile and ask for that rank. If the draw pile is empty, you are out for the rest of the deal.

The full rules page →

Coach ↓