HPR4187: Go Fish Card Game

Hacker Public Radio

This is a fantastic card game suitable for 3 or more players. We've even played it with up to 7 players.

The game utilizes a standard deck of cards.

Each player is dealt 7 cards.

The remaining cards form a pile in the center face down.

The objective of the game is to have the most sets of cards by the end.

A set is defined as 4 cards of the same rank, such as all the 3s or all the kings. The suits of the cards are irrelevant in this game.

Determine who will take the first turn. This player must have a card of the rank they intend to ask for in their hand.

They then inquire from another player if they have any cards of that specific rank. For example, "Oscar, do you have any 5s?" If Oscar has any fives, he must give all the cards which have five on them to the asking player.

The player who has requested the card gets another turn. They can ask any of the other players. When a player asks for a card and that player does not have that card in their hand they say "Go Fish", and the player who has asked the question must draw a card from the pile. Their turn is over and passes to the next player in a clockwise direction.

If a player collects 4 cards of the same rank, they form a set and are placed aside. If a player runs out of cards, they can draw one from the pile and ask for cards of that rank. If there are no more cards left in the pile, that player is out of the game. But don't worry, you can still win. The game continues until all the cards have been played. Once all the cards are played, the player with the most sets wins

This game is both amusing and challenging, and it will certainly make you laugh as you discover what cards other players hold. For instance, if Oscar has one five, Josie has two fives, Al has one five, and Rainy has no fives. Oscar can ask Josie if she has a five, and since she does, she has to give the cards to Oscar. He then gets another turn and asks Rainy, but she doesn't have any and says "go fish". Now Al knows that Oscar has three fives in his hand. So, when it's Al's turn, he can ask Oscar if he has any fives, and since he does, he has to hand them over. This way, Al wins that set of cards.

Give it a try and you'll find yourself laughing out of frustration. I'll include the rules of the game in the show notes.