• University Games Go Fish Rules

. (Indonesia). (Thailand).IntroductionThe object is to collect books, which are sets of four cards of the same rank, by asking other players for cards you think they may have. Whoever collects most sets wins. The basic idea is very simple and they are often thought of as children's games.So far as I know, games of this type first appeared in the mid 19th century and were played with special cards.

In Britain there was Spade the Gardener, in which players collect families of five cards, later superseded by Happy Families, in which each family consists of four cards (mother, father, son, daughter). In the USA, the game of Dr Busby, also based on families, was first published in 1843, followed by Authors in 1861. I do not know whether these games were based on an earlier game played with standard cards, or whether the adaptation to use a standard pack came later. Go FishThis game is often just known as Fish, but the name 'Fish' (or Canadian Fish or Russian Fish) is also sometimes used for the more complex partnership game. Go Fish is best for 3-6 players, but it is possible for 2 to play. A standard 52 card deck is used.

The dealer deals 5 cards to each player (7 each for 2 players). The remaining cards are placed face down to form a stock.The player to dealer's left starts. A turn consists of asking a specific player for a specific rank. For example, if it is my turn I might say: 'Mary, please give me your jacks'. The player who asks must already hold at least one card of the requested rank, so I must hold at least one jack to say this. If the player who was asked (Mary) has cards of the named rank (jacks in this case), she must give all her cards of this rank to the player who asked for them.

That player then gets another turn and may again ask any player for any rank already held by the asker.If the person asked does not have any cards of the named rank, they say 'Go fish!' The asker must then draw the top card of the undealt stock. If the drawn card is the rank asked for, the asker shows it and gets another turn. If the drawn card is not the rank asked for, the asker keeps it, but the turn now passes to the next player to the left.As soon as a player collects a book of 4 cards of the same rank, this must be shown and discarded face down. The game continues until either someone has no cards left in their hand or the stock runs out.

The winner is the player who then has the most books.Variations of Go FishSome people play that rather than asking for a rank, you must ask for a specific card. You must already hold at least one card of that rank. For example, you say: 'Tom, please give me the seven of diamonds'. If Tom has it he gives it and you get another turn. If he doesn't, he says 'Go Fish!'

And you draw from the stock. In the unlikely event that you draw the seven of diamonds you get another turn; if you draw anything the turn passes to the left.If you play this variation, you need to agree whether it is permissible to ask for a card which you already hold in your hand. Obviously you'll have to fish and your turn will end, but you might do this deliberately to mislead the other players into thinking that you didn't hold that card.Some people play that when the stock runs out, you carry on playing until all the cards have been made into books. Obviously after the stock has run out there is no 'Go Fish!' If the person you asked doesn't have the card asked for, the turn passes on.Some people play that when a player runs out of cards, the play does not end, but the player draws a new hand of 5 cards from the stock (or the whole stock if fewer than 5 cards remain there).Some people play that after a player fishes unsuccessfully, the turn passes to player who was asked and said 'go fish' rather than to the next player player to the left.There are various ways of scoring.

For example, you may play a series of hands, scoring one point for each book you make. The game continues until someone wins by reaching an agreed target score - for example, 10 points.A few people score according to the cards in the books, for example 2-10 face value, 11 for jacks, 12 for queens, 13 for kings, 15 for aces. Australian FishPaul Gardner-Stephen reports that in Australia a variant is often played in which the object is to collect pairs. 7 cards are dealt to each player from a 52-card pack. The player with most pairs plays first. At your turn you ask for a card matching one you have in your hand.

All pairs must be put down as soon as they are obtained - you cannot hoard a pair in hand as a basis for asking for the other two matching cards. A player who runs out of cards draws a new hand of 7 cards from the undealt stock. Play continues until everyone has run out of cards, and players score a point for each pair they have made.This game is sometimes played with special cards, and sometimes with a 54-card pack including two jokers, which act as normal cards forming a pair. Jonny Groves describes a similar game played in the USA, and suggests that a pair of jokers should be scored as 2 points rather than 1 since it is harder to make than other pairs. For similar reasons, collecting two pairs of the same rank should score 3 points rather than 2.A variant Backstab Fish is played in Adelaide with 108 cards including four jokers. There are 4-10 players, 7 cards each are dealt and the aim is to make sets of four equal cards, suits being ignored. At your turn you ask a specific player for a specific number of cards of a rank of which you hold at least one: for example you could ask a player for three sixes if you hold a six.

The player gives you the exact number of cards you asked for, if she has them: if not - for example if she only has two sixes - you have to draw a card from the stock and the turn passes to the player you asked. In this game you are not required to lay down four of a kind. You can keep them as a basis for asking for more cards of that rank, but if you do not put them down you may lose some or all of them if another player asks for them. Omben / MinumanThe Indonesian version of Go Fish is known as Omben in Javanese or Minuman in Indonesian, both names meaning 'drink'. It is said to be best for two players, each of whom begins with a hand of 4 or 5 cards (according to agreement) drawn from a 52 card pack. The players take turns to ask their opponent for a rank, such as 8 or king, and the opponent must give the asker all cards of that rank that he or she holds. If the opponent has no such card the asker must 'drink' by drawing cards from the pile of undealt cards: the asker continues to draw until he or she finds a card of the rank that was asked for.

Whenever a player has four of a kind in hand, it must be discarded face up. The winner is the first player to get rid of all their cards - it does not matter how many or few sets they have made. If the stock runs out, the player with fewer cards is the winner. Note that in this game the players ask alternately, irrespective of whether the card asked for is found in the other player's hand or the draw pile.

University Games Go Fish Rules

AuthorsThis is Go Fish without the stock pile. All the cards are dealt out as equally as possible to the players. A turn consists of asking a player for a rank (or a specific card if you play that version). If they have it your turn continues; if not the turn passes to the next player player to the left. As in Go Fish, you must have a card of the rank you asked for. Books of 4 cards are discarded. The game continues until all the cards are formed into books, and whoever gets most books wins - or you can score one point per book and play to a target score.This game is called Authors in the USA, because it was originally played with special educational cards showing pictures of famous authors.

These cards are still available and the idea has been extended to cards showing inventors, American presidents, explorers, baseball players and many other themes. Is available from from amazon.com.