Section 3: Setup & Deal
- Two or three players: 7 cards each. Four or more: 5 each.
- The rest becomes the pond (stock), spread face down.
- Play begins to the dealer's left.
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Section 3: Setup & Deal
Go Fish
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What is setup & deal in Go Fish?
Verdict
Two or three players: 7 cards each. Four or more: 5 each.; The rest becomes the pond (stock), spread face down.; Play begins to the dealer's left.
Why people argue about this
People often assume that everyone should get exactly 5 cards regardless of how many players are in the game, which leads to arguments when they realize the correct distribution is based on player count—2 or 3 players getting 7 each, and 4 or more splitting into 5 dealt and a remaining "pond" of cards.
Send this to your friend — argument over.
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Rules sourced from Traditional public-domain game — standard children’s rules · Last verified: Aug 2026