Canasta Game
A canasta is a run of 7 cards of the same rank. There are two types of canastas, a “natural” and an “unnatural” canasta. To make a natural canasta a player must obtain 7 cards of the same rank with out the use of wildcards. This classic rummy game tests your skill at collecting matching ranked cards. Play online Canasta games for FREE with Yahoo! Hundreds of games are available to play online including the free Canasta game and a range of other card, board, and puzzle games. Games Canasta offers both four-player and two-player games, using two standard 52-card decks and four jokers combined to make a 108.
Table of Contents
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Basics / Object of the Game
Play one of the most popular multiplayer card games with Canasta HD! Take turns drawing and discarding cards, creating melds to rack up points. Be sure to put your wild cards to good use to outflank your opponent. Canasta HD can be played with 1-4 players in one on one matches or in teams of two. Canasta is a card meld game where the goal is to 'go out' with the most accumulated meld points. When at least one of the players accumulates a pre-determined agreed points, the match is over, and the player with the highest score wins. SHG Canasta supports both two player and four Player partners.
Why 'Hand and Foot'?
Hand and Foot is a flavor of Canasta. It is called 'Hand and Foot' because each player is dealt two sets of cards - the hand, which is played first, and the foot, which is played when all cards in the hand have been played (as detailed below).
Players and Teams
Hand and Foot is played with two teams of either 2 or 3 players each, making it a game for 4 or 6 players. Every player sits between players of the opposing team. The rules for picking teams are discussed below.
Object Of the Game: Team With the Most Points Wins
A game consists of 4 rounds. After each round, a score is calculated for the round and added to the total score. After the 4 rounds are completed, the team with the higher total score wins.
Quick Overview of The Game
Each round consists of a deal, the main play, and scoring. Each player is dealt a hand and a foot. In main play, players begin play with their hand, but (following rules detailed below) try to lay out their cards as quickly as possible. Cards on the table count as points. When a player exhausts the cards in their hand, they then continue play with their foot. When a player's foot is exhausted and his team has met the criteria detailed below, he can go out, ending the round.
The rest of these rules describe the game in detail.
Cards and Their Values
6 (six) decks of cards are used, including jokers.
Individual cards have values as shown in Table 1. These point values are used for both melding and counting the cards.
| ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table 1: Point Values And Ordering For Cards |
Notes for Table 1:
- Cards of rank 3 get special treatment described below.
- There are two kinds of jokers, 'Big Jokers' are cards marked as jokers and 'little jokers' are twos. They are interchangeable in all circumstances except that they have different point values.
Card Order
Table 1 also defines an absolute ordering of the cards. This ordering is used when determining the teams and the dealer of the first round. Among cards of the same point value little jokers come before aces, and the other cards are ordered by rank. For example, a King comes before a Queen. Among cards of the same rank, the suit ordering from highest to lowest is spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs.
Before The Game: Choosing Teams
Teams can be selected in any manner the players can agree upon (oldest vs youngest, boys against girls, etc.).
A recommended way to select teams is to choose cards, as follows:
- After shuffling, each player selects a card at random (without looking at the face).
- The players with the highest card (see the ordering in values) are on one team and the other half are on the other team. For example, if there are 6 players, the 3 players who ended up with the cards of highest value form one team.
- In the case of a tie (the exact same card), the players involved in the tie pick again to determine their relative order (all other players retain their position).
Teammates sit opposite each other as described under 'players and teams'.
Dealing the Cards
The dealer of the first round can be selected in any manner the players can agree upon. A recommended way is to have each player select a card at random from the deck. The player whose card would be first in the order described above deals the first hand. If cards were used to choose teams, the same card can be reused to determine who deals the first round.
After shuffling the cards, the player dealing the hands cuts the deck and uses the stack of cards they cut to deal 13 cards (face down) for each player.
The cut is important because the dealer's team gets a 100 point bonus if the dealer can cut exactly the correct number of cards to deal the hand plus one card to start the discard pile. This is 53 cards for 4 players or 79 cards for 6 players.
Deal the feet at the same time. The team-mate on the right of the dealer deals the feet. (He will be two players away.) As with dealing hand, the dealer cuts the cards to attempt to get exactly the number of cards needed to deal the 'feet'. The foot is also 13 cards, so the dealer of the foot tries to cut 52 cards for a 4-player game and 78 cards for a 6 -player game. This is one card less than the dealer of the foot, since the person dealing the foot does not create the discard pile.
Because both deals are happening simultaneously, a dealer typically creates the hands or feet near him then carefully distributes them to the players, making sure the dealt order is preserved. The cards are dealt in a clockwise order. Players study their hand in prepartion for play, but their foot must not be looked at and is stored just out of reach until it is needed.
The remainder of the undealt cards remain in a face-down pile in the middle of the table, forming a deck. Cards are always drawn face down from the top of the deck. The discard pile sits next to the deck and is pile of face up cards, with only the most recent discard showing.
Usually the discard pile contains one card immediately after the deal, created by the player who deals the hand. This first card cannot be a red three, joker, or 2, so the top of the deck is discarded until a different card is found. Note that this process takes place after the hands have been dealt, so the number of cards needed for the 100 point bonus is always the same.
For the next round, both deals pass one player to the left.
The Play
Players play in turn, moving clockwise starting to the left of the person dealing the hands.
Teams always work together. Each team designates a 'captain' to collect all cards layed out by their team. (Usually the person with the most table space.)
After the deal, play starts with the person to the left of the dealer of the hand.
On the first turn, a player can lay out red threes from his hand, replacing them with cards from the deck before his turn begins.
A turn normally consists of:
- Drawing 2 cards or picking up 7 from the discard pile;
- Optionally laying out cards, contributing to your team's layed out cards;
- Discarding one card to the top of the discard pile.
Starting Play by Drawing Cards or Picking Up The Pile
Each turn begins by taking cards either from the deck or from the discard pile. This section describes both options in detail.
If the player draws cards, he draws 2 cards. A red three drawn from the deck is layed out immediately and replaced with another new card from the deck.
Alternatively, a player may 'pick up the pile', which means taking the top 7 cards from the discard pile. If the discard pile contains fewer than 7 cards, he takes the whole pile. To pick up the pile, all of the following must be met:
Canasta Game Accessories
- The top of the discard pile must not be a (black) three;
- The player must hold two cards of the same rank as the top card;
- The player must immediately lay out these three cards (the two he is holding and the top discard), possibly along with other cards he is holding.
- The player's team must have melded, or the player melds while picking up the pile. Only the top card of the discard pile can be used towards the points needed for melding: the 6 other cards cannot be used towards points needed for the meld.
Jokers are like any other card and can be picked up. Since little jokers and big jokers are interchangeable, they can be used in any combination to pick up the pile.
Laying Out Cards
Canastas
The general rule for laying out cards is that a single player holding 3 or more cards of the same rank can lay them out on the table, starting a canasta. A canasta can also be started with 2 cards of the same rank and a joker. Once a canasta has been started, any number of additional cards of the same rank can be added.
Seven cards closes a canasta. Closed canastas are put off to the side to be scored at the end of the round.
Each team shares layed out cards. So, the team works together to build canastas, although they must be started individually.
There are three kinds of canastas:
- Clean: contains no jokers.
- Dirty: contains jokers. At most 3 jokers are allowed.
- Joker: contains only jokers.
Three's cannot be used in Canastas. Red threes are layed out by themselves, and black threes can only be discarded.
Melding
For each round, the first time cards are layed out is called the meld. A team melds before laying out cards any other cards (except red threes) or picking up the discard pile.
To meld, a player lays out cards totalling the minimum required points for that round. Red threes do not count towards melding. A player must meld on his own, without help from his teammates. But the meld counts for the entire team, so the first player who can do so melds for the entire team.
The meld must start at least one clean or one joker canasta (i.e., not all dirty).
Minimum Meld Requirements for Each Round
Each round has a different minimum required points to meld. These are::
| Round 1 | .......... | 50 points |
| Round 2 | .......... | 90 points |
| Round 3 | .......... | 120 points |
| Round 4 | .......... | 150 points |
Adding Cards to Closed Canastas
Cards can also be added to closed canastas of the same rank. This doesn't change the value of the canasta, but allows a player to get rid of held cards and counts as a few extra points.
Jokers cannot be added to a closed canasta, even a joker canasta.
Starting a Second Canasta of the Same Rank
Each team cannot build more than one canasta of a given rank at the same time. For example, one cannot start a new clean canasta of 9's when a dirty canasta of 9's has been started but not closed.
Once a canasta is closed, a new canasta of the same rank can be started.
Ending Play By Discarding
A player's turn ends when he puts a card on the discard pile. As soon as the discard is released, the turn is over. This means the player can no longer lay out cards (red threes, cards to build canastas, etc.).
Courtesy exception: To keep the game moving, if a player has a large number of cards to lay out, before they discard they can ask for dispensation to keep laying out cards after they discard. This a dangerous, but keeps the game moving briskly.
Discarding a black three blocks the next player from picking up from the discard pile. A red three cannot be discarded. It is unusual to discard a joker. See picking up the pile for details.
Going On Your Foot
When a player lays out all the cards held in their hand, they pick up their foot and continue playing. If a player lays out all but one card from their hand, they can discard it, ending their turn. They then pick up their foot and continue play with it on the next turn.
Red threes in your foot should be layed out on the first turn in which you play it. Unlike every other time, you don't replace red threes from your foot with cards from the deck.
Going Out
The round ends when a player 'goes out'. To do so, the following conditions must be met:
- All team members must have finished playing their hand. (They may be between hand and foot.)
- The team must have 7 clean canastas.
- The team must have 1 joker canasta.
A player goes out but laying out all but one held card. They discard this final card and say 'I'm out'.
Running Out of Cards in the Deck
In the unlikely event that the deck is exhausted before anyone goes out, the round ends after the person who draws last completes their turn.
Communication
As in most card games, communication is generally not allowed.
However, a player may ask his teammates if it is okay to go out.
Three's
This section summarizes all the special rules for Three's.
Red Three's
The following points apply to red threes:
- Highest valued card, count 100 points.
- They can be layed out on a player's turn before picking up from the deck/discard pile.
- When layed out, are immediately replaced with a new card from the deck. Except when the red three was in the foot, in which case it is not replaced.
- Cannot be discarded (even accidently).
- Cannot be used in Canastas.
- Count 100 points against the team if they are held (in hand or foot) at the end of the round.
Black Three's
The following points apply to black threes:
- Lowest valued card, count 5 points.
- Can only be discarded. This means that black threes held in a hand delay a player going on his foot, and black threes held in a foot delay a player going out.
- Freeze the discard pile so the next player cannot pick it up.
- Cannot be used in Canastas.
- Count 5 points against the team if they are held (in hand or foot) at the end of the round.
Scoring
After each round, each team compute their score for the round. They add this to their total score for the game.
Bonus for Going Out
When a player goes out, his team earns a 100 point bonus.
Subtracting Hands & Feet
Cards held in a player's hand or foot at the end of a round count against the team. Totals are calculated by summing card values.
Counting Canastas
Canastas earn points as follows:
- Clean: 500 points
- Dirty: 300 points
- Joker: 1500 points
Counting the Cards
After canastas are counted, all the cards layed out are counted. This includes cards that formed canastas, red threes, cards added to closed canastas, and incomplete canastas.
Red threes are typically counted while counting canastas, in which case they aren't included when counting the cards.
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Score Sheet
Scoring for a round can be summarized as follows
| Total Points | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting exact amount of deal (100 Points each) | ||||
| For 'Going Out' (100 Points) | = | |||
| Subtract value of unplayed cards in hands and feet | = | |||
| Red Threes | .......... | X | 100 points | = |
| Clean Canastas | .......... | X | 500 points | = |
| Dirty Canastas | .......... | X | 300 points | = |
| Joker Canastas | .......... | X | 1500 points | = |
| Add value of all cards layed out | = | |||
| Total For Round | ||||
Definition
Canasta is a Spanish take on the popular game of Rummy. Canasta is cited as a variation of the popular 500 Rum variant. The game is commonly played in 4-player groups, with 2 players in a partnership, and involves special rules which facilitate the focus on teamwork, while awarding careful play.
How to PlayCanasta?
Canasta, much like other variations of Rummy,has different variations for different player counts, though we will be focusing on the standard 4-player variant, with players assigned to teams of two. The standard Canastadeck consists of two 52-card Anglo American decks, and 4 Jokers.
The following instructions are for the 4-player variant of Canasta.
Setting Up
The dealer is determined by deck splitting, and the player getting the highest card value will become the dealer. Each player is dealt 11 cards, one at a time. The remaining cards are set aside, face-down, forming the draw pile. The top card of the draw pile is revealed, forming the discard pile.
The turn order follows clockwise, so the player to the left of the dealer goes first.
Melds
The main objective of the Spanish card game Canasta is for each team to create melds, which add to the score of each team. Melds are combinations of cards of the same rank. Melds must consist of at least 3-cards to be valid. To create a meld, a player reveals the 3 or more cards of the same rank, placing them face-up in front of either their own hand, or their teammate.
Since there are 2 52-card decks in total, that means there are 8 cards of each rank.
Multiple melds can be played in a turn.
Canasta Game Rules
An example of a meld is shown below:
A♦ A♦ A♠ A♣
Wild Cards
In Canastas, the Jokers and 2-cards are wild cards, and can be used to substitute any card in a meld. Unlike some variations of Rummy, once a wild card is used in a meld, it cannot be removed via substitutions. In terms of scoring, the wild cards are scored identically to the substituted cards.
An example of a meld using wild cards is shown below:
A♦ A♦ A♠ A♣ 2♠
Note that a meld cannot have more Wild cards than non-Wild cards.
Gameplay
At the start of each turn, players draw one card from the draw pile or the discard pile. Players then reveal melds if they are available. To end each turn, a card of their choosing is discarded. If players draw a red 3-card, they set it aside in their team’s set, and draw another card as a replacement.
Cards can only be drawn from the discard pile if they are used immediately in a meld. When players draw a card from the discard pile, they need to take all cards from the discard pile.
At the end of each turn, players can play out specific cards to affect the discard pile. These are discussed in the following section.
Card Effects
When a black 3 is discarded, the discard pile is “blocked” for the next turn. The following player will be forced to draw from the draw pile instead.
Canastas and Going Out
A Canasta is a meld consisting of 7 or more cards. These melds are special as they allow a team to go out, and are awarded additional points.
Going out is a team calling for the end of a game. This is only allowed when a team has at least 1 Canasta. Before going out, a player is allowed to ask his/her teammate whether they should make the call. Based on the current cards in hand, a player might want to hold off on calling for the end of the game.
How to Win Canasta?
The Canasta card game is played across multiple rounds, and the first team to reach 5000 points wins the game. Scores are discussed in the Scoring section of the guide.
Official Canasta Rules
The Canasta card game includes rules to ensure smooth gameplay.
Team Rules
Each team consists of 2 players, and the standard game of 4 players consists of 2 teams of two.
The members from each team are to sit opposite each other during the game.
Initial Melds
The first meld made by any team needs to have a minimum point value to be valid. The point values are as follows:
- 0-1499 game points: 50 card points
- 1500-2999 game points: 90 card points
- 3000 game points and above: 120 card points
Discard Pile
These are the basic Canasta rules. To claim the top card of the discard pile, a player must be able to use it immediately. Drawing the top card of the discard pile also means the player takes all cards from the discard pile.
If a black 3 is discarded, the discard pile is blocked for the next turn.
Freezes
If a wild card is discarded, it creates a “freeze”. This means a player cannot draw from the discard pile they are able to use the card in a natural meld.
Natural and Mixed Melds
Natural melds are melds that consist of no wild cards.
Mixed melds are melds made with wild cards included. Mixed melds cannot have more wild cards than non-wild cards.
Initial Card
If a red 3 is drawn as the first card forming the discard pile, another card is flipped to replace it. The same rule applies to black 3s.
If a wild card is drawn, it is turned sideways to indicate a freeze. Another card is drawn to replace it.
Depending on the ruling methods of the current round, this can be considered a valid match. However, this ultimately depends on the currently used ruleset.
Summary of Rules
In general, the Canasta card game rules are:
- Each player is split into teams of 2.
- Each player is dealt 11 cards each. Remaining cards form the draw and discard pile.
- Each turn, a player draws a card from the draw or discard pile (when allowed).
- The player then makes melds using available cards, ending their turn by discarding one card.
- Players can discard specific cards to affect the discard pile.
- Once a team has a Canasta, they are allowed to go out, ending the round.
Scoring & Cheat Sheet
Canasta scoring is somewhat complicated, since each card has a specific point value, and different conditions are awarded different point amounts. Thankfully, it is easy enough to understand the basics with our provided cheat sheet.
Card Values
- Jokers: 50 points
- Aces and 2s: 20 points
- Kings, Queens, Jacks, 10s, 9s, 8s: 10 points
- 7s, 6s, 5s, 4s: 5 points
- Black 3s: 5 points
Condition Values
- Natural Canasta: 500 points
- Mixed Canasta: 300 points
- Red 3s: 100 points each
- Going Out: 100 points
Calculating Scores
To calculate the scores for each round, sum up the point values for each meld based on the card values. Then, subtract the card values that still remain in hand. A score card format is provided below:
| Team 1 | Team 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player 1 | Player 2 | Melds | Player 3 | Player 4 | Melds |
Example Plays
An example ending hand with a team that has gone out for the Canasta Card Game is shown below, illustrating the point calculation process.
Melds:
A♦ A♦ A♠ A♣ 2♠ = 20 x 4 + 20 = 100 points
Q♣ Q♣ Q♠ Q♠ Q♦ Q♦ 2♦ = 10 x 6 + 20 + 300 (Mixed Canasta) = 380 points
10♠ 10♠ 10♠ = 10 x 3 = 30 points
5♦ 5♣ 5♦ 5♠ 5♠ Joker 2♣ = 5 x 5 + 50 (Joker) + 20 (Two) = 95 points
Hands:
Player 1: No Cards Left = 0 points
Player 2: K♣ 4♦ 7♣ 7♦ = 10 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 25 points
Total Score:
Meld Points – Hand Points = 605 – 25 = 480 points
The team is also awarded 100 points for going out, giving them a total of 580 points for this round.
Due to the nature of the point calculation process, it is perfectly possible for the team that did not go out to have a higher score, given the right melds.
The first team to hit 5000 points will win the game.
Strategy and Tips
As a Canasta strategy, keep the following points in mind:
- Always add to melds made by your teammate;
- The key is to be aware of possible cards. Counting cards can help you determine what comes off the draw pile;
- Manage your discards carefully. If your opponent has a meld of 5s, try not to discard 5s unless there is a freeze in place;
- Play melds as soon as you can, as melds cannot be affected once played;
- Manage wild cards. Wild cards in hand are a liability at the end game, but they can help make melds worth more;
- If you sense your opponent going for a closing play, play out as many cards from hand as possible to reduce the point deduction.
Play Canasta Online for Free
Canasta is a simple game to simulate, and you can play Canasta online for free with a quick Google search. Most variations allow you to play with your friends, provided you all have a computer available. Some are browser-based, but some might required a manual download to install.
We recommend the simple yet effective offering from PlayOK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there variations of Canasta?
Canasta is a fairly standard ruleset, but different player counts might have different rules in place to facilitate smoother gameplay.
How many cards are dealt?
Each player is dealt 11 cards in Canasta.
How many people can play Canasta?
Canasta can be adapted to player counts of 2-6, though many prefer playing the standard 4-player version.
What is a meld in Canasta?
Canasta Game
A meld is a combination of cards of the same rank, with the optional inclusion of wild cards such as Jokers and 2s