Canasta

Number of Players:

Canasta games usually requires four players or is played with four or six players in partnerships.

The Cards:

Goal is to get rid of the cards in your hand and to play a money card and collect from the boodle.

How to Meld:

A meld is made up of at least three cards, of the same rank. A Meld can be added to later form Canastas, they consist of a combination of seven cards of the same rank; to score bonus points.

Wild cards can represent any card that forms a meld. Jokers, 2s, and deuces are wild. The two kinds of melds are natural and mixed. Naturals are made up of a meld of seven they have to be the same rank and have no wilds. Mixed must have four or less natural cards and three or less wilds. A meld less than a natural or mix, has to have at least two natural cards.

The Treys:

Red 3’s are not used in play. They count as a bonus worth 100 points each. If a red 3 is dealt to you put it down when you get it and draw another card. If you get all four red 3’s, bonus is doubled to 800 points. The penalties if you don’t meld by the end of the hand are minus 100 points each.

You can used black 3’s in play, except they can’t be melded unless you go out in that turn and they can’t be melded with wild cards. They are used as stopper cards if you choose to freeze the pack.

How to Play:

Deal 15 cards to every player, the remainders form a stock. Play goes in clockwise order. Turn over a card to start the discard pile. Redraw if you get card that is a wild or a red 3. If two player’s draw the same card redraw.

Opponent of dealer replaces any red 3 from the table with a new card from the stock. Then draws from the stock and can meld, and discard onto the pack. Players take turns from then on.

Initial Melds:

Point value for melding.


Your first meld of the game needs to add up to at least 50 points or more. Add the value of cards to figure the value of the meld.

If your score is below 1500 points, you need only 50 points to meld. On later deals, if your score is more than 3000 points, your first meld has to equal at least 120.

Once you have made your first meld, you can add cards to your melds, or make new melds, before discarding to end your turn.

Taking The Pack:

You can pick up the entire pile of discards to add to your hand if you meet these requirements:

If you have already melded the required minimum or can meld on this turn. You can match the top card with two of the same rank, or if the top card matches what you have already melded on the table.

Taking the pack means getting all the discards. After you make your first meld of the hand, only the top discard may be used to get the first meld count. The remaining points must come from your hand.

Freezing The Pack:

In Canasta rejecting a black 3 or a wild card (deuce or a joker) freezes the discard pile stopping your opponent from picking up the discard pile in that turn, black 3’s can’t be melded until the end. If you turn over a red 3 as the first card this freezes the pack.

Sometimes you can pick up the discard pile when the top reject is the same meld you have. To free or unfreeze the pack, you must display a natural pair from your hand. This rule qualifies to both players. It doesn’t matter who froze the pack first.

Going Out Directions:

The deal is over when a player goes out with no cards remaining in their hands. To go out, you must complete two Canastas and meld all cards in your hand except for one, which must be discarded.

Cards that are wild or natural can be added to already completed Canastas. You can meld black 3’s as part of going out. A hand is over when all the stock is gone and neither player goes out. You can’t take the discard if it has only one card.

Scoring Instructions:

Don’t record the score until the hand ends. Calculate each player’s score:


Rules for adding up the values of every meld, include Canastas and bonus points. Minus the values of the cards in your hand, include the melds. Play to 5000 points. It takes several hands for a player to reach game. If two or more players exceed 5000 points, the highest score wins.

Italian CanastaHistory of CanastaAlbany Canasta

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