# How to Play Canasta: Melds, Wild Cards, Red Threes and Scoring Learn classic four-player Canasta: two decks and four jokers, 11 cards each, melds of the same rank, wild 2s and jokers, red and black threes, the frozen pile, canastas and scoring to 5,000. Source: https://pips.club/canasta - Players: 4, in two teams - Deck: 2 × 52 cards + 4 jokers - Type: Rummy - Level: Hard - Game: First to 5,000 ## At a glance ### Build melds, grow canastas Canasta is a rummy game for two teams. You draw and discard to collect cards of the same rank, lay them down as melds, and grow them into canastas of seven cards. 2s and jokers are wild. The hardest game here, but it follows the same rhythm every turn: draw, meld, discard. ## Setup ### Two decks, four jokers Shuffle two standard decks together with four jokers: 108 cards. Four players play in two partnerships, partners sitting opposite. You and North play against West and East. ## The deal ### Eleven cards each Deal 11 cards to each player, one at a time. The rest is the stock. Turn its top card face up to start the discard pile. If you are dealt a red three, put it face up in front of you on your first turn and draw a replacement from the stock. You got the 3 of hearts, and replace it. If the first upcard is wild or a red three, turn more cards onto it until a card that is neither shows. ## A turn ### Draw one, or take the whole pile The player left of the dealer starts; play goes clockwise. Every turn has three parts: draw, meld if you want to, then discard one card. To draw, take the top card of the stock, or take the whole discard pile. The pile is only yours if you can meld its top card right away. Point at both piles on the table. ### Taking the pile The pile’s top card is the 7 of clubs, and you hold two natural 7s. As your draw, you meld the 7 of clubs with your two 7s, plus enough other cards from your hand to make your team’s first meld (see the next two steps). Then you pick up the rest of the pile into your hand. While your team has not melded yet, the pile is frozen for you: you need two natural cards matching its top card. The top card counts toward your first meld; the rest of the pile does not. ### Meld three or more of a kind A meld is at least three cards of the same rank, laid face up in front of your team. Suits do not matter. Every meld needs at least two natural cards. No meld may hold more than three wild cards. Threes cannot be melded normally. In the same turn you also lay down three kings, and two 9s with the wild 2 of clubs. ### Your first meld needs 50 Your team’s first meld must add up to at least 50 points: Joker 50 Ace, 2 20 King to 8 10 7 to 4, black 3 5 Three 7s are 15. Three kings are 30. 9, 9 and the 2 are 40. Together 85: enough. ### End by discarding Finish your turn by putting one card from your hand face up on the discard pile. You discard the 5 of diamonds. Now it is West’s turn. ## Special cards ### Wild cards: 2s and jokers The 2s and jokers are wild. They can join any meld as an extra card of that rank, like your 2 of clubs acting as a third 9. Remember: at least two natural cards per meld, at most three wild ones. ### Red threes are bonus cards A red three never stays in your hand. Put it down at once and draw a replacement. Each is worth 100, and all four for one team make 800. If your team has not melded by the end of the hand, red threes count against you instead. ### Black threes block West discards the 3 of spades. A black three on top of the pile blocks the next player from taking it: North has to draw from the stock. You can only meld black threes (three or four of them, with no wild cards) in the turn you go out. ### The frozen pile East discards the 2 of diamonds, a wild card. It goes in sideways and freezes the pile for everyone. Nobody may take a pile with a wild card on top, so you draw from the stock and discard the 6 of clubs. To take a frozen pile you need two natural cards in your hand that match its top card. Wild cards cannot help. ### Seven make a canasta Keep adding to your team’s melds. At seven cards a meld becomes a canasta: square it into a pile. Natural canasta, no wild cards: 500 bonus. Put a red card on top. Mixed canasta, with wild cards: 300 bonus. Put a black card on top. Your team now has two: seven natural 7s, and seven kings with the 2 of hearts and a joker. You also add your joker to the 9s. ## Scoring ### Going out You go out by melding or discarding your last card, but only if your team has at least one canasta. You may ask your partner “may I go out?” first, and must follow their answer. You draw a third queen and ask North “may I go out?” North says yes, so you meld your queens and discard your last card, the 10 of spades. Going out ends the hand and earns 100. ### Counting the hand Each team adds its bonuses and the value of its melded cards, then subtracts the cards still in both partners’ hands. Natural canasta 500 Mixed canasta 300 Going out 100 Red three 100 Melded cards: 7s 35, kings 120, 9s 90, queens 30 275 Left in North’s hand: 8, 4 −15 Your team scores 1,260. ## Winning ### First to 5,000 Keep playing hands until a team reaches 5,000. As your score grows, your first meld of a hand has to be bigger: Score below 0 15 0 to 1,495 50 1,500 to 2,995 90 3,000 or more 120 ## Variants and house rules - **Two-player Canasta**: Deal 15 cards each. When you draw from the stock, take two cards but discard only one. You need two canastas to go out. - **Three-player Canasta**: Deal 13 cards each. Draw two from the stock and discard one. The first player to take the discard pile plays alone; the other two become partners against them. - **Going out concealed**: Meld your whole hand in one turn, including a complete canasta, without having melded before. Going out then scores 200 instead of 100. - **Samba**: A three-deck relative in which you may also meld runs of the same suit. ## Tips - Keep pairs of natural cards in your hand: they are what let you take a frozen pile. - Discard a black three when the pile is big and your opponents are waiting for it. - Don’t rush to go out while your team still has cards worth a lot left in hand: check with your partner first. ## Quick answers **How many cards are in a Canasta deck?** 108: two standard 52-card decks plus four jokers. **How many cards do you deal in Canasta?** With four players, 11 cards each. **What are the wild cards in Canasta?** All 2s and jokers. A meld needs at least two natural cards and may hold no more than three wild cards. **What is a canasta?** A meld of seven or more cards. A natural canasta (no wild cards) is worth a 500 bonus, a mixed canasta 300. **When can you go out in Canasta?** Only when your team has at least one canasta. Going out is worth 100.