Canasta is a rummy game for four, played in two partnerships. Meld cards of the same rank, and build canastas of seven.
It uses two decks and four jokers. It began in Montevideo, Uruguay, around 1939, and reached the United States by 1950.
At a glance
- Players: 4, in two pairs. It also works for 2, 3 or 6.
- Deck: Two standard decks and four jokers, 108 cards
- Time: 1 to 2 hours for a game to 5,000
- Goal: The first side to 5,000 points
The cards above are from The Alpine Edition.
Setup
Partners sit across from each other. Shuffle the two decks and the jokers together.
Deal 11 cards each, one at a time. Put the rest face down as the stock.
Turn the top card face up to start the discard pile. If it's wild or a red 3, turn another on top. The pile is then frozen.
Wild cards and threes
Jokers and 2s are wild. They can stand in for any card in a meld.
Red 3s are bonus cards. Lay one face up as soon as you get it, and draw a replacement.
Black 3s block the discard pile. Discard one, and the next player can't take the pile.
Melds and canastas
A meld is three or more cards of the same rank, laid face up. Your side keeps its melds together.
Each meld needs at least two natural cards. It can hold no more than three wild cards.
Your side can have only one meld of each rank. Add new cards of that rank to it.
A meld of seven or more is a canasta. Square it up into a pile.
- Natural canasta. No wild cards. Put a red card on top. It scores 500.
- Mixed canasta. One to three wild cards. Put a black card on top. It scores 300.
How to play
The player on the dealer's left goes first. Play goes clockwise.
On your turn, draw from the stock, or take the whole discard pile.
Then meld if you can and want to. End your turn by discarding one card face up.
Taking the discard pile
To take the pile, you must use its top card in a meld straight away.
Use it with two cards from your hand. Or add it to one of your side's melds. Then take the rest of the pile.
You can't take the pile when its top card is wild or a black 3.
A pile with a wild card in it is frozen. To take a frozen pile, you need two natural cards matching the top card.
The pile is also frozen for your side until you've made your first meld.
Your first meld
Your side's first meld of a hand must reach a minimum count. It depends on your side's score.
| Your side's score | First meld must count |
|---|---|
| Below 0 | 15 |
| 0 to 1,495 | 50 |
| 1,500 to 2,995 | 90 |
| 3,000 or more | 120 |
Count only the cards, using the values below. You may lay down several melds at once to reach it.
Card values
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Joker | 50 |
| 2 or ace | 20 |
| King down to 8 | 10 |
| 7 down to 4, and black 3s | 5 |
Going out
Your side needs at least one canasta before either partner can go out.
Go out by melding all your cards but one, then discarding the last.
Before you go out, you may ask your partner. Their answer is binding.
Black 3s can be melded only when you go out. Meld three or four, with no wild cards.
If the stock runs out, play on while each player takes the last discard. Then the hand ends.
Scoring
When someone goes out, each side adds its bonuses and the cards in its melds. Then it takes away the cards left in its hands.
| Bonus | Points |
|---|---|
| Natural canasta | 500 |
| Mixed canasta | 300 |
| Each red 3 | 100 |
| All four red 3s | 800 in all |
| Going out | 100 |
| Going out concealed, all in one turn | 200 in all |
Red 3s count against a side that hasn't melded by the end of the hand.
How to win
Keep a running score for each side. The first side to reach 5,000 wins. If both do, the higher score wins.
Tips
- The discard pile is the prize. Taking a big one can win the hand.
- Keep pairs in your hand. They let you take the pile when its top card matches.
- Freeze the pile with a wild card when the other side is building it up.
- Discard black 3s when the pile is big. Your opponents can't take it.
- Don't put every wild card into melds early. Save some to finish a canasta.
Variations
- Two players. Deal 15 each. Draw two from the stock, discard one. You need two canastas to go out.
- Three players. Deal 13 each, draw two and discard one. The first to take the pile plays alone against the other two. Play to 7,500.
- Six players. Use three decks and six jokers, with 13 cards each. Play as three pairs or two teams of three. You need two canastas to go out.
- Samba. Also allows runs of one suit as melds.
- Hand and Foot. Each player gets a second hand, the foot, to play once the first is gone.
Where these rules come from
These rules follow Pagat's Canasta, the classic game standardized in North America around 1950. The rules for two, three and six players follow Pagat too.
Common questions
How many cards do you deal in Canasta?
Eleven each with four players. Fifteen each with two, and 13 each with three.
What is a canasta?
A meld of seven or more cards of one rank. A natural canasta scores 500, a mixed one 300.
What does a frozen pile mean?
A wild card is in the pile. You need two natural matching cards to take it.
Are 2s wild in Canasta?
Yes. Both 2s and jokers are wild.
What do red 3s do?
They're bonus cards worth 100 each. Lay them down at once and draw a replacement.
What do black 3s do?
Discarding one stops the next player taking the pile. They can only be melded when going out.
Can you go out without a canasta?
No. Your side needs at least one, or two in the two-player game.
Can two people play Canasta?
Yes. See Two players under Variations.
More games
Rummy is the family Canasta grew from. Spades is a partnership trick-taking game. Hearts is a trick-taking game for four.
Cheat sheet
Download the Canasta cheat sheet, a one-page PDF to print.