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Canasta
Canasta is a rummy-style partnership game that swept the world in the 1950s, usually played by four in two teams with two full decks plus jokers. Its signature feature is the canasta — a meld of seven cards of the same rank. Teams race to build canastas and score enough to go out.
Canasta Rules
Two 52-card decks plus four jokers are shuffled together. Each player is dealt eleven cards, with the rest forming a stock and one card starting the discard pile. Twos and jokers are wild; threes have special roles, with red threes scoring as bonuses and black threes blocking the pile.
On your turn you draw from the stock or take the entire discard pile (when allowed), then meld sets of three or more cards of the same rank, using up to a limited number of wilds. Your team's first meld must meet a minimum point count that rises as your score grows.
A meld of seven cards is a canasta — 'natural' if pure, or 'mixed' if it includes wilds — and your team must have at least one to go out. Card values and canasta bonuses are tallied each hand, and the first team to 5,000 points wins.
Canasta Strategy & Tips
Chase the natural canasta
A pure canasta of seven matching cards scores far more than a mixed one. Funnel your wilds carefully so you don't dilute a meld that could go natural.
Freeze the pile when ahead
Discarding a wild card freezes the pile, making it harder for opponents to scoop it up. Use this when you hold a strong lead in melds and want to stall them.
Hoard the discard pile
Taking the whole pile can flood your hand with melding material. Hold a matching pair to grab the top card and capture the entire stack when conditions allow.
Mind your red threes
Red threes are pure bonus points and should be laid down immediately for value. But unmelded red threes count against you if your team hasn't melded, so push to get on the board.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a canasta in the game Canasta?
A meld of seven cards of the same rank. A natural canasta has no wild cards and scores 500 bonus; a mixed canasta uses wilds and scores 300.
What are wild cards in Canasta?
Jokers and twos are wild and can stand in for any rank within limits. A meld can include only a capped number of wilds, and a canasta needs at least four natural cards.
What do red threes do in Canasta?
Red threes are bonus cards laid down separately, each worth 100 points (more if you hold all four). If your team never melds, they count against you instead.
How many points do you need to win Canasta?
The standard target is 5,000 points across multiple hands. A team must complete at least one canasta before it is allowed to go out and end a hand.