Canasta Rules: Explained Simply
Canasta is a card game for two to four players using two standard 52-card decks plus four jokers, 108 cards in all. The aim is to collect cards of the same rank and lay them down. Seven cards of one rank make a canasta. The first side to reach 5,000 points wins the game. This page explains the classic rules, the same rules the Canasta Salon app plays by.
- Objective
- The cards
- The turn
- Melds
- The first meld
- The discard pile
- Red threes
- Going out
- Variants
- Play Canasta
Objective
Each round you score points with melds, that is cards of the same rank laid face up, and with canastas. A game runs over several rounds until one side has 5,000 points. In the short variant 1,500 points are enough.
The cards
- Two full decks of 52 cards plus four jokers, 108 cards in total.
- Wild cards: jokers and twos. They stand in for any rank.
- Red threes: bonus cards. You lay them down immediately and draw a replacement.
- Black threes: blocking cards. When one is on top of the discard pile, nobody may take the pile.
- All other cards from four to ace are natural cards.
The turn
A turn has three steps, always in this order:
- Draw: take two cards from the stock. Or take the whole discard pile if you can meld its top card immediately.
- Meld: lay cards of the same rank face up in front of you, as a new meld or added to an existing one. Melding is optional.
- Discard: place one card face up on the discard pile. That ends your turn.
With three players everyone also draws two cards, with four players only one. Details are on the page Canasta for three and four players.
Melds
- A meld consists of at least three cards of the same rank.
- At least two of them must be natural cards, and at most three may be wild.
- A meld of seven or more cards is a canasta. Without wild cards it is natural and scores 500 points, with wild cards it is mixed and scores 300 points.
- Threes cannot be melded like other ranks. Black threes may only be laid down in the turn you go out.
The first meld
The first meld of a round must reach a minimum value. It depends on your score in the game:
- Below 0 points: 15 points
- 0 to 1,495 points: 50 points
- 1,500 to 2,995 points: 90 points
- 3,000 points and above: 120 points
Only the card values of the meld count, no bonuses. The values are on the page Scoring and card values.
The discard pile
The discard pile is the heart of Canasta. Whoever takes it gets every card in it into their hand.
- You may take the pile if you can meld its top card immediately, with at least two matching natural cards from your hand or onto an existing meld.
- As long as you have not melded in this round, the pile is frozen for you. You then need two matching natural cards from your hand, and the first meld must reach the minimum value.
- If a wild card lies in the pile, it is frozen for everyone until someone takes it with two natural cards from their hand.
- If a black three or a wild card is on top, nobody can take the pile.
- If you hold only one card, you may not take a pile consisting of a single card.
Red threes
You lay red threes down immediately when you get them and draw a replacement from the stock. Each red three scores 100 points, all four together 800. If you have no meld of your own at the end of the round, they count against you.
Going out
The round ends when one side goes out. For this you need two canastas with two players, one canasta with three or four. Then you lay down all remaining cards as melds or discard your last card.
- Going out scores 100 points.
- If you go out in a single turn without having melded earlier in the round, it scores 200 points. This is called going out concealed.
- All cards the others still hold count against them.
The round also ends when the stock is empty and nobody can or wants to take the discard pile.
Variants
- Canasta for two players: 15 cards, draw two, two canastas to go out.
- Canasta for three and four players: everyone for themselves, or two partnerships.
- Scoring and card values: the complete table.
Play Canasta
All rules on this page are the standard rules of the Canasta Salon app for Android. Play against computer opponents at three levels, online with friends on their own phones, with house rules such as one canasta to go out or an always frozen pile. Free on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evorence.canasta