Overview
A partnership melding game using two decks, built around forming canastas — melds of seven or more cards.
No governing body publishes rules for this game. This page describes the most common form. House rules vary, so agree them before you start.
1. Setup
Four players in partnerships. Use two full decks plus four jokers — 108 cards.
Deal eleven cards each. Place the rest face down as the stock and turn one card to start the discard pile.
2. Wild cards and red threes
Jokers and twos are wild and may substitute for any card in a meld.
Red threes are bonus cards. If you are dealt one, place it face up immediately and draw a replacement. Each is worth 100 points — or minus 100 if your side has not melded at all.
Black threes block the discard pile: a black three on top means the next player cannot take the pile.
3. Melds
A meld is three or more cards of the same rank. Runs do not exist in canasta.
A meld may contain wild cards, but must have at least two natural cards and no more than three wilds.
A canasta is a meld of seven or more:
| Type | Composition | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Natural (clean) | No wild cards | 500 |
| Mixed (dirty) | Contains wild cards | 300 |
4. Initial meld requirement
Your side's first meld must meet a minimum value based on your current score:
| Score | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Below 0 | 15 |
| 0–1,495 | 50 |
| 1,500–2,995 | 90 |
| 3,000+ | 120 |
5. Taking the discard pile
You may take the entire discard pile if you can use its top card immediately in a meld — either by matching it with two natural cards from your hand, or by adding it to an existing meld.
The pile is frozen if it contains a wild card or a red three. A frozen pile may only be taken using two natural cards from your hand matching the top card.
Capturing a large pile is usually the decisive moment of a hand.
6. Going out
You may only go out if your side has at least one canasta.
Going out concealed — melding your whole hand in one turn with no prior melds — earns a 100-point bonus on top.
7. Scoring
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Joker | 50 |
| Ace, two | 20 |
| K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8 | 10 |
| 7, 6, 5, 4, black 3 | 5 |
| Natural canasta | 500 |
| Mixed canasta | 300 |
| Red three (each) | 100 |
| All four red threes | 800 |
| Going out | 100 |
| Going out concealed | 200 |
Cards left in hand are subtracted. Play to 5,000.
Commonly argued
- You need a canasta to go out.
- A meld needs at least two natural cards and no more than three wilds.
- A frozen pile requires two natural matching cards from your hand.
- Red threes are worth minus 100 if you never meld.
- There are no runs in canasta — only sets.
Spotted a mistake?
Corrections are reviewed by an editor before they publish.