Canasta is a rummy game for four players in two partnerships, played with two standard decks plus four jokers, 108 cards in all. You collect sets of three or more cards of the same rank, called melds, and build them into canastas of seven cards, and the first partnership to reach 5,000 points across several hands wins.
Canasta is said to have started in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1939, and by the 1950s it was the most popular card game in America. It looks complicated the first time because of the threes and the frozen pile, but once you've played one hand, it clicks. These are the classic rules, as set out by Bicycle and pagat.com.
What's in the canasta deck and the deal
| Players | Cards dealt each | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (two partnerships) | 11 | The standard game |
| 3 | 13 | Everyone plays alone |
| 2 | 15 | Draw two cards from the stock each turn, and you need two canastas to go out |
| 6 | Varies | Pagat.com describes three 52 card decks with six jokers, played in partnerships |
Shuffle both decks and all four jokers together. Deal the cards one at a time, put the rest face down as the stock, and turn the top card face up to start the discard pile. If that card is a joker, a two or a three, turn more cards on top until a natural card (four or higher) shows.
Point values for every canasta card
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Joker | 50 |
| Ace or two | 20 |
| K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8 | 10 |
| 7, 6, 5, 4 and black threes | 5 |
Jokers and twos are wild. A wild card can only go into a meld with natural cards, and a meld must have at least two natural cards and no more than three wild cards.
Your turn: draw, meld, discard
- Draw the top card of the stock, or take the whole discard pile if you're allowed to (see below).
- If you've drawn a red three, put it face up on the table and draw a replacement.
- Lay down any melds you want: new sets of three or more of a rank, or cards added to your side's existing melds.
- Finish by discarding one card from your hand onto the discard pile.
- Play passes to the left.
You and your partner share melds, so either of you can add to them. You can't add to your opponents' melds, and you can't have two separate melds of the same rank on your side.
Natural and mixed canastas
A canasta is a meld of seven or more cards with at least four natural cards. A natural canasta has no wild cards at all and earns a 500 point bonus, squared up with a red card on top. A mixed canasta has one to three wild cards, earns 300, and gets a black card on top. Add a wild card to a natural canasta later and it drops to mixed.
Red threes, black threes and the frozen pile
Red threes are bonus cards. Each one is worth 100 points, and if your side collects all four they're worth 800. The catch, and this is the one families forget, is that the bonus only counts if your side has made a meld by the end of the hand. If you haven't, the red threes count against you instead.
Black threes are stop cards. Discard one and the next player can't take the pile. You can only meld black threes when you're going out, and never with wild cards. Pagat.com says a black three doesn't freeze the pile; Bicycle's rules treat it as freezing, so agree which version you're playing.
The discard pile is frozen against your side until you've made your first meld, and it freezes for everyone when someone discards a wild card. To take a frozen pile, you need a natural pair from your hand that matches the top card.
The opening meld minimum
Your side's first meld of each hand has to add up to a minimum number of points, and that minimum goes up as your score does. Bonuses for red threes and canastas don't count towards it.
| Your side's score at the start of the hand | First meld must total at least |
|---|---|
| Below zero | 15 |
| 0 to 1,495 | 50 |
| 1,500 to 2,995 | 90 |
| 3,000 or more | 120 |
Going out and adding up the hand
You go out by getting rid of your last card, but only if your side already has at least one canasta, or you complete one as you go out. You can ask, "Partner, may I go out?" and their yes or no is binding. Going out ends the hand for everyone.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
| Bonus | Points |
|---|---|
| Each natural canasta | 500 |
| Each mixed canasta | 300 |
| Each red three | 100 (all four: 800) |
| Going out | 100 |
| Going out concealed (extra) | 100 |
Add the card values of everything you melded, take off the value of cards still in both partners' hands, and add your bonuses. Write it in two columns marked We and They. The first side to 5,000 wins.
My tips for a first canasta evening
Canasta suits older children, teenagers and adults who've already enjoyed gin rummy and want something with more going on. For a first game, I'd play to 3,000 rather than 5,000, so it fits into one evening. The mistake to avoid is throwing a wild card on the discard pile early: it freezes the pile and hands the advantage to whoever holds natural pairs. If two of you want a quieter game afterwards, cribbage is a lovely change of pace.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in a canasta deck?
Two standard 52 card decks plus four jokers, 108 cards in total.
How many cards do you deal in canasta?
11 each for four players, 13 each for three players and 15 each for two players.
What's the difference between a natural and a mixed canasta?
A natural canasta has seven or more cards and no wild cards and is worth 500. A mixed canasta has one to three wild cards and is worth 300.
Can you go out in canasta without a canasta?
No. Your side needs at least one completed canasta, or you must complete one as you go out.
What are red threes worth in canasta?
100 each, or 800 if one side has all four. They count against you if your side hasn't melded by the end of the hand.
What score wins a game of canasta?
The first side to reach 5,000 points wins the game.
