Canasta
Goal
Score points by forming melds and canastas (7-card melds).
Key Terms
- Meld: A set of the same rank.
- Canasta: A meld of seven or more cards.
- Wilds: Jokers and 2s used to complete melds.
Setup
- Use two decks plus jokers.
- Deal 11 cards each (or 15 each for 2 players).
- Turn one card face up to start the discard pile.
Melds
- Melds are sets of the same rank (usually at least 3 cards).
- Jokers and 2s are wild, but melds must include natural cards.
- A canasta is a meld of 7 or more cards.
Turn Order
- Draw from stock or take the discard pile (if allowed by your variant).
- Meld sets (optional).
- Discard one card.
Going Out
- Your partnership must have at least one canasta.
- You may go out by melding all cards or melding all but one and discarding.
Scoring (common)
- Natural canastas score more than mixed.
- Wild cards and red threes are high value; penalties apply for cards left in hand.
Example Turn
You draw two cards, add them to your 8s meld to reach seven cards (a canasta), then discard the 4♥.