How many versions of canasta are there?

A seven card meld is called a canasta and must contain at least 5 natural cards. There are two types of canasta, Mixed canasta (containing wild cards) and Natural canasta (using only natural cards).

What are the wildcards in canasta?

All of the deuces (twos) and jokers are wild cards. With some restrictions, wild cards can be used during the game as substitutes for a natural card of any rank. The threes have special functions and values, depending on which variation of Canasta is being played.

What does a black 3 mean in canasta?

A player may go out by melding, laying off, or discarding the last card from in hand, provided that the partnership has made at least one canasta. A player cannot go out if, after the draw, he holds two black 3s and nothing else. With just one black 3, he could go out by discarding it.

What happens in canasta when the deck runs out?

When a player goes out, the hand ends and the results on both sides are scored. A player need not make a discard in going out; they may meld all of their remaining cards. A player with only one card left in their hand may not take the discard pile if there is only one card in it.

What is a talon in canasta?

* One Talon is the bottom 8 cards of the stock pile. * The second Talon is after melding, the team to meld first is entitled to pick 4 cards. * The player may not pick a Talon of 4 or 3 cards once play has reached the last 8 cards (2nd Talon).

What does Talon mean in canasta?

How much do you need to meld in Canasta?

Melds. A meld is valid if it contains at least two natural cards of the same rank – aces down to fours inclusive – and not more than three wild cards. Jokers and deuces may never be melded apart from natural cards.

How much is a canasta of wildcards worth?

A canasta consisting of wild cards is worth 3,000 points if it consists entirely of twos, 2,500 points if it contains all four jokers, or 2,000 points for any other combination. However, failing to complete a canasta once such a meld is made carries a 2,000 point penalty.

How do you freeze a discard pile in canasta?

A frozen discard pile is unfrozen only by being taken. When the discard pile is topped by a wild card or a black three, at least one natural card must be discarded on top of the pile before the pile may be taken. Then, a player may take that card (and the pile) only with a natural pair of the same rank from their hand.

What are the rules for playing Canasta?

Canasta rules require 2 decks of cards, including the jokers, for a total of 104 cards. The dealer shuffles the deck and offers his opponent to cut the deck. The player cuts, attempting to leave exactly 30 cards (without counting of course) on the table.

How many decks of cards are used in Canasta?

Canasta is a card game that can be played with 2 to 6 players, but the ideal number of players is typically 4 as a team game. The rules of Canasta are as follows. Two decks of 54 cards (108 cards total), including the 4 jokers, are used to play Canasta.

How many cards for Canasta?

Canasta is played with 108 cards, consisting of two standard 52-card packs with four Jokers. Each player is dealt 15 cards. A canasta is a meld of at least seven cards of the same rank.

How to play Canasta?

Draw cards to pick teams; partners sit opposite of each other.