How many decks canasta

A player drawing more than one card or one of the four cards at either end of the deck, must draw again. Partners sit opposite each other. The first hand is dealt by the player to the right of the person who drew the highest card. Thereafter the turn to deal rotates clockwise. Any player who wishes may shuffle the deck, and the dealer has the right to shuffle last. After the shuffle, the deck is cut by the player to the dealer's left. The dealer gives 11 cards face down to each player, one at a time, clockwise, beginning with the opponent on their left and ending with themselves.

The undealt remainder of the pack is placed face down in the center of the table, becoming the stock, and the top card is turned face up beside it. If the upcard is a joker, deuce or three, one or more additional cards must be turned upon it until a "natural" card a four or higher appears. A player finding a red three in their hand must, on their first turn, put it face up on the table and draw a replacement from the stock. A player who draws a red three from the stock also lays it on the table face up and draws a replacement.

Finally, a player who takes the discard pile and finds a red three in it must place the three face up on the table but does not draw a replacement. Each red three has a bonus value of points, but if one side has all four red threes, they count each, or in all. The value of the red threes is credited to a side that has made a meld, or debited against a side that has made no meld, when the hand ends. The principal object of play is to form melds - combinations of three or more cards of the same rank - with or without the help of wild cards.

Sequences are not valid melds. The player to left of the dealer plays first. Thereafter, the turn to play rotates clockwise to the left. Each turn comprises a draw, a meld optional after drawing, and a discard, which ends the player's turn. When the players turn comes, a player is always entitled to draw the top card of the stock.

Or, if the player wishes, they may instead subject to restrictions under "Taking the Discard Pile" take the top card of the discard pile to use it in a meld; having done so, they must take the rest of the discard pile.

The discard is always one card from the hand never from a meld. All discards are placed in one pile beside the stock on the upcard, if it is still there , and the discard pile must be kept squared up, except as noted later. 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. A set of three or four black threes without wild cards may be melded only when a player goes out.

To count plus, a meld must be laid on the table face up during a person's turn to play. All cards that are left in the hand when play ends, even though they form melds, count minus. A player may meld as many cards as they please, of one rank or different ranks, forming new melds or adding cards to previous melds. But see restrictions on "Going Out". All the melds of a partnership are placed in front of either partner.

A partnership may meld in a rank already melded by the opponents, but may not make two different melds of the same rank. A player may add additional cards to a meld by their side, provided that the melds remain valid having no more than three wild cards. He may not add cards to the opponents' melds. A meld comprising seven or more cards, including at least four natural cards called a "base" , is a canasta.

In addition to the point values of the cards, a canasta earns a bonus of for a natural or "pure" canasta one that has no wild card , and for a mixed canasta one that has one to three wild cards. A completed canasta is squared up with a red card on top to indicate a natural one and a black card on top to indicate a mixed canasta.

Additional cards may be added to a canasta to score their point values, but these do not affect the bonus - except that a wild card added to a natural canasta reduces it to a mixed canasta and a black card replaces the red card that was previously on top. Minimum Count. A partnership's first meld its "initial" meld must meet a minimum count requirement that depends on the accumulated score of that side at the time, as follows: Accumulated Score at beginning of the deal Minimum Count Minus 15 0 to 1, 50 1, to 2, 90 3, or more The count of a meld is the total point value of the cards in it.

To meet the minimum, a player may make two or more different melds. If a player takes the discard pile, the top card but no other may count toward the requirement. Bonuses for red threes and canastas do not count toward the minimum. After a side has made its initial meld, either partner may make any valid meld without reference to any minimum count. The discard pile is frozen against a side before that side has made its initial meld.

The initial meld unfreezes it for both partners, provided that it is not frozen again as described below. The discard pile is frozen when a red three is turned as an upcard or if a wild card or a black three is turned as an upcard or discarded.

The lowermost freezing card of the pile is turned sidewise to indicate the freeze. 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. Before touching the discard pile, the player should show the pair together with any additional cards if needed to meet the minimum count of an initial meld. When the discard pile is not frozen against their side, a player may take it: a with a natural pair matching the top card as above; or b by melding the top card with one matching natural card and one wild card from his hand; or c by adding the top card to a meld they already have on the table.

Having taken and melded the top discard as described, the player takes the rest of the pile into their hand and may then meld some or all of the additional cards as they please. The discard pile may never be taken when its top card is a wild card, a black three, or a red three. A player may: 1 Examine the discard pile during their first turn before discarding. When it is their turn to play, a player is entitled to be informed of a the minimum count requirement or score at the beginning of the hand of either side; b the number of cards held by any player; and c the number of cards remaining in the stock.

If a player's hand is reduced to one card, they may announce this fact. A player goes out when they get rid of the last card in their hand by discarding or melding it, provided that their side has melded at least one canasta or they complete a canasta while going out. Failing this requirement, a player must keep at least one card in their hand. When a player goes out, the hand ends and the results on both sides are scored. A player with only one card left in their hand may not take the discard pile if there is only one card in it.

If a player sees that they are able to go out, before or after drawing, the player may say "Partner, may I go out? The undealt remainder of the deck is placed face down in the center of the table, creating a pile named the stock. The top card is flipped over, and placed next to the stock, starting the discard pile. If the initial upcard is a Joker, 2, or 3, one or more additional cards must be turned upon the previously flipped card until a natural card 4 or higher appears.

If a player finds a red 3 3 of diamonds or hearts in his or her hand at any point during the game, the player must place the red 3 face up in front of them on the table, and draw a replacement card from the stock. Each red 3 has a bonus value of points, but if one team, or player, plays all four red 3s, each card counts as points, or points in all. A meld consists of a group of "natural" Aces through 4s cards with the same numerical rank, with or without the addition of wild cards.

A meld is only valid if it has two or more natural cards, and no more than three wild cards. A natural canasta is a meld that contains at least seven natural cards no wild cards. Important: To count as a positive score, a meld must be laid on the table face up during a player's turn to play.

The process of placing a valid meld on the table is called melding. In order for a player to be able to place any meld or canasta on the table during his or her turn after a card is picked up, and before a card is discarded , the player, or team, must be Open. In order to open, a player during his or her turn must place a meld, or melds, in front of him or her. In order to be allowed to open, the played card's points must amount to a certain total point value defined below on the table in front of them.

Once a player or the player's team , is open, on following turns he or she may add to, or play new melds, without restrictions. If playing on teams, only one player from the team must open, and all future melds made by the players on his or her respective teams will be placed in front of the teammate that initially opened.

However, if the player has the right prerequisites, he or she may pick up the entire discard pile and add it to his or her hand. If a player wants to pick up the discard pile, knowing if the discard pile is frozen , or unfrozen both situations are explained directly below , is very important. Important: At the start of every round, the discard pile is frozen against all teams, or players.

In order for a player to pick up a frozen discard pile during his or her turn, the player must have two matching natural cards in his or her hand not on the table. The player must then combine his or her held, matching, cards with the top card of the discard pile, and put the newly created meld down on the table.

After the meld is played, the player adds the remaining discard pile to his or her hand, and the deck becomes unfrozen toward the player and his or her team, if applicable. The player who picked up the discard pile may place additional melds down on the table during the remainder of his or her turn, if so desired.

The discard pile can be frozen against a team, or other players, during play. This happens if the opposing team, or player, uses a wild card as his or her discard. The player who's turn immediately follows the freezing of the discard pile cannot pick up the discard pile. The discard pile can only be picked up after a natural card is discarded on top of the freezing card. If the deck is intentionally frozen, the freezing discard must be placed on top of the discard pile, sideways.

Hint: A player may want to freeze the deck if he or she desires to discard certain cards that the opposing team may have already melded. Freezing the deck stops the opposing players from picking up a card that they have previously melded, because the opposing team, or players, will most likely not have two or more matching cards in his or her hand. That is one of the many parts that makes canasta so much fun.

Probably the biggest difficulty is for beginners to be able to keep track of points or remember the […]. Even though it is a more complex Rummy variant, the game quickly became a sensation, spreading in popularity like a wildfire in other South American countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru, with […].

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.