Classic Canasta built with Rails.
Enable two players to play a complete game of Canasta from initial deal to one player winning by scoring > 5000 points across multiple hands.
Two standard 52 card packs plus 4 jokers (108 cards in total). Cards are scored as follows:
- Jokers : 50 points each
- A, 2 : 20 points each
- K-8 : 10 points each
- 7-4 : 5 points each
- Black 3 : 5 points each
A-4 are known as natural cards. Jokers and 2s are known as wild cards.
3s have different rules for scoring and playing (see below)
- Players are dealt 15 cards each.
- The remainder of the cards are placed face down on the table (known as the stock).
- The top card of the stock is turned over to form the discard pile.
- if this card is a red 3 or a wild card, the procedure is repeated until the top card of the discard is neither a red 3 or wild card
- Any red 3s dealt to the player must, on the players first turn, be placed face up on the table and draw a replacement from stock.
- Any red 3s picked up from the stock must be immediately placed face up on the table and a replacement drawn from stock.
- Any red 3s picked up from the discard pile must be immediately placed face up on the table - no replacement is drawn from stock.
- Players can either:
- draw 2 cards from stock
- pick up the discard pile if they can meld the top card (into an existing meld or by playing a new meld).
- players cannot pick up the discard pile if they only have 1 card in their hand and the discard pile contains a single card
- Players can then meld as many or few cards as they like
- Turn ends when the player discards a single card
- Discards must always be played form the hand and always face up onto the top card of the discard pile.
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Melds must be at least 3 cards comprising of:
- 2 - 8 natural cards of the same rank
- No more than 3 wild cards
- At least one more natural card than wild
- Black 3s cannot be melded except when going out
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Players can meld from their hand or add cards into an existing meld already placed on the table as long as the result is always a valid meld.
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Players cannot add cards to an opponents meld.
- A meld comprising 7 or more cards is known as a canasta.
- Natural canastas contain no wild card
- Mixed canastas containing wild cards
- The minimum score required to make the first meld is determined by the players current score
- Initial meld requirements can be met by multiple melds.
- If the player picks up the discard pile to make the meld only the top card from the discard pile can count toward the minimum.
- Bonuses for red 3s and canastas do not count towards the minimum.
Current Score | Minimum First Meld |
---|---|
< 0 | 15 |
0 - 1495 | 50 |
1500 - 2995 | 90 |
3000+ | 120 |
- The discard pile is frozen:
- to any player that has not made their initial meld
- if a wild card or black three is discarded
- Can only be unfrozen by being taken.
- Can only be taken when there is a natural card on the top of the discard pile.
- Requires the player meld the top card on the discard with 2 natural cards (of the same rank) from their hand.
- Going out requires the player to get rid of the last card in their hand by either discarding or melding.
- Players cannot go out until they have 2 melds or they make 2 melds as part of going out.
- A player going out is not required to discard.
- A player goes out "concealed" when they:
- meld their entire hand in a single turn
- meld at least one canasta
- go out in the same turn
- Player must meet the minimum meld requirements (without the canasta bonus) if they have take the discard pile, otherwise they are not required to meet the minimum meld requirements.
- If the last card drawn from stock is a red 3, the player places it face down on the table and play ends
- The player drawing the red 3 may not meld or discard.
- If the last card drawn from stock is not a red 3, play continues with each player taking the discard and melding it.
- Play ends when the player cannot take the discard or legally refuses to take it (1 card hand / 1 card discard).
- Each deal is scored as follows:
- Value of all the cards melded + bonuses - value of cards in hand
Bonus | Points |
---|---|
Natural canasta (each) | 500 |
Mixed canasta (each) | 300 |
Red 3 (each) | 100 |
All 4 red 3s | additional 400 |
Going out | 100 |
Going out concealed | additional 100 |