Canasta

How to play Canasta

This is two-player Classic Canasta, the rules on Pagat: you against the computer. It uses two packs of cards plus four jokers, 108 cards. Each of you gets 15 cards. The rest are the stock, with one card turned up to start the discard pile. The aim is to score points by melding cards, above all by making canastas.

• A meld is three or more cards of one rank, like three 9s. Jokers and 2s are wild: they can stand in for any card in a meld. A meld needs at least two natural cards and can have at most three wild cards.
• A meld of seven or more cards is a canasta. A natural canasta, with no wild cards, scores 500. A mixed canasta, with some, scores 300.
• On your turn, draw the top two cards of the stock, or take the whole discard pile. Then meld if you want to, and end your turn by discarding one card.
• To take the pile, you must meld its top card at once: with two cards of the same rank from your hand, or, once you've melded, with one and a wild card, or onto a meld you already have of that rank.
• A wild card in the pile freezes it. Then you can take it only with two natural cards that match the top card. A black three on top stops the next player taking the pile at all.
• Your first meld must count at least 50 points (90 once your score reaches 1,500, and 120 from 3,000). Jokers count 50, Aces and 2s 20, Kings down to 8s 10, and 7s down to 3s 5. You can lay down several melds together to reach the count.
• Red threes go face up in front of you as soon as you get one, and you draw a card to replace it. Each is worth 100, or 800 for all four. If you haven't melded when the hand ends, they count against you.
• Black threes can't be melded, except as your last meld when you go out.
• You go out by melding all your cards, or all but one and discarding it. You need two canastas first. Going out scores 100, or 200 if you lay down your whole hand in one turn without having melded before.
• At the end of a hand, you score your bonuses and the value of your melded cards, minus the cards left in your hand. The first to 5,000 wins. For a shorter game, choose 2,500 under the board.

To play, tap cards in your hand to choose them (tap again to let go). Then choose Meld chosen cards, tap one of your melds to add them to it, or choose Discard chosen card. Before your first meld, Put chosen cards ready gathers your melds, and Lay down puts them on the table once they reach the count. To take the pile, choose the cards that go with its top card, then tap the pile.

Keyboard

Tab moves between the stock, the discard pile, your melds and your cards. Enter or Space chooses a card or takes an action. H shows a hint and Escape clears your choice.