Hand and Foot

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The canasta family game with a hand and a foot: meld with a computer partner, make clean and dirty books, and go out. Four rounds. Free, with no sign-up.

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How to play Hand and Foot

Hand and Foot is a partnership game from the canasta family. You play with a computer partner, North, against two computer players, West and East. Five decks are shuffled together, jokers included. Each player gets a hand of 11 cards and, face down, a foot of 11 more.

On your turn, draw two cards from the stock. Or pick up the top 7 cards of the discard pile, if your side has made its first meld this round and you hold two natural cards of the top card's rank. You meld those two with the top card at once.
Then meld, and end your turn by discarding one card.
A meld is 3 to 7 cards of the same rank, from 4 up to Ace. Jokers and 2s are wild. A meld needs more natural cards than wild ones and can have at most three wild cards. You and your partner add to the same melds.
Seven cards make a book. A clean book (no wild cards) scores 500 and a dirty book 300. A finished book takes no more cards, but a new meld of the same rank can start.
Your side's first meld each round must count at least 50 in round 1, 90 in round 2, 120 in round 3 and 150 in round 4. Card values: jokers 50, 2s and Aces 20, 8 to King 10, 4 to 7 five.
Red 3s are laid aside as soon as you get them, worth 100 each, and you draw a card to replace each one. Black 3s can't be melded; one on top of the discard pile stops anyone picking it up.
When your hand is used up, you pick up your foot and play on.
To go out you must be playing from your foot, and your side needs two clean books and two dirty books. Going out scores 100 and ends the round.
At the end of a round each side scores its books, the cards in its melds and its red 3s, less the cards still in both partners' hands and feet. After four rounds the higher total wins.

Before your side's first meld each round, choose cards and Put chosen cards ready until they reach the count, then Lay down. There's no Undo, because you're playing against the computer.

Keyboard

Tab moves between the stock, the discard pile, your side's melds and your cards. Enter or Space draws, picks up or chooses a card. H shows a hint and Escape clears your choice.

Questions

How do you play Hand and Foot?

Four players in two partnerships play with five decks shuffled together, jokers included. Each player gets two piles of 11 cards: the hand, which you play first, and the foot, which you pick up when your hand is used up. On your turn draw two cards, meld, and discard one. You and your partner build melds together.

What are melds and books?

A meld is 3 to 7 cards of the same rank, 4 through Ace. Jokers and 2s are wild, but a meld needs more natural cards than wild ones and can have at most three wild cards. Seven cards make a book: a clean book (no wild cards) scores 500 and a dirty book 300.

How do I go out?

You must be playing from your foot, and your side needs two clean books and two dirty books. Then play or discard your last card. Going out scores 100.

When can I pick up the discard pile?

Once your side has made its first meld of the round, and you hold two natural cards of the same rank as the top card. You meld them with it at once and take the next six cards too.

How does scoring work?

At the end of each round, each side scores its books, the cards in its melds (jokers 50, 2s and Aces 20, 8 to King 10, 4 to 7 five) and 100 for each red 3, less the cards still in both partners' hands and feet. The first meld must count 50, 90, 120 and 150 in rounds 1 to 4. After four rounds the higher total wins.