TEXAS CANASTA RULES GENERAL The game is played with two teams of two players. Team members sit opposite each other at a table. 5 decks of standard playing cards with 2 jokers per deck are used. (20 of each number, 10 jokers total.) Twos are always considered wild making a total of 30 wild cards in the deck. The first player is determined by a cut of the cards. High draw goes first; play continues to the left. Each player is dealt two (2 piles of 15 cards each. One pile is used first. The second remains face down on the table. Remaining cards are placed in a stack face down in the center of the table. You are allowed to look at the bottom of each pile to decide which stack you want to use first. (Generally you start with the pile that has the highest point value card on the bottom.) We play three rounds. Each player is assigned a number which determines who their partners will be for each of the three rounds. Scores are cumulative for the three rounds. Highest point total at the end of three rounds is determined to be the winner. OBJECT OF THE GAME The object of the game is to accumulate more points than your opponent. You accumulate points by making canastas (seven matching cards) and playing red (diamonds or hearts) threes. There are also bonus points which are listed below. PLAY To begin your turn you have a choice of picking up two (2) cards from the center stack or picking up the entire discard pile. A player can only pick up the discard pile if she has at least two (2) of the same cards in her hand. These two (2) cards plus the top card of the discard pile must be played on your meld immediately. The remaining cards in the discard pile are placed in your hand and can be played as you choose. You cannot pick up the discard pile if: You do not have two (2) cards matching the top discard. A black three is played (spade or club). You have five (5) or six (6) cards matching the top discard on the table for your teams meld. A wild card (Joker or 2) is played. Once you have either picked two (2) cards from the face down pile or picked up the discard pile you can continue your turn by laying down onto the meld. You can: Lay down three (3) or more of the same card Lay down two (2) or more of the same card and a wild card (you must always have more natural cards than wild cards in a single meld) Add to cards already melded on the table Close a canasta by adding the seventh card to a meld Laying a Red (diamond or heart) three on the table and taking a replacement card from the face down pile. Once you have played any cards on the table you wish to play you must discard. Choose a card from your hand and place it face up on the discard pile. Turn now goes to the player on your left. OPENING MELD In order to begin playing off the meld you must first open. We play three rounds. The point value needed to open varies per round. Game 1 = 120 points; Game 2 = 90 points; Game 3 = 50 points Exception: A full canasta seven (7) matching cards can be used to open regardless of point value. Either you or your partner can open. You both do not need to have the starting point value to open. You and your partner will be playing off the same meld. Once the opening meld is made, you pick up your second pile of 15 after your turn ends (you have discarded). Your second hand will be available for play on your next turn. Your partner is now able to lay down cards but she cannot pick up her second pile until her next turn is completed and she discards. Her second hand is available for play on the next turn. CARD POINT VALUES Jokers (wild) 50 points 2s (wild) 20 points Aces 20 points King through 8 10 points 7 through 3 5 points GOING OUT A team must have ten (10) total canastas to be eligible to go out. One canasta must be made up entirely of wild cards (Jokers and 2s). One canasta must be made up of seven (7) 7s. The other eight (8) canastas can be clean (no wild cards); dirty (up to three wild cards in the canasta); or another canasta of wild cards or 7s. A canasta of 7s must be clean. Wild cards can never be added to a meld of 7s. One team member must play all the cards in their hand to go out. A discard is not necessary to go out. Three (3) to seven (7) black 3’s can be melded as your LAST play before going out. Before going out you must ask your partner if he/she wants to go out. The general rule of thumb is that if you have less than 200 points in your hand you allow you partner to go out but you do not have to agree to go out if you feel like it is in the team’s best interest to continue play. *If all face down cards are played with no one going out the game ends and neither team is awarded points for going out. Any cards remaining in hands is deducted from the point total. KEEPING SCORE Going Out = 200 points Clean canasta = 500 points (a clean canasta is denoted by having a red card on top) Dirty canasta=300 points (a dirty canasta is denoted by having a black card on top) Cansta of 7’s=2,500 points Canasta of Wilds (jokers and 2’s)=2,000 points Red 3’s=100 points each BONUSES 2 canastas of 7’s and 2 canastas of wilds=1,500 bonus (10,500 total) Three (3) canastas of wild cards=2,000 bonus (8000 total) Eight (8) red 3s=500 bonus (1300 points total) Nine (9) red 3s=1,000 bonus (1900 points total) Ten (10) red 3s=2,000 bonus (3000 points total) Helpful sums 2 canastas of wilds and 1 canasta of 7’s=6,500 points 2 canastas of 7’s and 1 canasta of wilds=7,000 points Quickly adding points of closed canastas After the canasta and red 3 points are totaled you still get the points for each individual card played. To do this quickly, give the dirty canastas and wild canastas to your partner. Your partner will total these cards. You will calculate the point total of the clean canastas; Each canasta of Aces counts as 2; canastas of Kings through 8’s count as 1 and canastas of 7’s through 4’s and canastas of black 3’s all count as ½. Then multiply that number by 70 for the total point count of closed canastas. 1 x 70 = 70 1 ½ x 70 = 105 2 x 70 = 140 2 ½ x 70 = 175 3 x 70 = 210 3 ½ x 70 = 245 4 x 70 = 280 4 ½ x 70 = 315 5 x 70 = 350 5 ½ x 70 = 385 6 x 70 = 420 6 ½ x 70 = 455 7 x 70 = 490 7 ½ x 70 = 525 8 x 70 = 560 8 ½ x 70 = 595 9 x 70 = 630 9 ½ x 70 = 665 10 x 70 = 700 10 ½ x 70 = 735 11 x 70 = 770 11 ½ x 70 = 805 12 x 70 = 840 12 ½ x 70 = 875 .