Canasta Online — Classic Partnership Canasta
Classic Canasta in your browser: two decks with jokers, partnership play, natural and mixed canastas, and a game to 5,000 points.
You and your partner (across) vs. 2 computer opponents. First team past 5,000 points wins!
How to play Canasta
There are 4 players in two teams, and your partner sits across from you. Each player gets 11 cards from two decks with 4 jokers. On your turn, draw 1 card from the stock (or take the whole discard pile), lay down melds if you can and finish by discarding a card. Jokers and 2s are wild cards; red 3s go straight to the table and are worth 100 points each.
A meld is 3 or more cards of the same rank, with at least 2 natural cards and no more than 3 wild cards. Once it reaches 7 cards it becomes a canasta: a natural one (no wild cards) is worth 500 and a mixed one is worth 300. Your team’s first meld has to reach a minimum point count, which goes up with your score: 50, then 90, then 120.
To take the discard pile, you have to use its top card in a meld. A black 3 on top blocks the pile for the next player, and a discarded wild card freezes the pile: then it can only be taken with a natural pair. You can only go out if your team has at least one canasta, and the first team past 5,000 points wins.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as Hand and Foot?
They’re related, but not the same. This is classic Canasta: melds are all the same rank (never runs), there’s no second “foot” hand to play through, and red and black 3s have special roles. Hand and Foot uses more decks and gives every player a foot to play after their hand.
How does the frozen pile work here?
We use the most common simplified rule: the pile is frozen while there’s a wild card in it, and it’s always frozen for a team that hasn’t laid down a meld yet. When it’s frozen, you can only take it with a natural pair matching the top card. When it’s not, you can also add the top card to one of your melds or to a natural card plus a wild card.
How much is each card worth?
Jokers are worth 50, Aces and 2s are worth 20, 8 through King are worth 10, and 4 through 7 (plus black 3s) are worth 5. Red 3s score 100 each (800 if your team has all four), but they count against you if your team hasn’t melded. Going out earns 100 more, and cards left in your hand are subtracted.