kanasta

Canasta is a card game in the rummy family, typically played by four players in two partnerships, though rules for 2–6 players exist. The game uses two standard decks plus jokers, for a total of 108 cards. Wild cards (jokers and sometimes twos) can substitute for other cards in melds. The objective is to accumulate points by forming melds of cards and special canastas, and to be the first to reach a target score.

Originating in the Rio de la Plata region of South America in the early 1940s, canasta quickly gained international popularity, especially in the United States during the 1950s. Its enduring appeal lies in its combination of strategic meld building, memory of discarded cards, and interaction over the shared discard pile.

Gameplay centers on drawing and discarding to form melds—groups of three or more cards of the same rank. A canasta is a meld of seven or more cards, which can be natural (all cards of the same rank with no wild cards) or mixed (including wild cards). Melds may be laid down on the table. Players take turns drawing from the stock pile or the top of the discard pile, and may choose to pick up the entire discard pile only if they can immediately use the top card in a meld.

Scoring rewards made melds and canastas, with special bonuses for red threes and penalties for unplayed cards when a player goes out. The game ends when a team reaches the target score, at which point the resulting tally determines the winner. Variations exist in deck use, initial meld requirements, and scoring.