Canasta
A rummy-type game from Uruguay that became a 1950s craze. Players form melds of seven cards (canastas) using two decks with jokers. Rich in strategy with wild cards and frozen discard piles.
What You'll Need
About This Game
A rummy-type game from Uruguay that became a 1950s craze. Players form melds of seven cards (canastas) using two decks with jokers. Rich in strategy with wild cards and frozen discard piles.
How to Play
- Use two standard decks + 4 jokers (108 cards total)
- Deal 11 cards each; start discard pile
- Draw 2 cards OR take entire discard pile (with restrictions)
- Meld: 3+ same-rank cards; max 3 wild cards per meld
- Canasta: 7-card meld = natural (500 pts) or mixed (300 pts)
- Must have canasta before going out
- Discard pile 'frozen' if started with wild/red 3 or by discarding wild
- To take frozen pile: must use top card in natural meld
- Red 3s: bonus cards (100 pts each; all four = 800 pts)
- Black 3s: can only meld when going out
- Going out: bonus 100-200 points
- First team to 5000 points wins
- Two-player: deal 15 cards; need 2 canastas to go out
History & Background
Canasta was invented in Montevideo, Uruguay around 1939 by attorney Segundo Santos and architect Alberto Serrato. The name comes from the Spanish word for "basket," referring to the tray used to hold undealt cards.
The game spread through Argentina in the 1940s, then to the United States in 1949, where it became a sensation. By 1950, Canasta was the biggest card game craze since Contract Bridge in the 1930s.
Canasta's popularity peaked in 1951-1952, when it was reportedly played by more Americans than any other card game. Canasta sets, books, and accessories became best-sellers. The game's appeal lay in its blend of strategy and the excitement of building melds.
While Canasta's popularity eventually waned, it never disappeared. The two-player variant remains popular among card game enthusiasts, and the game has experienced periodic revivals. Its influence can be seen in later games like Rummy 500 and Phase 10.