Do you know how to play the Canasta card game? This article tells you how. Canasta is a rummy-like game that originated in the 1930s. While the rules and variations of the game were developed in Uruguay, popularity spread quickly and Canasta became the most preferred card game over other games including the Hearts and Cribbage card games. In the early 1950s, this Latino Rummy card game became standardized with a few variations and was labeled Classic Canasta. While Canasta rules will vary based on the count
Canasta is designed to be played with four players that are playing as partners. While there are versions that can be adjusted for two and three players, the rules mentioned below will be referring to the four-player version. What you will need to play Canasta at home with your friends are two standard decks of 52 cards, and 4 jokers for a total of 108 cards. Each card is assigned a different point value. In original Canasta, the points differ from other versions like the Canasta Caliente card game. Jokers
Deuces and jokers are wild cards, while all other cards are considered natural. Wild cards in the standard game can be used to substitute for natural cards of any value. Each player participating will be dealt a pile of cards face up and a pile of cards face down. Like most games, including the Spades card game, the player on the left of the dealer will have the first turn. Going clockwise, players will draw a card from the stockpile and add it to their own face down pile without revealing what they have co