Card Games > Canasta
| Fun: |  |
| Complexity: | |
| Players: | 2 - 6 |
| More details: |
Pagat.com (external link) Wikipedia (external link) |
| Add To My Favorites |
Canasta is a matching card game in which the object is to create melds of cards of the same rank and then go out by playing or discarding all the cards in your hand.
The distinctive feature of Canasta, as opposed to other Rummy games, is that making a seven-card meld, called a canasta, gives the player a huge bonus, and the number of canastas made usually decides the game. Another distinctive feature is that in Canasta, when a player picks up cards from the discard pile, the player picks up the entire pile, as opposed to only the top card in most other Rummy games (but see also 500 Rum).
These differences in rules produce differences in play. Whereas in ordinary Rummy, the goal is to go out fast, and having cards in your hand is generally bad, the goal in Canasta is to build canastas, which requires many cards, and thus picking up the pile is usually advantageous to the player. [Wikipedia]
Rate It
Comments
I also love this game. We like to play with four people in partners. It can be a pretty competitive game once you get started! 
I really love this game, haven't played it in a really long time though.
I love this game! My 2 cousisns, my uncle, and my dad (and me!) get together once a week to play. We get so competetive sometimes that it usually results in everyone ganging up on the person who just got the blowout discard pile (meaning they're winning by about 3 thousand points).
how do i get into a canasta game on this site???
posted 1458 days ago
we play it on the dinner table as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
When all of us get together, my family plays thisand Pinochle all the time.
Do they have pinochle here? Need to check...
posted 1845 days ago
I love this game!!! We play it at the dinner table on new years eve!