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Rummy Games

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Number of Players	Number of Cards	Game Play	Skill Level
2 (3-4)	52	Easy - Complex	Luck - Skill

Gin is a modern classic that has superseded all other rummy games in popularity. The game suddenly hit its stride in the 1930s when Hollywood celebrities took it up. They realized that Gin Rummy was not only simple and fast, but made an excellent wagering game, too. Although much luck is involved, the skill required far outweighs the chance factor, and Gin ranks as one of the most demanding of all card games.

Number of Players. Two people can play, though three may participate, usually with one sitting out while the other two play. Four or more, in pairs up to almost any number, may play a partnership game (see p. 129), but this is done by playing separate two-hand games and combining scores.

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used. Two packs should be used, so that while one player deals, the other shuffles for the next deal.

Rank of Cards. K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. (Aces are always low.)

Value of Cards. Face cards, 10 points each; ace, 1; other cards, their
pip values.

The Shuffle and Cut. One pack is shuffled and spread, and each player draws a card; if he draws one of the four cards at either end, the player must draw again. If the cards drawn are of the same rank, the suits decide the higher rank in this order: spades (high), hearts, diamonds, and clubs. The player drawing the high card has the choice of cards and seats. The other player, having picked the low card, deals first. Either player may shuffle, with the dealer having the right to shuffle last, and the opponent then cuts the pack.

The Deal. The dealer completes the cut, and then deals 10 cards, face down, one at a time, alternately, to each person, beginning with the opponent. The next card, called the "upcard," is placed face up in the center of the table to form the beginning of the "discard" pile; the "stock" (the remaining cards) are placed face down beside it. Many players spread the stock slightly so that cards can be more easily drawn from it.

Once the cards are dealt, each player takes up his hand, fans it, and if desired, arranges the cards into groups of "melds" (either sets of cards of the same denomination or sequences of cards of the same suit), so that it will be easier and faster to plan the strategy and play.

Object of the Game. Each player tries to form "matched sets," which consist of three or four cards of the same rank, or "sequences," which are three or more cards of consecutive rank in the same suit (such as the 6, 5, 4 of spades). A second objective is to reduce the count of the unmatched cards in a player's hand to less than the count of his opponent.

The Play. The non-dealer plays first, and the turn to play alternates thereafter. At each turn, a player must take either the upcard (top card of the discard pile) or draw the top card of the stock and then discard one card face up on the discard pile. When a player has elected to take the upcard, he may not discard it at the same turn.

On the first play of the hand, if the non-dealer does not wish to take the upcard, he must announce this, and the dealer may have the first turn by taking the upcard. If the dealer does not want the upcard, the opponent draws the top card from the stock, and play proceeds.

Players must decide at the start of the game whether anyone may look through the discard pile while playing. Most experts allow this practice. If the players agree that no one may look at previous discards, then the discard pile should be kept squared up so that only the top card shows.

Scoring or "Ginning". There are three ways to score points toward victory in Gin Rummy: ginning, knocking, and undercutting. A player who "gins" is able to meld out his entire hand, without any "deadwood" (unmatched cards). Usually, the hand will consist of one meld of four cards, and two melds of three cards each. A rarer gin hand is two sequences of five cards each.

When a player gets gin, he discards one card face down (instead of face up, as usual), says "Gin!" and then spreads the hand of 10 cards, assorted into melds, on the table. The score for gin is 25 points plus the deadwood in the opponent's hand. After the gin is announced and spread, the opponent turns his hand face up into melds, and the unmelded cards remaining count against him. For example: If the deadwood left is K, 8, 3, A (of whatever suits), the count would be 22 points, which would be added to the winner's 25 points for gin, making a total of 47 points for the ginning player.

Knocking. A player may choose to "knock" instead of going for gin, but the value of the unmatched cards in his hand (after he discards) cannot exceed 10 points. Naturally, the player does not have to knock when able to do so; instead, he may play on for gin and the 25 point bonus. Having knocked, he discards one card down and spreads the hand of 10 cards, arranged into melds and unmatched cards.

The opponent then spreads his hand, removing from it any unmatched cards, and then is permitted to "lay off" whatever cards he has that match the knocker's matched sets. This helps to reduce the deadwood count in the opponent's hand, and is a reward for holding on to cards that the opponent is quite sure the knocker needs. An example of laying off: The knocker goes down with 10, 9, 8, 7, four deuces, a 5, and a 4. The opponent is able to spread two melds and the deadwood is comprised of J, 6, and two threes. In this case, the opponent can lay off the jack and six of hearts onto the knocker's heart meld, to reduce his count from 22 points to only 6 points! Note that a player is not permitted to lay off any cards on the unmatched cards in the opponent's hand.

After a player knocks and the opponent attempts to lay off, the point values of the two players' unmatched cards are compared, and if the player who knocked has a lower point-count, he scores the difference in the counts. Thus, if the knocker has 6 points, and the opponent 17, the knocker would score 11 for the hand.

Note that when a player gins, the opponent may not lay off cards on the gin hand. That is one advantage in going for a gin.

Undercutting. When a player knocks, and the opponent's deadwood total is the same or less than the knocker's, the opponent "undercuts" and scores a bonus of 20 points, plus the difference in the counts for the two players' unmatched cards. For example: If the opponent is able to reduce his count to only 6, compared with the knocker's count of 9, the difference is 3, plus the undercut bonus of 20, for a total of 23. If the players' counts are exactly even, it is still an undercut, but the undercutting player would score only 20 points! (In some games, the undercut bonus is 25, the same as for a gin.)

End of a Hand. Play continues until a player gins or knocks, or until there are only two cards left in the stock. If the latter event occurs, the hand is over, and ends in a tie. (No points are scored.) The same dealer deals a new hand.

A running total of each player's score is kept, with a line drawn under his score every time he wins a hand. For example: A player wins the first hand by 11 points; he scores 11 and draws a line under it. The same player wins the next hand by 14 points; he writes down 25 and draws another line.

The loser of each hand deals next.

 

Game. The player who first scores 100 points or more wins the game. (Some players may prefer to play to 150, 200, or 300 points.) The winner adds to his score a 100-point game bonus. (If the opponent has not won a hand during the game, then he doubles his entire score, including the game bonus. This is called a shutout or "schneider.") Each player then adds to his score 25 points for every hand he has won, a bonus called a line or a box. (In some games, an extra box or two is credited when a player scores a gin or an undercut.) The two players' total scores are then determined, and the player with the higher score wins the difference between his score and the opponent's. The winner has the choice of cards and seats for the next game, and the losing player deals the first hand.

Hollywood Scoring. The Gin Rummy score sheet is divided into six columns, and the names of the two players alternate at the top of each column. In this version, almost every hand is scored as though the players were playing three different games. The result of the first hand each player wins is scored once, and credited toward Game 1. The result of the second hand won by a player who has already scored in Game 1 is scored twice, and credited to him as a second score in Game 1 and as his first score in Game 2. The winning score of the third hand, if it is won by a player who has already scored in Games 1 and 2 is scored to his credit in all three games. Each subsequent hand won by that player is scored to his credit in all three games.

When a player reaches 100 points in any game, he wins that game, but play continues until all three games have been decided, and subsequent scores are entered only in the remaining game or games.

Each game is scored independently, and each player receives all bonuses to which he is entitled for that game. A player who was shut out (schneidered) in one game enters his first score in the game or games still uncompleted.

Straight Gin

This version for two players is simply Gin Rummy without knocking. Both players must go for gin, and the winner is the player who gins first. Some players agree to play a series, in which case the first player to go gin four times is the winner; the maximum number of games for the series would be seven, which would be played in the event that each player has won three games and needs a fourth win to claim victory.

In Straight Gin, an alternative to turning the twenty-first card as the upcard is for the dealer to give his opponent an eleventh card. The opponent then discards to start the game.

Celebes Rhum

In this Straight Gin version played in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, 54 cards are needed: the standard pack plus two jokers, which are wild. Two people play, each is dealt 13 cards, and the next card is turned upas the upcard. The procedure is the same as for Gin Rummy, with the following exceptions:

1) Only the dealer's opponent, whose turn comes first, may take the first upcard.

2) There is no knocking. To win, the player must meld his hand. The most common set of groupings is a sequence of four cards and three other melds of either matched sets or sequences. A joker can be played as any card but only in one of the three-card melds; it may not be used in the four-card meld, which must be a natural sequence of the same suit. Instead of melding in a 4-3-3-3 pattern, two other arrangements are possible: 5-5-3 and 5-4-4. If either of the latter two is chosen, a natural sequence meld of four or five cards is needed; the remaining two melds are comprised of either kind of meld, and one or both may contain a joker.

3) The joker may be used for a matched set of five-of-a-kind, since
a suit need not be specified when a matched set is made.

 

 

Number of Players	Number of Cards	Game Play	Skill Level
2 (3, 4)	52	Easy - Complex	Luck - Skill

This very popular version of Gin Rummy is just like the original except for one key rule that requires even more skill of the player: The rank of the upcard fixes the maximum number of points with which a player may knock in that deal. Thus, if the upcard is a five, the knocker must have 5 points or less. Face cards count 10. When an ace is the knock card, neither player may knock with a count of 1 point; instead, each must play for a gin hand. An additional rule, often played, is that when the upcard is a spade, all scores accruing from that deal are doubled.

If the upcard is not taken by either player, it is usually set aside near the stock, so that both players can refer to it during play. If the upcard is taken by either player, the opponent may, at any time, ask what the upcard was, and the other player is required to give this information.

 

Gin Rummy for Three Players

There are two methods for playing three-hand Gin Rummy in which two players are active and one is inactive in each hand. In another method, all three players may be active in every hand.

First method. Each player cuts the deck. The player with the lowest card sits out the first hand; the player with the next deals. At the endof each hand, the loser goes out and the idle player takes his place. The score sheet should have three columns, since each participant plays for himself, and winning hands are credited to individual scores. The idle player may not advise either of the active players. The game ends when a player reaches 100 points or more; after game and box bonuses have been added, each player pays the difference in scores to each player having a higher score. If one player is shut out, he pays an additional 100 points to the winner.

Second method. Each player draws a card; the high player is "in the box," and the two others play as partners against him throughout the game. The partner drawing the second-highest card deals the first hand, and the other partner sits out but may consult on the play, with the active partner having the final decision. When the active partner loses a hand, the idle partner takes his place. One score is kept for the player in the box, another for the partnership; if the player in the box wins, he collects in full from each opponent. If the partners win, each collects in full from the player in the box.

Third method. All three players participate. Each player draws a card. The player with the highest card deals, and the player with the next-highest card sits on the dealer's left. Ten cards are dealt to each of the three players. The player to the left of the dealer plays first; if he refuses the upcard, the player to his left may take it. Thereafter, each player in turn may draw either of his opponents' previous discards, unless one of them has already been taken.

An individual score is kept for each player. The winner of each hand scores the difference between his count and the combined counts of the other two players.

There is no undercut bonus; if the knocker is tied, the player who ties him wins the hand, and 20 points are deducted from the knocker's score.

The other two players may lay off cards only on the knocker's hand, and only on the original matched sets. For example: If the knocker has 9, 8, 7, and one opponent lays off 6 on it, the other opponent may not lay off 5. The bonus for going gin is 40 points. When only three cards remain in the stock and no one has knocked, the hand ends in a draw, and there is no scoring.

The game ends when a player reaches 200 points, after which bonuses are added as in two-hand Gin Rummy, and each player pays the difference in scores to any player having a higher score.

Partnership Gin Rummy (for Four Players)

The players draw for partnerships. The holders of the the two highest cards each play a two-hand game against the players with the two lowest cards. Partners sit opposite each other at the table. One member of each side cuts for deal, and both members of the side with the lowest card deal the first hand. Thereafter, the winners of each hand deal next.

Each dealer deals to the opponent on his right for the first hand and thereafter, the players alternate opponents.

Only one score is kept for each partnership, so that if one member wins his hand by 12 points and the other member loses his by 10 points, that side wins the hand by 2 points and will eventually receive a box bonus when the game is over.

When one member of a partnership knocks, either player in the opposing partnership may delay play until he learns how many points were scored. When one hand is finished, the idle player may advise his partner (after the partner's opponent has knocked) as to the best way of matching the hand, or laying off.

Drawn hands are not replayed. The game does not end until one
side reaches 125 points, but all other scoring is the same as in regular Gin Rummy.

For Six or More Players (in Even Numbers)

Half the players form one partnership against the other half.
All partners sit on one side of the table, and each plays against the opponent facing him, never changing opponents during the game.
One partner draws for deal on each side, and all members of the side drawing the lower card deal the first hand. Thereafter, all members
of the winning side deal the next hand.

Each player plays a regular two-hand game against the player facing him and the results of all these two-hand matches are added up for each side and then compared to determine the winning side of each deal.

The game ends when:

1) A partnership of 3 or 4 players reaches 150 points.

2) A partnership of five players reaches 175 points.

3) A partnership of six or more players reaches 200 points.

A player whose hand is finished may advise any of his teammates, but only if he has not seen the hand of any opponent.

Drawn hands are not replayed.

Round-The-Corner Gin Rummy

Round-The-Corner may be played as a version of Gin Rummy, but with the following differences:

The ace may rank high or low in a sequence, and sequences may go around the corner (A, 2, 3, A, K, Q, K, A, 2). As an unmatched card, an ace counts 15 points.

Unlike other Gin Rummy versions, if a knocker goes gin, the opponent is allowed to lay his cards off, and if the opponent can reduce his own count to zero, neither player scores on that hand.

The game ends when one player reaches 125 points. In any partnership game, it takes 25 points more to end the game than when regular Partnership Gin Rummy is played with the round-the-corner features.

Players may at all times inspect the previous discards.

 

Number of Players	Number of Cards	Game Play	Skill Level
2-6	52	Easy - Complex	Luck - Skill

Rummy is still one of the best-known card games in the United States, though in many regions it has been superseded by Gin Rummy and Oklahoma Gin. Rummy works better than Gin Rummy when there are more than two players. A pleasing feature of the game is that it is so simple to play and has many variations.

Number of Players. Two to six people can play, and each person plays individually. More than six players should play Double Rum, 500 Rum, or Contract Rummy.

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used.

Rank of Cards. K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. (In many forms of Rummy, the ace may rank either high or low.)

The Shuffle and Cut. The players draw or cut for deal and the player with the lowest card deals first. Each player may shuffle, the dealer last, although it is customary for the dealer alone to shuffle. The player on the dealer's right cuts.

The Deal. The dealer gives one card at a time, clockwise, face down, beginning with the player on his left. When two people play, each person gets 10 cards. When three or four people play, each receives seven cards; when five or six play, each receives six cards. The remaining cards are placed face down on the table, forming the stock. The top card of the stock is turned face up and becomes the upcard. It is placed next to the stock to start the discard pile.

When two people play, the winner of each hand deals the next. When more than two play, the deal passes to next the player on the left.

Object of the Game. Each player tries to form matched sets consisting of groups of three or four of a kind, or sequences of three or more cards of the same suit.

The Play. Each player in turn, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer, either draws the top card of the stock or takes the top card of the discard pile and adds it to his hand. The player may also lay down on the table, face up, any meld (matched set). If the player does not wish to lay down a meld, he discards one card, face up, onto the discard pile. If the player has drawn from the discard pile, he may not discard the same card on that turn.

Laying off. A player in turn may add one or more from his hand to any matched set already shown on the table. Thus, if threes are showing, he may add the fourth three; if 10, 9, 8 are showing, he may add J, or Q, J, 7, or 7, 6.

Going out. When a player gets rid of all his cards, he wins the game.

If all his remaining cards are matched, the player may lay them down without discarding on his last turn. This ends the game and there is no further play (see scoring).

If the last card of the stock has been drawn and no player has gone out, the next player in turn may either take the top of the discard pile, or may turn the discard pile over to form a new stock (without shuffling it) and draw the top card. Play then proceeds as before.

Scoring. Each player pays to the winner the pip value of the cards remaining in his hand, whether the cards form matched sets or not. Face cards count 10 each, aces 1 each, and every other card its pip value.

A player goes "rummy" when he gets rid of all cards in his hand at once, without previously having put down or laid off any cards. In this event, every other player pays him double - twice what his opponents would otherwise owe.

Queen City Rum

This version is the same as regular Rummy except that seven cards are dealt to each player and the following special rules are observed:

A player may not meld until he can go rummy. When the player goes out, he may meld seven or eight cards, so that he need not discard (unless the discard helps him to go out.)

The winner collects the point value of his hand from every opponent. He does not collect the value of his opponents' hands, and is never paid double.

Boat House Rum

The rules are as in regular Rummy except that each player in turn may draw two cards from the stock or, before drawing those cards, two cards from the top of the discard pile. Then he discards only one card. Play does not end until a player can lay down his entire hand at once.

An ace counts either high or low in a sequence, and sequences may go round the corner as in K, A, 2, or A, K, Q.

In scoring, a player pays only for cards in his which does not form matched sets. He pays the pip value of all unmatched cards, with the ace counting as 11 points.

Kaluki

(Caloochi, Kaloochi, Kalougi)

This game is best for two, three, or four people, each playing individually. The rules are the same as for regular Rummy with the following exceptions.

Two standard 52-card packs plus four jokers are shuffled together to make a 108-card pack. Each person is dealt 15 cards (with five players, 13 cards; with six, 11 cards). Aces count 15 points each, face cards 10 each, and other cards their pip value. A player's first meld must count 51 or more. The ace is high or low, so A, 2, 3 or A, K, Q is a valid meld but not 2, A, K.

A player may not take the top discard, or lay off, until he has made his first meld. However, a player may take the discard if he uses it immediately to make his first meld. Jokers are wild. A joker used in a meld counts the same number of points as the card it represents. Before melding or discarding, a player may trade the appropriate natural card for a melded joker in any other player's meld and then use the joker as he wishes.

The player who goes out scores all the points remaining in his opponents' hands. A joker left in a hand counts as 25 points.

Double Rum

In this version, the rules of regular Rummy apply except for
the following:

Two standard 52 card packs plus two jokers are shuffled together to form a 106-card deck.

Ten cards are dealt to each player.

An ace may count either high or low in sequences.

A matched set may be formed from any three or more cards of
the same rank, such as K, K, K. A joker is wild in any matched set
or sequence.

In laying off on a sequence that contains a joker, a player may move the joker if it falls at the end of the sequence, but not if it lies within the interior of the sequence. Thus, if 7, 6, joker are on the table, either 8 or 5 may be added (but not 4); if 7, joker, 5 are on the table, only 8 or 4 may be added. (A joker can be moved only once.)

In scoring, a player is charged 15 points for each joker and 11 for each ace in his hand. The other cards count as in regular Rummy.

Knock Rummy

(Poker Rum)

Number of Players. Two, three, four, or five people can play.

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used.

Rank of Cards. K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.

The Deal. The players draw for deal, and the player with the lowest card deals first. When two people play, each is dealt ten cards; when three or four play, seven cards; when five play, six cards.

Card Values. Each face card counts 10 points; each ace counts 1 point; other cards count their pip values.

The Play. The players either draw or take the upcard, and then discard as in Rummy, but they do not meld cards on the table or lay off on each other's melds. Any player, before discarding, may knock, ending the hand. He then discards, separates his melds from unmatched cards, and announces the count of the unmatched cards. Each opponent then separates his melds from unmatched cards and announces his count as well.

Scoring. The player with the lowest count wins the difference in counts from each opponent plus 25 points if he goes rummy. If any other player ties the knocker for low count, that player wins instead of the knocker. If the knocker does not have the lowest count, he pays a penalty of 10 points plus the difference in counts to the player with the lowest count, who wins the hand.

Tunk

(Tonk)

This version of Knock Rummy is played several different ways. ("Tunk" or "Tonk" means "knock.")

Number of Players. Two to five or more people can play.

The Pack. Two to four players use a standard 52-card pack. Five or more use a double pack.

The Deal. Seven cards are dealt to each player. All remaining cards become the stock pile and the top card is drawn and placed face up next to it. This is the first card (upcard) of the discard pile.

The Play. Deuces are wild. Each player in turn must either draw from the stock or take the top discard, followed by discarding. Only the player on the dealer's left, whose turn comes first, may take the first upcard. Before discarding, the player may "tunk" (knock) if his unmatched cards count 5 or less. The player then spreads his hand, separating matched and unmatched cards. A matched set may have no more than four cards and must include two natural cards. A sequence may be three cards or more. Each other player then has one turn to draw, take the discard, meld, lay off on the tunker's melds, and discard. (If all the tunker's cards were matched, no one may lay off on his hand.)

After each player has had his turn, the count of each player's unmatched cards is scored against him. (A deuce counts only 2 points.) If the tunker does not have the lowest count, he is charged double his count. When a player's score reaches 100, he is out of the game. Play continues until there is only one player left, who is the winner.

If the stock is exhausted, the hand is redealt and there is no score.

Continental Rummy

This game is one of the most popular Rummy pastimes for large groups. It is played in many different forms, but always with the
same basic requirements.

Number of Players. Two to 12 people can play.

The Pack. Two or more standard 52-card packs plus one joker per pack are shuffled together. Five or fewer players use a double pack, six to eight players a triple pack, nine to 12 players a quadruple pack.

Rank of Cards. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. (Aces may be high or low.)

The Shuffle and Cut. If a double pack is used, the dealer shuffles. If a triple pack or quadruple pack is used, the dealer and one other player each shuffle a portion of the pack, the dealer having the right to shuffle each portion last, and the portions are then combined. The player on the dealer's right cuts.

The Deal. Each player receives 15 cards, dealt three at a time. The winner of each deal becomes the next dealer. Note: When the pack is
too thick for the dealer to handle, he may take the top portion and deal as far as it will go and then resume dealing with the remaining portion, as necessary.

Object of the Game. Each player tries to go out by forming sequences in accordance with the following requirements:

A player may not lay down any cards until he can go out all at once with five 3-card sequences, or three 4-card and one 3-card sequence, or one 5-card, one 4-card, and two 3-card sequences. Two or more of these sequences may be in the same suit, but a sequence may not "go round the corner." Matched sets do not count in Continental Rummy, only sequences do.

The Play. Each player in turn draws either the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile, and then discards, as in Rummy, until one player goes out. Any joker is wild and may represent any card its holder designates. (Many play with deuces also as wild cards.)

Scoring. The winner of the game collects from all the other players: 1 point (or chip, or similar counter) for game, 2 points for each joker used in the winner's hand, and 1 point for each deuce used as a wild card (if deuces are wild).

Variations. There are many variations, both in play and in scoring, including the following bonus payments, which are used in some localities: for going out right away without drawing a single card, 10 points; for going out after drawing only one card, 7 points; for going out without using a joker or wild deuce, 10 points; for having all 15 cards of the same suit, 10 points.

Irregularities. Going down illegally. If a player lays down a hand that does not conform to the requirements stated above, he must leave his hand face up on the table, and play proceeds with his hand exposed. Any collections he has made are returned. Any other player who has exposed his hand may pick it up.

 

Number of Players	Number of Cards	Game Play	Skill Level
3-8	105 (158)	Easy - Complex	Luck - Skill

One of the most popular Rummy games for three or more persons playing individually. There are many forms of the game, differing in minor details but all are alike in one essential respect: A series of four, five, or more deals is played, with a different requirement for going out in each deal. One of the most popular versions is given here.

Number of Players. Three to eight people can play. Each plays individually.

The Pack. For three or four players, a double pack with one joker is used (105 cards in all); five or more players use a triple pack with two jokers (158 cards in all). All the cards are shuffled together.

Rank of Cards. A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. (Aces are high or low.)

Card Values. Ace, joker, and other wild cards, if any, count as 15 points; each face card counts 10; each other card counts its pip value.

The Shuffle and Cut. If a double pack is used, the dealer shuffles; if a triple pack is used, the dealer and one other player each shuffle a portion of the pack, the dealer having the right to shuffle each portion last, and the portions are then combined. The player to the dealer's
right cuts.

The Deal. The players draw for deal from a spread pack. Low card has the first deal, ace being low in the draw. Each game consists of seven deals, the turn to deal passing from player to player to the left. Cards are dealt clockwise face down, one at a time beginning on the dealer's left. Note: When the pack is too thick for the dealer to handle, he may take the top portion and deal as far as it will go, and then resume dealing with the remaining portion, if necessary.

In each of the first four deals, each player receives 10 cards.

In each of the last three deals, each player receives 12 cards.

The remainder of the pack is put in the center as the stock, and the
top card is turned face up to begin the discard pile next to the stock.

Object of the Game. Each player tries to get rid of all his cards by laying down matched sets of three or more (regardless of suit) and sequences of four or more cards of the same suit, in accordance with the "Basic Contract" rules of the deal.

Basic Contracts:

First deal: Two matched sets (sometimes called books), which
a player must lay down at the
same time before he can lay off
any other cards.

Second deal: One matched set and one sequence (sometimes called a run).

Third deal: Two sequences, or runs.

Fourth deal: Three matched sets, or books.

Fifth deal: Two matched sets and one sequence.

Sixth deal: One matched set and two sequences.

Seventh deal: Three sequences, but no cards may be laid down until one player can lay down his entire hand, matched in sets, to form the basic contract. The game ends after the seventh deal.

It should be noted that the basic contract in the first deal requires six cards, in the second deal seven cards, and so forth, increasing by one card each time.

When two or more sequences are required, they must be in different suits (or, if in the same suit, not in consecutive order, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10; but not 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, which counts as only one sequence).

The Play. Beginning with the person to the dealer's left, each player must draw either the top of the stock or the top card of the discard pile, and then discard. Just before discarding, provided he has laid down the basic contract, the player may lay off any cards that match a set already on the table, but may not lay down any more matched sets.

If the player does not want the top of the discard pile, any other player, in order of rotation to his left, may claim that card and must also draw the top card of the stock, as a penalty card, without discarding. The original player then draws the top card of the stock and play proceeds.

As the ace counts as either high or low, it may be laid off as a low card on a sequence that already includes the ace as high card, and vice versa. For example: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A - would be a 14-card sequence. A sequence cannot contain more than 14 cards.

Wild Cards. A joker may be used to stand as any card in a matched set or a sequence. When a joker has been laid down as part of a sequence, any other player (provided he has laid down the basic contract) may take the joker into his hand by substituting the card it represents. If more than one player is able to do this, the one with the next turn to play has precedence.

When a joker has been used in a sequence, any card not already in that sequence may be laid off on it, and the wild card moves to either end. For example: if 9, joker, 7, 6 are shown, the 8 may be added
and the joker moved to either end.

Scoring. In each deal, play ends when any player gets rid of his last card. Each other player is then charged the pip value of each card remaining in his hand. The player having the lowest score at the end
of the seventh deal is the winner.

Conquian

(Coon-Can)

This was the original type of Rummy played in the United States.

Number of Players. Two people play.

The Pack. A standard pack of 52 cards with all the tens, nines and eights removed, leaving a total of 40 cards in the deck.

Rank of Cards. The jack and seven are considered to be in sequence. The rank of an ace is low only so that the sequence A, 2, 3 can be formed, but not A, K, Q.

The Deal. Each of the two players is dealt 10 cards. The remaining cards form the stock; no upcard is turned.

The Play. After the deal is completed, the non-dealer turns up the top card of the stock. He does not put it into his hand but must immediately meld it, along with cards from his hand, or discard it. Melds ("spreads") are as in regular Rummy - matched sets of three or four or a sequence of three or more cards of the same suit. Each player in turn thereafter must either take the top discard and meld it (placing the meld face up on the table), or turn up the top card of the stock and meld or discard it. When the player takes and melds a discard, he must then discard from his hand. If a player is able to add the discard to one of his previous melds, the opponent may require him to do so, and then discard.

After turning up the top card of the stock, and before discarding it, a player may meld or lay off from his or her hand if he wishes.

A player may shift his own melds around as long as only valid melds remain. For example: If he previously melded J, 7, 6 and the 5 is drawn or discarded, he may add it to the sequence, remove the jack, and meld three jacks.

The game ends when a player has melded exactly 11 cards. Therefore, a player may have no card left in his hand but still continues to play because he needs another melded card to go out. Each deal is a separate game, and if the stock is exhausted before either player has melded 11 cards, the next game counts double.

 

Number of Players	Number of Cards	Game Play	Skill Level
3-5 (2, 6-8)	52 (104)	Easy - Complex	Luck - Skill

The game of Canasta and several other games developed from this popular form of Rummy. The distinctive feature of 500 Rum is that each player scores the value of the sets he melds, in addition to the usual points for going out and for cards caught in other players' hands. 500 Rum is one of the finest games in the Rummy family, and it deserves to have an even bigger following than it does.

Number of Players. Two to eight persons may play, but the game is best played with three, four, or five people. Four may play as partners (see Persian Rummy, p. 142).

The Pack. A standard 52-card pack is used. Five or more players should use a double pack.

Rank of Cards. Ace (high or low), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.

Card Values. An ace counts as 15 points, except in the sequence 3, 2, A, when it counts as 1. Face cards count as 10 points each. Other cards count their pip value.

The Shuffle and Cut. The players draw for deal, low dealing first. Ace is the lowest card in the draw. The dealer shuffles, and the player to the right cuts

The Deal. The dealer completes the cut and deals seven cards to each player (except in the two-hand game, in which each player receives 13 cards).

Object of the Game. To score points by laying down and laying off cards as in regular Rummy, in matched sets of three or four, and in sequences of three or more cards of the same suit.

The Play. The undealt portion of the cards, placed face down, forms the stock; the top card is turned face up and is placed beside the stock as the upcard to start the discard pile. The discard pile should be slightly spread, so that players can readily see all the cards in it. Each player in turn, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer, may draw either the top card of the stock or any card from the discard pile. There are two conditions when drawing a card from the discard pile: 1) the player must take all the cards above the selected card and 2) the card so drawn must immediately be used, either by laying it down in a set or by laying it off on a set already on the table. The remaining cards taken with the discard may be melded in the same turn or simply added to the player's hand.

Each player in turn, after drawing but before discarding, may lay down any matched set or may lay off any card that matches a set already on the table. Cards that are laid off are kept on the table in front of the player.

Sequences may not "go round the corner"; thus, A, K, Q or A, 2, 3 may be melded, but not K, A, 2.

Scoring. When any player gets rid of all his cards, the play immediately ends. Each player's score is then figured as follows: The player is credited with the point value of all cards that he has showing on the table. From this figure is subtracted the point value of all cards remaining in his hand. The difference is added or subtracted from his score, as the case may be. For example: If the cards he has shown total 87 points, and the cards left in his hand total 90 points, 3 points are subtracted from his previous net score.

The first player whose score reaches +500 wins the game and collects from each opponent the difference between their final scores. If two or more players reach 500 on the same hand, the one with the highest score is the winner.

When a player lays off a card, he keeps it on the table in front of him for convenience in scoring later, but must state to what showing combination it is being added. Thus, if J, 10, 9 are on the table, along with the set Q, Q, Q, a player putting down the Q must state to which set it belongs: If the player makes the queen part of the diamond sequence, any player may later add K to that sequence.

Partnership 500 Rum

Four play, two against two as partners, with partners facing each other across the table. The rules are exactly as in 500 Rum, except the partners may play off on each other's matched sets and sequences in an effort to go out as quickly as possible. When any player goes out,
the play ends and the score of each partnership is figured as a unit. The game is over when either side reaches +500.

Persian Rummy

The game is the same as Partnership 500 Rum with the following exceptions.

The pack is 56 cards: the standard 52 cards plus four jokers.

Each joker counts as 20 points, and jokers may not be used in sequences or as wild cards, but only in groups of three or four jokers. Any meld of four, laid down all at once, counts double its face value. Thus, four jokers laid down together count 160; three jokers laid down count 60, and the fourth joker when added counts only 20 more. Four 6s put down together count 48, but three 6s count only 18, and the fourth 6 adds only 6 points. If a player gets rid of all his cards, his side scores a bonus of 25.

A game ends after two deals. The side with the best score receives a bonus of 50 points and wins the difference between its final score and the opponents' score.

Michigan Rum

This game is played the same as 500 Rum, except for the following:

Melds are scored as they are put on the table. The player who goes out first is the winner. The cards left in the hands of the other players are not subtracted from their scores. Rather, the winner is credited with the total of all the points remaining in the opponents' hands.

 

 

Number of Players	Number of Cards	Game Play	Skill Level
4 (2,3,5,6)	108	Easy - Complex	Luck - Skill

Canasta, a game of the Rummy family was the most popular American game in the early 1950s. It originated in Uruguay about 10 years earlier, spread rapidly to Argentina and the rest of Latin America, and reached the United States about 1948. It is still played by millions. The word canasta means "basket" in Spanish, and the game was probably named for the tray used to hold the discards. The rules given below are the official rules, which very serious players use; however, many players have adopted one or more other versions, such as Bolivia, Samba and Chile, which are described later.

Number of Players. Four people, in two partnerships, can play. (Canasta may also be played by two, three, five, or six players. The rules for these forms are described later.)

The Pack. Two standard packs of 52 cards are used, plus four jokers, all shuffled together, giving a total of 108 cards.

Wild cards. Jokers and deuces are wild. A wild card is melded only with natural cards and then becomes a card of that same rank.

The Draw. Partnerships may be determined by drawing cards from the deck. The player drawing the highest card has choice of seats, plays first in the first deal, and has the player drawing the second-highest card as his partner. In drawing, the cards rank: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Jokers are void. Only for the draw, suits rank: Spades (high), hearts, diamonds, clubs. Players drawing equal cards or jokers must draw again. A player drawing more than one card or one of the four cards at either end of the deck, must draw again. Partners sit opposite each other.

The Shuffle and Cut. The first hand is dealt by the player to the right of the person who drew the highest card. Thereafter the turn to deal rotates clockwise. Any player who wishes may shuffle the deck, and the dealer has the right to shuffle last. After the shuffle, the deck is cut by the player to the dealer's left.

The Deal. The dealer gives 11 cards face down to each player, one at a time, clockwise, beginning with the opponent on his left and ending with himself.

The undealt remainder of the pack is placed face down in the center of the table, becoming the stock, and the top card is turned face up beside it. If the upcard is a joker, deuce or three, one or more additional cards must be turned upon it until a "natural" card (a four or higher) appears.

Red Threes. A player finding a red three in his hand must, on his first turn, put it face up on the table and draw a replacement from the stock. A player who draws a red three from the stock also lays it on the table face up and draws a replacement. Finally, a player who takes the discard pile and finds a red three in it must place the three face up on the table but does not draw a replacement.

Each red three has a bonus value of 100 points, but if one side has all four red threes, they count 200 each, or 800 in all. The value of the red threes is credited to a side that has made a meld, or debited against a side that has made no meld, when the hand ends.

Object of the Game. The principal object of play is to form melds - combinations of three or more cards of the same rank - with or without the help of wild cards. (Sequences are not valid melds.)

The Play. The player to left of the dealer plays first. Thereafter, the turn to play rotates clockwise (to the left). Each turn comprises a draw, a meld (optional) after drawing, and a discard, which ends the player's turn.

When his turn comes, a player is always entitled to draw the top card of the stock. Or, if the player wishes, he may instead (subject to restrictions under "Taking the Discard Pile" - see p. 148) take the top card of the discard pile to use it in a meld; having done so, he must take the rest of the discard pile.

The discard is always one card from the hand (never from a meld).All discards are placed in one pile beside the stock (on the upcard, if it is still there), and the discard pile must be kept squared up, except as noted later.

Melds. A meld is valid if it contains at least two natural cards of the same rank - aces down to fours inclusive - and not more than three wild cards. Jokers and deuces may never be melded apart from natural cards. A set of three or four black threes (without wild cards) may be melded only when a player goes out.

To count plus, a meld must be laid on the table face up during a person's turn to play. All cards that are left in the hand when play ends, even though they form melds, count minus.

A player may meld as many cards as he pleases, of one rank or different ranks, forming new melds or adding cards to previous melds. (But see restrictions on "Going Out".) All the melds of a partnership are placed in front of either partner. A partnership may meld in a rank already melded by the opponents, but may not make two different melds of the same rank.

A player may add additional cards to a meld by his side, provided that the melds remain valid (having no more than three wild cards). He may not add cards to the opponents' melds.

Canastas. A meld comprising seven or more cards, including at least four natural cards (called a "base"), is a canasta. In addition to the point values of the cards, a canasta earns a bonus of 500 for a natural or "pure" canasta (one that has no wild card), and 300 for a mixed canasta (one that has one to three wild cards).

A completed canasta is squared up with a red card on top to indicate a natural one and a black card on top to indicate a mixed canasta. Additional cards may be added to a canasta to score their point values, but these do not affect the bonus - except that a wild card added to a natural canasta reduces it to a mixed canasta (and a black card replaces the red card that was previously on top).

Minimum Count. Every card has a fixed point value, as follows:

Each joker 50

Each deuce 20

Each ace 20

Each K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8 10

Each 7, 6 ,5, 4, and black 3 5

A partnership's first meld (its "initial" meld) must meet a minimum count requirement that depends on the accumulated score of that sideat the time, as follows:

Accumulated Score (at beginning of the deal) Minimum Count

Minus 15

0 to 1,495 50

1,500 to 2,995 90

3,000 or more 120

The count of a meld is the total point value of the cards in it. To meet the minimum, a player may make two or more different melds. If he takes the discard pile, the top card but no other may count toward the requirement. Bonuses for red threes and canastas do not count toward the minimum.

After a side has made its initial meld, either partner may make any valid meld without reference to any minimum count.

Freezing the Discard Pile. The discard pile is frozen against a side before that side has made its initial meld. The initial meld unfreezes it for both partners, provided that it is not frozen again as described below.

The discard pile is frozen when a red three is turned as an upcard or if a wild card or a black three is turned as an upcard or discarded. (The lowermost freezing card of the pile is turned sidewise to indicate the freeze.)

 

Unfreezing the Discard pile. A frozen discard pile is unfrozen only by being taken. When the discard pile is topped by a wild card or a black three, at least one natural card must be discarded on top of the pile before the pile may be taken. Then, a player may take that card (and the pile) only with a natural pair of the same rank from his hand. Before touching the discard pile, the player should show the pair (together with any additional cards if needed to meet the minimum count of an initial meld).

Taking the Discard Pile. When the discard pile is not frozen against his side, a player may take it: a) with a natural pair matching the top card as above; or b) by melding the top card with one matching natural card and one wild card from his hand; or c) by adding the top card to a meld he already has on the table.

Having taken and melded the top discard as described, the player takes the rest of the pile into his hand and may then meld some or all of the additional cards as he pleases.

The discard pile may never be taken when its top card is a wild card, a black three, or a red three.

Information. A player may:

1) Examine the discard pile during his first turn before he discards.

2) Call attention to the correct minimum count needed if his partner is making an initial meld.

3) Remind his partner to declare red threes or draw replacements.

4) Turn the sixth card of a meld crosswise to indicate that only one more card is needed to complete a canasta.

 

When its his turn to play, a player is entitled to be informed of a) the minimum count requirement or score (at the beginning of the hand) of either side; b) the number of cards held by any player; and c) the number of cards remaining in the stock. If a player's hand is reduced to one card, he may announce this fact.

Going Out. A player goes out when he gets rid of the last card in his hand by discarding or melding it, provided that his side has melded at least one canasta or he completes a canasta while going out. Failing this requirement, he must keep at least one card in his hand. When a player goes out, the hand ends and the results on both sides are scored.

A player need not make a discard in going out; he may meld all his remaining cards.

A player with only one card left in his hand may not take the discard pile if there is only one card in it.

Permission to Go Out. If a player sees that he is able to go out, before or after drawing, the player may say "Partner, may I go out?" The partner must answer "Yes" or "No," and the answer is binding. Before responding, the partner may obtain the information specified under "Information" (see above).

A player may not ask "Partner, may I go out?" after having melded any card or having indicated the intention to take the discard pile. However, he may go out without asking permission.

Concealed Hand. A player goes out "concealed" when he melds his entire hand in one turn, including at least one canasta, without having made an earlier meld and without previously having added any card to melds that his partner has made. If his partner has not made an initial meld, the player must meet the minimum count (without the canasta bonus) if he has taken the discard pile, but need not do so if he has drawn from the stock.

Exhausting the Stock. If a player draws the last card of the stock and it is a red three, he reveals it. The player may not then meld or discard, and play ends.

If the last card of the stock is not a red three, play continues as long as each player in turn takes the discard, and he must do so if it matches a meld on his side and the pack is not frozen. (The only exception is that a one-card hand may not take a one-card discard pile). A player does not have to take the discard to form a new meld. The play ends when a player cannot take the discard or legally refuses to take it.

Scoring a Deal. A partnership's base score is determined by totaling all applicable items in the following schedule:

 

For each natural canasta 500

For each mixed canasta 300

For each red three 100

(All four red threes count 800)

For going out 100

For going out concealed (extra) 100

A partnership's score for the hand is the values of all cards that were melded, minus the values of the cards left in both hands. In other words, the final score of a side for a deal is the net of its base and point scores. (It may be minus.)

Scoring a Game. The score should be recorded on a sheet of paper divided into two columns, one for each side. (Customarily, the columns are marked We and They.) Each entry should show the scores of the previous deal, together with the accumulated totals (which determine the initial meld requirement).

The side that first reaches a total of 5,000 wins a game. The final deal is played out even though it is obvious that one or both sides have surely reached 5,000. There is no bonus for winning a game; the margin of victory is the difference of the final totals.

Canasta Customs. The discard pile is called "the pack" (or, by some players, "the deck") and taking it is called "taking the pack." A player who can find no safe discard is said to be "squeezed."

The partner who melds first keeps the melds and red threes for his side throughout the deal.

When a game ends, each side reckons its total score to the nearest hundred, counting 50 or more points as 100. The winners then receive the difference between these net scores.

Two-Hand Canasta

The standard Canasta rules apply, except as follows.

Each player receives 15 cards. A draw from the stock comprises two cards instead of one, but only one card is discarded in a turn. A player must have two canastas to go out. The penalties for red cards and insufficient melds do not apply.

Cutthroat Canasta (for Three Players)

Cutthroat Canasta is played in the same way as standard Canasta, but in this version, two sides are formed during the play, two against one, and the following rule changes apply.

The Draw. In drawing from the stock, a player takes two cards, but discards only one.

Lone Hand. The player who first takes the discard pile becomes the "lone hand." The other two players join in partnership against the lone hand, combining their melds and otherwise aiding each other. If a player goes out before the discard pile has ever been taken, he becomes lone hand and the other two score as a partnership.

Initial Meld. The initial meld requirement for a player depends on his own score. Thus, one partner can have a higher requirement than the other.

Scoring. A red three counts only for the owner, plus or minus depending on whether or not his side has melded. The base scores of the partners therefore differ if they have not drawn an equal number of red threes.

All other scores made by the partnership are totaled, and each partner receives the total, plus or minus his own red threes. Game is 7,500. The score sheet is divided into three columns, and each player's name is placed at the top of a column.

Stock Exhausted. If no one goes out, play ends with the discard of the player who drew the last card of the stock. If the discard pile was never taken, each player scores for himself.

Five-Hand Canasta

One side has three players, who take turns sitting out while the other two play the deal against the opponents. A regular four-hand game is played. The player sitting out may not give any advice to his teammates, and may not call attention to irregularities except in scoring after the play is completed.

Six-Hand Canasta (Three-Pack Canasta)

The rules of standard Canasta apply, except as follows:

There may be two partnerships of three players each, seated A, B, A, B, A, B (each player seated between two opponents), or there may be three partnerships of two players each, seated A, B, C, A, B, C.

A triple pack is used - three standard 52-card packs plus six jokers, shuffled together. Thirteen cards are dealt to each player. When there are three partnerships, game is 7,500. When there are two partnerships, game is 10,000; and when a side reaches 7,000, it needs 150 to make its initial meld. Four red threes count only 100 each; five red threes, 1,000 in all; six red threes, 1,200 in all. A side needs two canastas to go out. Six-hand Canasta has been largely superseded by Samba and other later forms of Canasta described in the following pages.

Variations of Canasta

In the years since Canasta first became popular, several variations have arisen, some of which have made the game just as exciting, or
even more so, according to devotees. Other versions are regarded by many as having ruined the game.

Even in the original game of Canasta, two variations are
generally played:

1) A player may not take the top discard to add to a completed canasta of his side, even if the pack is not frozen.

2) A player always needs a natural matching pair to take the pack
for a meld, but he may take an unfrozen pack and add the top card
to a meld that is less than a canasta.

Many versions, the first of which was Samba but which later came
to include Bolivia, Chilean, Cuban, and Brazilian Canasta, to name a
few, incorporate the two variations stated above, plus one or more of
the following:

3) Three packs plus six jokers are used.

4) Sequences may be melded and a seven-card sequence ranks as
a canasta.

5) Wild cards may be melded, and a seven-card meld of wild cards ranks as a canasta and scores a higher number of points.

6) In drawing from the stock, a player takes two cards and discards only one.

7) A side needs two canastas to go out.

Many of these variations are included in the versions of Canasta described next.

Number of Players	Number of Cards	Game Play	Skill Level
4	162	Easy - Complex	Luck - Skill

As with the original Canasta game, Samba became a fad for a number of years. Its big novelty is that three packs of cards are used; when the game's popularity was at its height, a number of card manufacturers sold triple decks of cards in one package expressly for playing Samba.

Number of Players. Four people play in two partnerships as in Canasta.

The Pack. Three standard 52-card packs plus six jokers for a total of
162 cards.

The Deal. The dealer distributes 15 cards to each player. When drawing from the stock, a player takes two cards and discards one. The discard pile may be taken only with a natural matching pair or, when it is not frozen,the top card can be added to a meld that is less than a canasta (including a "sequence meld" — see next section). The top card may not be taken to start a sequence meld or combine with a card from the hand in adding to a sequence meld.

Sequence Meld. Three or more cards of the same suit in sequence (ace high, four low) may be melded. Cards may be added until there are seven cards, at which point the meld becomes a "samba," or sequence canasta, ranking as a canasta but receiving a bonus of 1,500.

Wild Cards. Wild cards may not be melded separately, and no regular meld may contain more than two wild cards, and no sequence meld may contain any wild card.

Canastas. A side needs two canastas (mixed, natural, or samba) to go out. A side may have two canastas in the same rank and may combine its melds in the same rank at any time.

Scoring. Initial meld requirements are as follows: 15 with a minus score; 50 with a score of 0 to 1,495; 90 with 1,500 to 2,995; 120 with 3,000 to 6,995; 160 over 7,000. Game is 10,000, and there is a 200-point bonus for going out. No bonus is awarded for a concealed hand. Red threes are 100 each unless one side holds all six, in which case they count 1,000 for all, plus or minus. (Red threes count 100 minus against a side that has not completed two canastas.)

 

This is the same game as Samba with the following changes.

Wild Cards. Three or more wild cards may be melded. There is no distinction between deuces and jokers. A canasta of seven wild cards, called a "bolivia," counts 2,500. When the discard pile is topped by a wild card, it may not be taken.

Game. Game is 15,000. The initial meld requirement stays at 150 from 7,000 points up.

Going Out. At least one of the two canastas must be a sequence canasta, which in this game is called an "escalera" rather than a samba.

Black Threes. A black three left in the hand when any other player (including a partner) goes out counts minus 100 points. Black threes melded in going out count 5 points each.

Brazilian Canasta

This is the same as Bolivia but with some changes in the initial-meld requirements and scoring as follows:

Initial Meld. Game is 10,000. From 7,000 to 7,995 the initial meld must be a canasta (mixed or better); from 8,000 to 8,995 the canasta must be worth at least 200 points; from 9,000 to game it must be a natural canasta or better.

Discard Pile. The discard pile may not be taken for the initial meld.

Canastas. A wild-card canasta counts 2,000. A melded sequence of less than five cards costs a side 1,000 points when the hand ends. In going out, one may add to the ends of an escalera (sequence canasta).

Red Threes. One to four red threes count 100 points each, five count 1,000 in all, six count 1,200 in all. They count plus if a side has melded at least one canasta, minus if it has not.

Going Out. Before going out, a player must always ask permission of his partner. Going out is permitted if his side has melded any two canastas.

Chile

This is a three-pack version of Canasta (162 cards, including six jokers). Either sequences or wild-card melds are permitted, but not both. Thus, players must agree which kind of meld is valid for that game. The draw from the stock is one card only, and only one canasta is required to go out. All other rules are the same as in standard Canasta.

Cuban Canasta

In this version, the standard 108-card pack for Canasta is used, but 13 cards are dealt to each player, rather than 11. Players draw one card at each turn. The discard pile may be taken only by matching its top card with a natural pair from the hand. Canastas may not contain more than seven cards, and only one canasta is required to go out. The scoring differences are as follows:

Game is 7,500. From 5,000 up, the initial meld must be 150.

Red threes count 100 points for one, 300 for two, 500 for three, 1,000 for all four. They count minus points unless a side has at least one canasta.

Black threes may not be discarded on the first round. Any black threes in the pack when the pack is taken are discarded and are put out of play, counting 5 points each for the side that took them. All four black threes together, whether discarded or melded, count 100.

Wild cards may be melded, and a canasta of wild cards counts as follows: 4,000 for seven deuces; 3,000 for four jokers and three deuces; 2,000 for any other combination of seven wild cards. Sequences may not be melded. A discard pile topped by a wild card may not be taken.

Going out earns a 100-point bonus.

Uruguay

Uruguay follows the rules of Canasta except for the following:

Three or more wild cards, up to seven, form a valid meld. A canasta of wild cards counts 2,000.

The discard pile may be taken only by matching its top card with a natural pair from the hand.

Mexicana

The basic rules of Canasta are followed (sequences and wild cards may not be melded; only one card per tur