Game Rules: Canasta

Game Identity

• Name: Canasta
• Player Count: 4 players (standard partnership). Can be played 2–6.
• Teams: Yes — 2 teams of 2 in standard play. Partners sit across.
• Theme: Classic rummy-variant card game of Latin American origin. High point totals and complex meld bonuses.

Scoring Mechanics

• Scoring Variant: Accumulative — team scores grow toward a target.
• Target Score: 5,000 points (standard). First team to reach or exceed 5,000 wins.
• Unit of Scoring: Points per hand (melds, bonuses, penalties).
• Lower vs. Higher: Higher team score wins.

Rules & Validation

Per-Hand Logic

• Points per Hand: Variable, often in the hundreds or thousands. Components:
  • Meld card values: Cards melded contribute their face value.
  • Canasta bonuses: Natural canasta (7 cards, no wilds) = +500. Mixed canasta (contains wilds) = +300.
  • Going out bonus: +100 (or +200 for going out concealed — first meld is a complete canasta).
  • Red Three bonuses: Each red 3 = +100. All 4 red 3s = +800 total (doubles the bonus).
  • Penalties: Cards left in hand are subtracted at face value. Black 3s = −5 each. Unmelded wilds and red 3s = −500 each if caught in hand.
• Card Values:
  • Jokers: 50 pts each
  • Aces, 2s (wild): 20 pts each
  • 8–K: 10 pts each
  • 4–7: 5 pts each
  • Black 3s: 5 pts each (can only be melded when going out)
• Minimum Meld Requirement: Teams must meet an opening meld minimum to start melding each hand:
  • Score < 0: any meld allowed
  • Score 0–1,499: 50-point minimum
  • Score 1,500–2,999: 90-point minimum
  • Score 3,000–4,999: 120-point minimum
• Validation Rules:
  • Per-hand total is entered as a net score for each team (can be negative).

Special Actions / Bonuses

• Natural Canasta: 7 cards of the same rank, no wilds = +500.
• Mixed Canasta: 7+ cards of same rank including wilds = +300.
• Going Out Concealed: Player's first meld is their entire hand forming a complete canasta = +200 (instead of +100).
• Red Threes: Laid face-up immediately; all 4 collected = bonus doubles to 800.

Win Conditions

• Condition: After a hand concludes (a player goes out or the stock is exhausted), if either team's cumulative score reaches or exceeds 5,000, the team with the higher score wins.
• Tie-Breaker: Play additional hands until a team leads at game end.

Set Up in Doodle Score

Canasta doesn't have a dedicated scorecard yet — track it for free using a general scorecard:

1. Tap New Scorecard and choose Paper Score (tracks all players each round in a grid)
2. Add 4 players (adjust as needed)
3. Set Target Score to 5,000 points (or skip for open-ended play)

Score type: Ascending — highest score wins.