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Does anybody play?  If so, can you give me a precis of the rules please?

I used to play this with a friend and remember it used to be great fun (in part because of the whiskey that accomanied it!!)... but I can't remember how to play.  I've look it up on the internet, but it seems very complicated (the rules I've found) ... and I remember it as being very simple.

Can anybody help?

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Similar to rummy from what I remember, played with 4 people (well we've only played it with 4 people) and 3 decks of cards. You start with10 (I think) cards and have to lay out 4 cards on the table to begin scoring (eg 4 of a kind, straight run of 4 in the same suit).

You take a card from the deck to start your go and then lay out a card on the discard pile. The next person either takes from the discard pile (plus all other cards there) if he can make a run with that card, or just takes from the deck.

Then as the game progresses you can add to what you have laid down (or what others have) and the first to empty their hand and the game ends. You add up what you have laid down (11 points for ace, 10 for picture cards and so on). Others that have laid down also add their scores, but deduct what they have left in their hand.

Haven't played for a while myself, but hopefully that will help jog your memory, or fill your mind with complete jibberish.

It's a great game though.  

Edit: I seem to also remember it being played as partners and you have to be careful as not to go out as your partner could be caught with a lot in their hand.

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Choccie,

I was brought up on Canasta many years ago both at home and at my grandparents house in Dartmouth where I would pass my summer and Christmas holidays. Needless to say I've also taught my children to play.

It would help if you said if you wanted to play at 2, 3 or 4 as the play varies slightly.

Incidentally, you can play it online at Yahoo games if you don't have a local partner.

http://uk.games.yahoo.com/online-games/card/games_canasta.html

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I want to play with my husband mostly ... then with my friend when she comes to visit .... and as a four when a couple of friends visit! So, all of the above!

I remember it as being wonderful entertainment.... .I wish I knew more card games, they're great!  I have a book, but the rules are always soooo complicated and I loose interest after 2 or 3 pages!

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Choccie, sorry this has taken so long but I made a mistake –

it’s not possible to write a précis of the rules because it’s all or nothing

really – and I dread to think what the forum “sm_ut squad” will make of this

what with all the “going downs” and “laying downs” etc [:$] but here goes anyway :

 

 

Always play with 2 packs including jokers so 4 jokers in

total.

 

The value of cards is:

2 (wild card) = 20 pts

Black 3 = 5

Red 3 = 100 (if dealt in the opening hand these should be

placed on the table face upwards at the beginning of each players first go. If

picked then it should be placed on the table immediately and a further card

picked). Red 3’s count minus until the player has “gone down”.

4 x red 3’s on the table = 800

Joker = 50

4, 5, 6, 7 = 5

8, 9, 10, J, Q, K = 10

Ace = 20

 

Shuffle well then all players cut the pack, the player with

the highest card goes first the others take their turns in a clockwise

direction.

 

The objectives are to collect as many points on the table as

possible or to “go out” (lay down all your cards and finish the round) if

possible before your opponent has gone down in which case all cards in their

hand will count minus. The points are added up at the end of each round and the

first player to reach 5000 pts is the winner.

 

Deal 15 cards each for 2 players, 13 cards each for 3 and 11

cards each for 4, starting with the player to go first. After dealing turn over

the next card face up beside the rest of the cards which are face down in a

stack. If the card turned over is a 2 or a 3 or a joker then turn another and

place that on top of the first one. This is the start of “the pack” where

players place their discards each round. Examining what is in the pack at any

time is not allowed.

 

Sort your hand into denominations. Any players holding red

3’s place them face up on the table in front of them, starting with the person

who cut the highest card, and taking a replacement card for each 3 from the

stack. The player going first has the choice of the discarded card or to take a

pick from the stack of undealt cards. When playing at 2 the player takes 2

cards per time from the stack but only 1 when playing at 3 or 4. If the player

chooses the discarded card they also take any other cards below it – this is

called “taking the pack”. In order to take the pack the player must be able to

“go down” or have already gone down.

 

Going down is slightly complicated so I’ll try and explain

it here - Going down is laying some of your hand face up on the table. When

first going down the player must have at least 3 cards of the same denomination

– this may include the top card of the discard pack. In addition two cards of

the same denomination may have a wild card (a two or a joker) laid down with

them. Examples:

3 aces = 60 pts

3 queens + 2 eights and a two = 30 pts + 40 pts = 70 pts

4 queens and a joker = 90pts

 

The cards laid down must total a minimum amount according to

the total number of points a player has from previous rounds. The amounts are:

Current score: less than 1500 = 50 pts required to go down

                        less than 3000 = 90 pts

                      more

than 3000 = 120 pts

If a player has a minus total score they may go down with

any 3 cards alike.

 

Once the first player has either picked 2 cards or picked

the pack then they must “throw out”, that is discard 1 card from their hand

face up onto the discard pack. The next player now has the choice of picking up

the discarded card and any cards below it or picking 2 undealt cards from the

stack but in order to pick up the top card they must have either 2 cards the

same in their hand or already have some of that denomination on the table. And

so it continues. Throwing out: If the discard is a black 3 the next player may

not pick it up even if they have 2 further black 3’s, it is in effect a dead

card. In desperation a wild card (2 or joker) may be thrown out, it must be

placed sideways on to the other cards in the pack so it can always be seen,

this is called doubling the pack. The effect of doubling the pack is that the

pack can only be picked up by a player who has two of the same denomination of

the top card in their hand in order to take it even if they already have that

denomination laid down. One and a wild card will not do. When a player does

take a doubled pack they take it all except if there is more than one wild card

in the pack in which case they take down to the next wild card and the pack

remains doubled.

 

Points are amassed as cards are added to the hand on the

table. A canasta is 7 cards of one denomination which may include up to 3 wild

cards and is worth 300 pts. A natural canasta is 7 cards of one denomination

without wild cards and is worth 500 pts, if it is in the hand either picked or

dealt, it’s worth 600 pts once it is laid down.

 

The objectives are to collect as many points on the table as

possible or to “go out” (lay down all your cards and finish the round) if

possible before your opponent has gone down in which case all cards in their

hand will count minus.

 

Going out - you can only go out when it is your go (turn) and

you must first either pick cards from the stack or pick the pack. You must have

at least 2 canastas if playing at 2. You must be able to lay down all your

cards but 1 card may be thrown out onto the discard pack, this may not be a

black 3. If you have 3 or 4 black 3’s these may be added to your hand when you

go out and count 5 pts each.

 

Scoring – this is done by both players after one has gone

out. For the person who didn’t go out, count the value of the cards in their

hand and deduct an equivalent value from their cards on the table, then count

the value of what is left, that is there score for the round. If they haven’t

gone down then the value of all their cards including any red 3’s is minus. For

the person who went out, first count the bonuses, these are points for their

canastas and red 3’s plus 100 pts for going out, then add up the rest of the

value of their cards (including the cards that make up the canastas), the total

plus the bonuses is their score for the round.

 

The rules above are for 2 and 3 player games. It’s a very

different game when played at 4 and in my opinion is far better. I’ll let you

have the rules for 4 in a while. There’s plenty of gaps in the rules I’ve given

you here and if you have queries please either let me know here or by PM and it

doesn’t matter how silly you might think the question is! There are variations

on the rules of the game but these have worked very well for us for many years.

 

OK well I’ve checked this through again and again and even

though it’s far from complete I hope it will give you enough to get started, so

….

 

Good luck and have fun [:)]

 

 

 

 

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