Canasta Companion

Score points by forming melds of three or more cards of the same rank, and completing canastas (melds of seven or more cards). The first team to reach the target score wins.

On your turn you must: (1) Draw the top card from the stock, or pick up the entire discard pile if allowed. (2) Optionally meld cards or add to existing melds. (3) Discard one card face-up to end your turn.

A meld is three or more cards of the same rank. Wild cards (Jokers and Twos) can substitute for any natural card, but a meld must always contain at least as many natural cards as wild cards, and never more than three wild cards. You cannot run two separate melds of the same rank — any further cards of that rank are added to the existing meld. Melds belong to the partnership and are kept in front of one partner. Either partner may add to any of their team's melds.

You may pick up the entire discard pile (not just the top card) if you can immediately use the top card in a valid meld with cards from your hand. You must always take the whole pile.

Unfrozen pile — you need the top card plus at least one matching card from your hand (a wild card can substitute for the second matching card) to form a valid meld.

Frozen pile — the pile is frozen when it contains a Joker or a Two (the freezing card is turned sideways to show this). When frozen, you must hold two natural cards of the same rank as the top card — no wild card substitutes allowed. The pile stays frozen until it is picked up; it cannot be unfrozen any other way.

Always frozen before your initial meld — the pile is always frozen against your team until you make your first meld, even if no wild card is present. Once your team melds for the first time, the pile is unfrozen for both partners (unless a wild card is in it).

Top card is a wild card or black three — the pile cannot be picked up at all while a wild card or black three sits on top. The next player must discard a natural card on top of it first, after which normal frozen rules apply.

Your team's very first meld each round must reach a minimum point value based on your current cumulative score. Canasta bonuses and red three bonuses do not count toward this minimum.

A canasta is a meld of seven or more cards. Once complete, square the cards into a pile with a red card on top for a natural canasta, or a black card on top for a mixed canasta. You can still add cards to a completed canasta, but adding a wild card to a natural canasta turns it mixed.

Note: the point values of the cards themselves are also counted on top of the canasta bonus. For example, a natural canasta of seven Kings scores 500 (bonus) + 70 (cards) = 570 pts.

When you draw or are dealt a red three, place it face-up immediately and draw a replacement card. Red threes are never melded — they are automatic bonus cards placed on the table throughout the round.

At the end of the round, red threes score as follows:

In 3-team play with three decks, five red threes score 1,000 pts and all six score 1,200 pts (or −1,000 / −1,200 if no melds made).

Black threes (3♠ and 3♣) cannot be melded during normal play. They have two uses:

Blocking the discard pile — discarding a black three prevents the next player from picking up the discard pile for that one turn only. Once the black three is covered by another card, the block is lifted and the pile can be taken normally. Note that a black three only blocks the pile — it does not freeze it. Unlike a wild card, the pile is not frozen by a black three.

Melding when going out — the only time black threes can be melded is on the very turn a player goes out. A player may meld a set of three or four black threes as part of their going-out turn. Wild cards may not be included in this meld. This is the only way to get rid of black threes other than discarding them one at a time.

Stuck with black threes — if a player holds exactly two black threes and nothing else, they cannot go out (they cannot meld two, and discarding one leaves them with a single card but no legal meld). With three or four black threes they can meld them to go out. With one black three they can discard it to go out.

A player goes out by getting rid of their last card (by melding or discarding it), provided their team has completed at least one canasta. Before going out, a player may ask their partner "May I go out?" — the partner must answer yes or no and the player must abide by the answer. There is a 100 pt penalty for asking permission and then failing to go out.

*Going out concealed means melding your entire hand in one turn — including a canasta — without having previously put any cards on the table (red threes excepted). You cannot add to your partner's melds when going out concealed.

At the end of each round, each team scores:

+ Points for all melded cards (at face value)
+ Canasta bonuses
+ Red three bonuses (if team has melded)
+ Going out bonus
− Points for cards still in hand
− Red three penalties (if team has NOT melded)

It is possible to finish a round with a negative score. Scores carry forward until one team reaches the target.

The round also ends if the stock runs out. Play can continue without stock as long as each player in turn can take and meld the previous discard — but a player must take it if they legally can. As soon as a player cannot legally take the discard, the hand ends immediately.

Partners share melds — either player may add to any meld their partner started. All melds are kept in front of one partner. A player may go out only once the team has completed the required number of canastas. On your turn you are entitled to know: the minimum count requirement for either team, the number of cards held by any player, and the number of cards remaining in the stock.