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 at least two cards from your hand. You must take the whole pile. The pile is frozen if it contains a wild card or red three — when frozen, you need two natural cards matching the top card (not one natural and one wild) to pick it up. Before your team has made its initial meld, the pile is always frozen against you.

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 cannot normally be melded. Their main use is as a blocker — discarding a black three prevents the next player from picking up the discard pile that turn. They can only be melded (as a set of 3 or 4, no wild cards) on the very turn a player goes 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.