GameTwist

Canasta is a card game for 2 to 4 players. Teams of 2 are formed when playing with 4 players. Players agree on a score cut-off at the start of the game. The first player to reach this score wins the game. Should multiple players exceed the agreed score in the same round, the player with the absolute highest score wins.

Jokers and 2s count as wild cards and can be used in place of any card. Black 3s can be used to lock the stack of discarded cards on the table. Red 3s are bonus cards which cannot be played. Held by players, a red 3 is worth 100 bonus points if the player in possession reaches the goal (canasta formation) before a round comes to an end. If the player fails to reach the goal before the end of the round then a collected red 3 is worth 100 minus points.

Players aim to rid themselves of their hand. This is acheived by laying cards on their playing field in sequences. A sequence consists of a minimum of three cards of the same face value. In order to lay his/her first sequence, the cards in the sequence have a minimum points value. This minimum is determined by the player's score. Player's can also opt to 'purchase' the right to lay a sequence which has insufficient value.

Players can add to sequences on their playing field. Players are awarded for each sequence that has a total of seven cards. At the end of a round, the value of all sequences on a player's field count as positive points and the value of all cards remaining in a player's hand count as negative points.

Statistics