canasta table rules

know your table rules- because there's no crying in canasta!

Our manual CANASTA ESSENTIALS: Your Guide to Playing Like a Pro along with our one page Basic Rules of Play cover the fundamentals of this fantastic game. Over the years, players have added their own twists- better known as table rules. Before diving into a game, it’s a smart move to review our Table Rules Checklist and discuss which rules apply to your game. 

Got your own quirky table rules?  Drop us a comment at playnice@chickmagnets.co so we can keep the list updated and share the fun!

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table rules checklist

Download our Table Rules Checklist PDF (Free)

Use this resource alongside our Basic Rules and Scoring Guide for reference at your table. Be thoughtful about which table rules, if any, should be implemented- do they Up Your Game?

Table Rules Checklist

  1. No dead cards may be discarded into an empty tray.
  2. Rule of Five: After the initial meld, a player may only add wild cards to her team’s melds if they contain at least five natural cards.
    • Rule of Four: four natural cards
    • Rule of Three: three natural cards
  3. Special canasta, pure aces: If a player picks the pack on an ace for an Initial Meld, the aces must be melded pure.
  4. Courtesy: A player may declare a special hand after her partner has opened if it is on the first turn after the initial meld.
  5. Special hands abound! Which ones are allowed in your game?
  6. Special hand variations: Some restrict the use of wild cards; others require certain ranks.
  7. Wipeout: If a team achieves a special hand, the opponent’s score is zero for that round — no points and no penalties.
  8. No swapping threes: If a player holds a three (for instance, when attempting a garbage special hand), it can’t be replaced. Review how a three in hand is valued when the round ends.
  9. No replacing threes after the turning card.
  10. Bonus card etiquette: If a player picks up a three as a bonus card (talon), she must either announce it or keep it visible until it is exposed and replaced on her next turn.
  11. Card-free after discard: A player is allowed to have no cards in hand after discarding if picking up bonus cards (talon).
  12. Splash alert: Seven mixed wild cards are considered a splash and satisfy the conditions for an initial meld even without the minimum point count.
  13. Peek-a-boo! A player is allowed to “look back” at the last three cards in the discard pile on her turn.
  14. Perfect cut bonus: Leave the dealer with exactly 52 cards and earn 100 bonus points added to the team’s base score.
  15. You’re up! A player turns the spinner to the next player to signal the end of her turn.
  16. Fixed discard pile: The discard pile is “fixed” with 7 cards, and the 8th card becomes the turning card.

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