How to Play
A short guide to this online Canasta table. Full classic rules are on the
Rules page and in rules.txt.
1. Start or join
- Enter your name on the home screen.
- Join with a room code, pick a public room, or Create / Host a new game.
- Start with exactly 2 players (heads-up) or exactly 4 (fixed partnerships — opposite seats are partners).
- Ready up in the lobby; the host starts when the table is ready.
2. What’s on the board
- Scores — each side’s match total (and initial meld minimum if not yet opened).
- Team melds — your side’s face-up melds and red threes.
- Center piles — stock count and discard top (tap to draw / take when legal). ❄ means a wild froze the pile (need a natural pair). Black 3s only block while on top.
- Your hand — tap cards to select them for meld / add / discard / take pile.
- Actions — Draw/Discard (same control), Take pile, Meld, Add, Ask out/Go out.
3. Your turn
- Draw from the stock, or Take pile (select the hold for the top card first — pair or natural+wild). To open, you may also select complete extra sets of other ranks in the same selection so the combined count meets the minimum; only the top discard from the pile counts toward that minimum.
- Optionally Meld (3+ cards of one rank) or Add to a selected team meld.
- Discard one card to end your turn (or go out if you empty your hand with a canasta on the table).
4. Melds & canastas
Melds are three or more cards of the same rank (not sequences). Jokers and deuces are wild (max three wilds per meld). A canasta is seven or more cards with at least four natural — pure (no wilds) scores more than mixed.
Your side’s first meld of a deal must meet a point minimum based on your score (50 / 90 / 120, or 15 if negative).
5. Going out
Empty your hand only if your side has a canasta (or you complete one while going out). With four players use Ask out; after your partner says Yes the same control becomes Go out.
6. Chat & voice
Use the Chat and Voice tools in the play dock (same as other games on games.jonheaton.com).