Hi Canasta Lovers,
I have a lot of requests lately to discuss table rules. There are as many table rules as there are tables to play at. If you have been asked to play in a game that is not your regular game, it is very important to ask their table rules and to be able to implement them into your game. Some of the rules you might ask about include:
1. What type of Special Hands are allowed? Pairs, Pairs (with wild cards, sevens and aces), Garbage (one of everything), Kongs and Pongs (three, three, four, four), Three sets of four with two deuces and/or four sets of three with two deuces? Are there any others? If a special hand is made is opposing team entitled to their points? Can you be thrown your specialty card? Do you have one turn after your partner melds to make your special hand?
2. A card to hold AND a card to throw or just a card to throw (as long as a talon is available)?
3. Can you remind your partner to take her Talon ?
4. Threes If you forget to pick for your threes can you do so later? If the final card is a three, do you add it to your threes and the game ends, or does it go into your hand? If it goes into to your hand, what is the point value? If it goes into your hand are you allowed a discard?
5. Can you Pick the Pack on your initial meld?
6. Going Out? Can a team "go out" if a wild card, seven or ace canasta is unfinished? Must a partner ask her partner if it is OK to "go out" before any card is played? Can you ask your partner about "going out" more than once?
7. How many times can you look back ? How many cards can you look back ?
8. Base Five ? Must you have a base of five cards before you may add a wild card?
These are probably the most common table rules. (Not that there is anything "common" about Canasta.) There are probably many, many more. If you know of other table rules please let me know so that I can add them to this list. We all want to be prepared for whatever awaits us in the card room.
FYI one of the beginner classes we have been following have become graduate Canasta Goddesses. and ventured forth to play in that Canasta Paradise known as the Palm Beaches. The other class is continuing on with supervised play and learning a lot of defense, strategy and even a little trickery. Watch out for them if they come to your table! Another beginner class started two weeks ago, strangers when they met they have found so many cross ties to each other that it boggles the mind. We will be checking on them as time goes by.
Keep playing Canasta Goddess,
Love, Barbara
I play with a group that when they have 6 cards in a meld on the table, they place the 6th card sideways noting they only need 1 more card to make a canasta. It also notes that they cannot pick up the 7th card from the discard pile, they have to draw it from the stock. Also, we pick up only the top card from the discard pile, we don't pick up multiple cards. Are these considered legitimate rules? Thank you.
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