Canasta - Miscellaneous Variations For Classic Canasta and Other Types

Miscellaneous Variations For Classic Canasta and Other Types

• There is a special case where any player/team that manages to meld 7 canastas in one hand (natural or mixed) automatically gain 5000 points and thus win the game.
• A number of cards other than 11 may be dealt at the beginning of the game, 13 and 15 being common choices. Some groups vary the number of cards drawn inversely with the number of players.
• To make picking up the discard pile more challenging, require that a natural pair be played on the same turn that the pile is picked up (i.e., the pile is always frozen). This variant is sometimes referred to as Uruguayan Rummy
• A concealed canasta occurs when a canasta is melded directly from a players hand. Usually in also going out: going out concealed which earns an extra 100 point bonus over the standard 100 point going out bonus.
• One variant allows melding up to three wild cards in a meld, regardless of the number of natural cards melded.
• Allowing canastas made entirely of wild cards (this is allowed in Uruguayan and Bolivian Rummy),
• Require that two canastas be played in order to go out in four-player, as well as two- and three- player.
  • Variation on the above: Require one or both to be natural canastas.
  • Note on the above: In most cases this prevents a 'concealed hand' from being played, but it is still possible if a player picks up the discard pile and is able to use all or all but one of the cards and meld two canastas. Consider increasing the concealed canasta bonus to 250 or 500 points to reflect the increased difficulty of such a play.
• When the stock is depleted, consider flipping over the discard pile and turning it into a new stock to extend play. If the stock and discard pile are both depleted, continue as if the stock were depleted under normal rules.
• Play with a modified deck, such as six, two, or zero jokers, or only 7 of each meldable card.
• For a faster-paced game that de-emphasizes the importance of picking up the discard pile, draw two cards rather than one each turn. This is especially common in two-player games.
• When dealing, if the dealer takes the correct amount of cards off the stock to complete the deal, and he has no cards in his hand after dealing the first card to start the discard pile, he scores a bonus of 100 points.
• Require that all players with less than 1,500 points meld 50, even with a negative score.
• Require the player behind (to the right of) the dealer cut the deck leaving the bottom separate from the top. The dealer then uses the bottom pile to deal from. If the cutter left the exact number of cards needed to deal to all players plus the one initial card for the draw pile, that team gets 100 points.
• When picking up the discard pile, only the top card can be used in this turn. The remaining cards picked up can then be used in subsequent turns.