The name Canasta like Burraco is used when you make a meld of 7 cards. The objective is to be the first player to reach or exceed the predetermined target. The venue sets the limit of the target in online rummy forums. When a player has created at least two canastas and melded all the rest of the cards in their hands, the round is ends. The points are tallied and a new round begins.
In most online gaming rooms there are only two players allowed in a game. The Canasta Rummy Game is played with two decks with four jokers. This gives you 108 cards to play with.
Special Cards
There are wild cards – the jokers and the 2’s, they can replace a natural card in a meld.
Red 3’s (Bonus cards) – these do not count in a meld but give the recipient bonus points when it is placed face up. They also have no point value
Black 3’s (Stop Cards) – the black three keeps an opponent from accessing the discard pile on their turn. This comes in handy if the person is about to “Canasta”.
Each player gets 15 cards, the rest form the stock pile. The top card is turned to become the first card in the discard pile. This cannot be a wild card or a 3. In the rare event when one of these cards is pulled, the dealer turns over another card and places it on top of the 3 or wild card. When a person gets the discard pile, they do get the red three but they do not get the traditional extra card.
You cannot take the discard pile in the presence of a wild card or a black three and it is said to be frozen.
To win you have to have to make two canastas; until then you have to keep one card in your hand.
