How to keep score in Canasta | Tallynight Games

Canasta is scored at the end of every hand. Each side adds its bonuses for canastas, red threes and going out, plus the value of every card it melded, then takes away the cards still in its hands. The first side to 5,000 wins.

At a glance

Players: 4 in two teams, or 2 to 6
Who wins: First side to 5,000
Cards: Two decks with four jokers, 108 cards
Canastas: Natural 500, mixed 300

What each card is worth

Cards you've melded count for your side. Cards left in your hand when the hand ends count against it.

Card	Points
Joker (wild)	50
Two (wild)	20
Ace	20
Eight to king	10
Four to seven	5
Black three	5
Red three	100 bonus, or −100 if your side hasn't melded

Bonuses

A canasta is a meld of seven or more cards of the same rank. On top of its cards' own points, it earns a bonus.

Natural canasta, no wild cards: 500
Mixed canasta, with one to three wild cards: 300
Going out: 100. Your side needs at least one canasta, which you can finish as you go out.
Going out concealed, melding your whole hand in one turn with no melds before: 200 in all
Red threes: 100 each, or 800 if your side has all four. If your side hasn't melded anything when the hand ends, they count the same amount against you.

The first meld you need

Your side's first meld of each hand must add up to a minimum, worked out from your side's score when the hand starts. Only the cards' values count towards it, not bonuses or red threes.

Score below 0: 15
0 to 1,495: 50
1,500 to 2,995: 90
3,000 or more: 120

Adding up a hand and ending the game

For each side: canasta bonuses, plus red threes, plus 100 for going out, plus the points of every melded card, minus the points of cards left in both partners' hands. Scores can go below zero.

Keep a running total. When a side reaches 5,000 at the end of a hand, the game is over. If both sides pass it on the same hand, the higher total wins.

Two or three players

Two players: each player gets 15 cards, draws two and discards one each turn, and needs two canastas to go out. Scoring and the 5,000 target stay the same.
Three players: each player gets 13 cards. The first to take the discard pile plays alone against the other two, who become partners for that hand. Each player keeps their own score, and the game goes to 7,500.

A scoring example

The first hand of a team game. Ana went out for Team A, but not concealed.

	Team A	Team B
Canastas (A: one natural, one mixed. B: one mixed)	800	300
Red threes (A: two. B: one)	200	100
Going out	100	0
Melded cards	420	260
Cards left in hand	−30	−85
Hand 1	1,490	575

Ana's partner Ben still held 30 points of cards when she went out, so they count against Team A.

Team A is at 1,490, so its first meld next hand still needs only 50. Ten more points and it would have needed 90.

Keep score in Tallynight

Canasta is set up for you: rounds, highest score wins, to 5,000. Add each team as a player and type each side's total for the hand on one keypad. The table keeps the running totals, who's in front and who deals next.

Type each side's hand total, minus signs included
Offers to end the game when a side reaches 5,000
Tap any hand to fix it
A winner card for the family chat at the end

Get Tallynight on the App Store: free, no ads.
Print a Canasta score sheet if you'd rather keep score on paper.

Questions

How much are red threes worth in Canasta?

100 each, or 800 if your side has all four. If your side hasn't melded anything by the end of the hand, they count against you instead.

How many points do you need for your first meld in Canasta?

It depends on your side's score: 50 from 0 to 1,495, 90 from 1,500 to 2,995, and 120 from 3,000. Below zero it's 15. Bonuses don't count towards it.

What is a natural canasta worth?

500 points, on top of the cards in it. A mixed canasta, with one to three wild cards, is worth 300.

How many points do you need to win Canasta?

5,000. The game ends after the hand in which a side reaches it, and if both sides do, the higher total wins.

Do black threes count against you in Canasta?

Yes, 5 points each if they're still in your hand when the hand ends. You can only meld black threes when you're going out.

How do you score Canasta with 2 players?

The same way, to 5,000. Each player gets 15 cards, draws two and discards one each turn, and needs two canastas to go out.

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