How is Canasta scored?
Canasta scoring rewards big melds and completed canastas while punishing a hand full of leftover cards. Learning what counts, and what counts against you, is what turns rules knowledge into wins.
Adding up a hand
Scoring a hand has three parts. First, total the face value of every card your side has melded on the table. Second, add all the bonuses your side earned. Third, subtract the value of every card still left in your hand when the hand ends. The result can be negative if a side is caught with heavy cards and no melds.
The bonus table
Bonuses are where the big points live.
| Achievement | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Natural (clean) canasta | 500 |
| Mixed (dirty) canasta | 300 |
| Going out | 100 |
| Going out concealed | 200 |
| Each red three | 100 |
| All four red threes | 800 |
Winning the game
Hands are played and scored one after another, with running totals kept for each side. The classic game ends when a partnership reaches 5,000 points, at which point the side with the higher total wins. South American and modern variants set different targets, from 7,500 up to 15,000, but the scoring principle is the same.
The surest way to make this stick is to play a few hands. Try Italian Canasta or Pennies from Heaven against the computer, keep the Canasta rules and glossary handy for anything unfamiliar, and browse the rest of the Canasta FAQ for more answers. When you are ready, put it to the test on the daily deal.
Related questions
What are the card point values in Canasta?
Each card carries a fixed value. Jokers are 50 points. Aces and twos are 20. Kings, queens, jacks, tens, nines and eights are 10 each. Sevens, sixes, fives, fours and black threes are 5 each. Red threes are bonus cards worth 100. These values count both in melds and against cards left in hand.
What is a canasta (natural vs mixed)?
A canasta is a meld of seven or more cards of the same rank. A natural or clean canasta contains no wild cards and scores a 500-point bonus. A mixed or dirty canasta includes at least one wild card and scores 300. Your side must complete at least one canasta before anyone can go out.
What do red threes do in Canasta?
Red threes are pure bonus cards. Each is worth 100 points, and holding all four is worth 800. Whenever you get a red three you place it face up immediately and draw a replacement from the stock. You never meld or discard them, but your side must have a canasta for them to count in your favor.
How do you go out in Canasta?
You go out by getting rid of every card in your hand on one turn, but only if your partnership has already completed at least one canasta. You may meld, lay off onto existing melds, and finish with a final discard. Going out ends the hand immediately and earns a 100-point bonus.