How do you take the discard pile in Canasta?
Taking the discard pile is the big-reward, high-stakes move in Canasta. Scoop a fat pile and you gain a fistful of cards at once; misjudge it and you hand your opponents an opening.
The basic requirement
To take the pile, the top card must instantly go into a meld. If your side already has a meld of that rank on the table, you can add the top card to it and claim the whole pile. If you do not, you must hold two natural cards of the same rank as the top card, meld all three together, and then take the rest of the pile into your hand.
What you gain and risk
Every card in the discard pile comes into your hand when you take it, which can be a windfall of ten or twenty cards early in a hand. The risk is that a huge hand is hard to unload before someone goes out, leaving those cards to count against you. Skilled players weigh the cards they need against the danger of being caught holding too many.
When you cannot take it
You cannot take the pile if its top card is a wild card or a black three, since both cannot start a normal meld. You also cannot take it if the pile is frozen and you lack a natural pair to match the top card. And before your side has made its initial meld, taking the pile still requires meeting the minimum-meld requirement in that same turn.
The surest way to make this stick is to play a few hands. Try Brazilian Canasta or Italian Canasta 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
When is the discard pile frozen in Canasta?
The discard pile is frozen when it contains a wild card or a red three, and it also stays effectively frozen against a side until that side has made its first meld. To take a frozen pile you must hold two natural cards matching the top card; a meld you already have on the table is not enough.
What are black threes in Canasta?
Black threes are the clubs and spades threes, and they act as stop cards. Discarding a black three blocks the next player from taking the discard pile for one turn. You can only meld black threes on the turn you go out, and such a meld can never include wild cards.
What is the minimum meld requirement in Canasta?
Before a partnership can lay down its first melds, those melds together must reach a minimum point value that depends on your current score. It is 15 when below zero, 50 from 0 to 1,495, 90 from 1,500 to 2,995, and 120 at 3,000 or more. After the initial meld, no minimum applies.
What are the best Canasta strategy tips?
Strong Canasta play comes down to a few habits: aim for natural canastas when you can, control the discard pile by freezing it against opponents, keep safe cards like black threes to discard late, track which cards have gone, and only go out when the timing helps your side, not the opponents.