What is the difference between Samba and Canasta?
Samba keeps everything you know about Canasta and adds a whole new way to meld: runs of a single suit. That one change makes for a richer, more intricate game.
Sequences, not just sets
In classic Canasta you can only meld cards of the same rank. Samba adds sequence melds: three or more cards of the same suit in consecutive order, such as the four, five and six of hearts. You can now grow melds in two directions, by matching rank or by extending a run, which greatly expands your options each turn.
The samba itself
A samba is a complete seven-card sequence in one suit, and it is worth a hefty 1,500-point bonus, well above the 500 of a natural canasta. Building one is hard, since sequences cannot use wild cards, so a samba is a high-value target that can swing a whole game when it lands.
Other Samba differences
Samba uses three decks with six jokers, and you draw two cards from the stock each turn rather than one. The higher card count and the extra melding routes push the winning target up to 10,000 points. The threes, wild-card limits and general flow stay familiar, so a classic Canasta player can move to Samba quickly.
The surest way to make this stick is to play a few hands. Try Bolivia or Cuban 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
What is Bolivia Canasta?
Bolivia is a demanding three-deck Canasta variant. It allows sequence melds like Samba, but its signature features are the bolivia, a canasta made entirely of wild cards, and the escalera, a seven-card sequence of one suit. The high point values push games to a 15,000-point target.
How many decks and cards does Canasta use?
Classic Canasta uses two standard 52-card decks shuffled together with all four jokers, giving 108 cards. Variants scale up: Samba and Bolivia use three decks, while Hand and Foot and Pennies from Heaven use five or six. In every version the jokers and twos serve as wild cards.
What is Hand and Foot Canasta?
Hand and Foot is a popular Canasta variant, usually five decks, where each player is dealt two sets of cards: a hand played first and a foot played once the hand is gone. Sides typically need both a clean and a dirty canasta to go out, and the game runs over four scored rounds.
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.