What is the minimum meld requirement in Canasta?
The minimum meld, sometimes called the initial meld requirement, is the entry fee for getting your cards on the table. It rises as you get closer to winning, so leaders have to work harder to open.
How the minimum scales
Your side's initial meld must reach a threshold set by your accumulated score. The standard classic ladder looks like this.
| Your side's score | Minimum initial meld |
|---|---|
| Below 0 | 15 points |
| 0 to 1,495 | 50 points |
| 1,500 to 2,995 | 90 points |
| 3,000 and above | 120 points |
Counting the requirement
You meet the minimum by adding up the card values of the melds you lay down in one turn, using the standard point values (aces and twos are 20, face cards down to eights are 10, and low cards are 5). Bonuses for red threes and canastas do not count toward the requirement. You may combine several melds in the same turn to reach the number.
Using the top of the pile
You are allowed to count the top card of the discard pile toward your initial meld, but only if you can already form a valid meld with it using cards from your hand, and only if you then take the pile. Once your side has satisfied the minimum a single time, every later meld and lay-off is free of the requirement for the rest of the hand.
The surest way to make this stick is to play a few hands. Try Hand and Foot or Brazilian 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
How do you take the discard pile in Canasta?
You take the discard pile by immediately using its top card in a meld. Either add it to a meld your side already has, or combine it with two matching cards from your hand to start a new meld. When you take the pile you get every card in it, but a frozen pile requires two natural cards from your hand.
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.
How is Canasta scored?
At the end of each hand you add the point values of the cards your side melded, plus bonuses: 500 for each natural canasta, 300 for each mixed one, 100 for going out, 200 for going out concealed, and 100 per red three. You then subtract the value of cards still in hand. Games run to 5,000 points.
What are the Canasta rules for beginners?
For beginners, Canasta comes down to a few rules: deal eleven cards each, take turns drawing and discarding, meld three or more cards of matching rank, keep at least two natural cards in every meld, and build a seven-card canasta before you go out. Red threes are free bonus cards and black threes block the pile.