For this game you will need two standard decks of cards including Jokers. That's 108 cards total, if you feel like counting them all. Each card is assigned a point value. The values of the cards are used for two purposes, determining how many cards are necessary to meet the minimum initial meld value and in scoring a hand after some one has gone out. Both of these topics will be discussed later in the Game Play and Going Out/Scoring sections. Listed below are the point values of each card.
| Card(s) | Point Value |
|---|---|
| 4-7 | 5 |
| 8-K | 10 |
| A, 2 | 20 |
| Jokers | 50 |
| 3 | See Special Cards |
Special Cards
There are several cards that have a special purpose in Canasta. These cards are wild cards (Jokers and twos) and threes.
Wild cards can be used in place of any natural card in a meld, provided that there are more natural cards than wild cards. Therefore, it is not possible, and illegal, to make a meld of wild cards.
Red 3's can also not be melded. If a player is dealt a red three, draws one from the stock, or finds one in the discard pile after taking it, the card is to be placed face up near the player's melds, if any, and a replacement card drawn. For each red three a player has laid down they score 100 points at the end of the hand or 800 points if they have all four.
Black 3's are worth 5 points each, but can't be melded unless it is the last meld a player makes before going out. In this case, 3 or 4 black 3's may be melded, but wildcards can't be used. Therefore, the point value is usually used to subtract points when a player has a black 3 left in their hand when another player goes out. Black 3's do have their uses though. When discarded, a black 3 prevents the next player from picking up the discard pile for that turn. This will be discussed more in the Discard Pile section.