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CANASTA STRATEGY

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Basics		Hand Size		Defensive Play		End Game		Glossary

	black three a three of spades or three of clubs; since black threes may not be melded except when going out (and without using any wild cards), they are a safe discard that almost always prevents the opponent from taking the discard pile canasta a meld of seven or more matching cards; also, the name of this game concealed see going out concealed deal to distribute the cards to the players; or the set of all four hands that have been dealt dealer the player who deals the cards  Back to Top deck the set of cards used to play a game; in canasta, two standard 52-card decks combined, plus four jokers deuce a two of any suit discard a card removed from a player's hand draw to take a card forced required to take the discard pile if able to do so; although this does not apply at Yahoo!, in many circles players are required to take the discard pile if able once the stock is exhausted  Back to Top frozen a term referring to a discard pile that cannot be taken without a natural pair in one's hand; specifically, a discard pile is frozen for a team that has not yet melded, and also whenever it contains a red three or a wild card game a point total of 5000 or more going out getting rid of all the cards in one's hand, either by melding all of them or by discarding one and melding all the rest; going out is worth 100 points (double if going out concealed) going out concealed going out without having made any previous melds (worth 100 points). Note that alternate scoring gives 200 points instead of the usual 100 for going out concelaed, but not on Yahoo! Games. going out unconcealed going out having previously made one or more melds (worth 100 points).  Back to Top hand the cards dealt to a player; or the entire deal (all four hands collectively, as in "a hand of canasta") meld a combination of cards having a value in scoring; specifically, in canasta, three or more cards of the same rank natural a card other than a wild card, or a canasta containing no wild cards partners two players who sit across from one another and act as a team against the other two players point a unit of scoring  Back to Top pure-natural used in describing a canasta with no wild cards rank a card's name and hierarchy (ace, ten, king, queen, or jack), as distinguished from its suit red three a three of diamonds or three of hearts, worth 100 points each (double if all four are melded by one side) set three or more cards of the same rank stock the pile of undealt cards that is placed facedown after the deal, and from which players may draw  Back to Top suit one of the four kinds of cards in a deck, denoted by symbols and known as spades , hearts , diamonds , and clubs ; suits play no role in the basic versions of canasta, including Yahoo! versions trey a three of any suit unconcealed see going out unconcealed upcard the top card of the deck that is turned faceup after the deal to start the discard pile wild card a card that can stand for any other; in canasta, any joker or deuce  Back to Top