How to Play Hand and Foot
The beloved Canasta variant with two hands per player
Objective
Score points by creating melds and canastas. Be the first team to empty both hand and foot piles while meeting canasta requirements.
Players
4-6 players in teams. Most commonly 4 players (2 teams of 2) or 6 players (2 teams of 3).
Cards
5-6 standard decks with jokers (270-324 cards total). More players = more decks.
Key Concept
Each player has a "hand" and a "foot" - two separate piles of cards played sequentially.
Game Setup
Form Teams
For 4 players: two teams of two, partners sitting across from each other. For 6 players: two teams of three, alternating around the table.
Shuffle and Deal
Shuffle all decks together. Each player receives two stacks: their "hand" (11-13 cards) and their "foot" (11-13 cards). The foot is set aside, face down.
Create the Stock
Place remaining cards face down as the draw pile. Turn one card face up to start the discard pile.
Start Play
Player left of dealer goes first. Play continues clockwise.
Taking Your Turn
Draw Cards
Draw 2 cards from the stock pile. Alternative: pick up the entire discard pile if you can immediately meld the top card.
Meld Cards
Play melds (3+ cards of the same rank) or add cards to your team's existing melds. You may play as many melds as you want.
Discard
End your turn by discarding one card to the discard pile. If this empties your hand, pick up your foot!
Melds and Canastas
What is a Meld?
A meld is 3 or more cards of the same rank (e.g., three 7s). Melds are shared between teammates - you can add to any of your team's melds.
What is a Canasta?
A canasta is a completed meld of 7 cards. There are two types:
- Clean (Natural) Canasta: 7 cards with NO wild cards (worth 500 points)
- Dirty (Mixed) Canasta: 7 cards WITH wild cards (worth 300 points)
Stack completed canastas with a red card on top for clean, black for dirty.
Wild Card Limits
A meld can have at most 3 wild cards, and wilds can never outnumber natural cards. A meld of 3 can have at most 1 wild.
Wild Cards
- Jokers: Wild cards worth 50 points each
- Twos (Deuces): Wild cards worth 20 points each
- Wild cards substitute for any natural card in melds
- You cannot make a meld of only wild cards
Picking Up Your Foot
When to Pick Up
When you play or discard the last card from your hand, immediately pick up your foot pile and continue playing from it. If this happens during your turn (not on discard), you may continue playing melds!
Going Out
Requirements to Go Out
Your team must have:
- At least 2 clean canastas (some versions require 3)
- At least 2 dirty canastas (some versions require 4 total)
- You must be playing from your foot (hand empty)
- End by discarding your last card
Some groups require asking partner's permission before going out.
Card Point Values
Individual Card Scores
Canasta Bonuses
Bonus Points for Canastas
Canasta Points Are Additional
The canasta bonus is in addition to the point value of the cards in it. A clean canasta of 7s = 500 (bonus) + 35 (7 × 5) = 535 points.
Game Bonuses
End of Round Bonuses
Calculating Final Score
Score Formula
Penalty for Red Threes
If your team hasn't melded when the round ends, red threes count AGAINST you (-100 each)!
Winning the Game
Play multiple rounds. First team to reach the target score wins:
- Standard game: 20,000 points
- Short game: 10,000 points
- Long game: 25,000+ points
Early Game Strategy
Get on the Board First
Your team needs to meld before you can start building. Look for opportunities to make your initial meld quickly - even small melds open the door for your partner.
Protect Your Wilds
Don't discard jokers or 2s early! They're valuable for completing canastas and getting you into your foot faster.
Building Canastas
Plan for Clean Canastas
You need clean canastas to go out. Start building them early with natural cards. Only add wilds to melds when necessary or when creating dirty canastas.
Communicate Through Play
Watch what your partner melds and discards. If they start a meld of 8s, try to save your 8s to help complete it.
Balance Clean and Dirty
Work toward both types. Don't use all your wilds making dirty canastas if you still need clean ones to go out.
Managing Your Hand and Foot
Racing to Your Foot
Getting to your foot early gives you more cards to work with. Look for opportunities to meld aggressively and empty your hand - but don't strand yourself without cards to play!
Don't Get Stuck
If you meld too much and can't discard without going under minimum hand size, you're stuck. Keep enough cards to stay flexible.
Discard Strategy
- Watch the pile: Know what opponents need - don't feed them cards
- Safe discards: Black 3s block the pile - opponents can't pick them up
- Freeze the pile: Discarding a wild card freezes the pile (harder to pick up)
- Pair protection: If you have two of something, it's safer to discard one than a singleton
Endgame Tactics
Going Out Decision
Before going out, consider:
- Do we have more points on the table than the opponents?
- Will opponents lose a lot from cards stuck in their hands?
- Can we still build more canastas if we wait?
Common Rule Variations
Hand and foot size varies by region:
- 11 cards each (most common)
- 13 cards each (more strategic)
- 15 cards each (longer games)
Different groups require different canastas to go out:
- 2 clean + 2 dirty (standard)
- 3 clean + 2 dirty
- 2 clean + 3 dirty
- Total of 5-7 canastas of any type
Some versions allow canastas made entirely of wild cards (jokers and 2s). These typically score 1,000-1,500 points but some groups prohibit them entirely.
Pile pickup rules vary:
- Need 2 natural cards matching top card
- Can use 1 natural + 1 wild card
- Frozen pile (wild on top) requires 2 natural cards only
Regional Variations
Most common version. 4 rounds with increasing minimum meld requirements each round (50, 90, 120, 150 points).
Each player gets THREE piles: hand, foot, and "leg." Pick up foot when hand is empty, then leg when foot is empty. Very long games!