HEAD & FOOT

 

4 Decks – 2 to 4 people

6 Decks – 6 people

Partners (or single if only 2 or 3 players)

 

 

Each person deals himself 2 hands, one 11 cards (FOOT) and one 13 cards (HEAD). Put FOOT aside.

 

Game consists of 4 hands or rounds.

            1st hand – meld needed/  50 points

            2nd hand – meld needed/  90 points

            3rd hand – meld needed/ 120 points

            4th hand – meld needed/ 150 points

 

Card value as follows:

ACE

20 points

DEUCE

20 points (wild card)

JOKER

50 points (wild card)

8-KING

10 points

4-7

5 points

BLACK 3’S

-5 points (can be used for discard only)

RED 3’S

-500 points (can be used for discard only)

 

Player draws 2 cards each turn. Discard one. If you take the discard pile instead of drawing, you must take the whole pile.  In order to take the pile, you must have 2 cards exactly like the one on top of the pile and you must have already melded or have the required meld before you take the pile.  Once meld is down, partner can play on it.  After all cards are played in the HEAD, you announce you are in your FOOT ‘and playing’ if you entered your FOOT without a discard. If you discarded to enter your FOOT, FOOT play begins next turn.

 

Object of game is to get one natural (all seven cards alike in number) canasta and two unnatural canastas (seven cards made up of a combination of wild cards and like cards). You may not have more wild cards than natural ones, in other words three maximum wild cards and four regular ones make up the unnatural canasta. You must have at least these three canastas to go out. Both partners have to be in their FOOT before you can go out. Permission must be granted from your partner to go out.

 

Cards are played in front of just one of the partners. Each canasta is begun by playing at least three like cards in a turn.  Wild cards (2’s and jokers) may be used, but must always be fewer than the natural cards in each canasta. More cards are added at any time during a player’s turn until the 7-card canasta is formed.  More cards that match that canasta can still be played in the JUNK pile and they are counted as the end as part of the total for the round.

 

Natural canasta (denoted by a red card on top)             = 500 points

Unnatural canasta (black card on top)               = 300 points

Bonus for going out                                                       = 300 points

 

Count all canastas as basic points. Add up cards unplayed and subtract their values from score. Subtract the value of any 3’s left in your hand. Count all melded cards after you get your basic score and total for hand (round) score.