Rules for Hand and Foot are presented here, and
a variation called Cutthroat is presented at the end.
Definitions
SUIT: This game does not use suits. Hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades have no purpose.
RANK: The numerical value of a card.
MELD: Three or more cards of the same rank. Some
people call them "books."
CANASTA: A meld of seven or more cards set aside
and out of play.
FOOT: Thirteen cards set aside and ready to
become the player's new hand when allowed.
WILDCARD: Jokers and 2's. Wildcards can take on
any value the player wants.
Setup
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Any number of people can play. Usually, a minimum of four,
six preferred and eight can play. Two teams are formed when an even number
play.
NUMBER OF CARDS: You will need one deck for each person minus 1. If six
people play, you will need five decks of cards.
OBJECT OF THE GAME: To reach 10,000
points before the opposition team by forming Canasta-like melds.
THE DEAL: Deal
out two sets of 13 cards to each player-- the first is the Hand, and the second
is the Foot. The "Hand" is picked up and played first. The
"Foot" remains face-down on the table.
THE DRAW PILE: The cards left over from
the deal become the draw pile. Place them face down in the center of the table.
PLAYING THE GAME
Each player tries to put into play all of the
cards in their hand and foot.
Players who have collected three cards (or more)
of the same rank can start a new book. Give the cards to the person keeping the
cards, The keeper of the cards will place them on the table for your teammates
to add additional cards.
You can also start a new book with two cards of
the same rank and a wild card. As always, you can add cards to your teammates'
books (melds) already on the table.
When they have played all their cards, it is
called "going out." A person can go out only after their team has
made the required five Canastas. Each team should try to make as many points as
possible before going out, and it may not be advantageous to go out too early.
Each person will have to decide for themselves when it is best to go out.
From the time a player draws cards until they
discard, he or she is in charge of the board. The player can begin a new meld
or add cards to an existing meld. A new meld consists of three or more cards of
the same rank. The first meld or melds made by the side must meet a minimum
count requirement that depends on the accumulated score of the team at that
time. In the beginning, every team has a score of zero and will need to have
the value of the first cards melded to add up to fifty points.
Teams score
Points needed to begin play
0 to
1495
....... 50 points
1500 to 2995
....... 90 points
3000 to 4995
....... 120 points
5000 or more
....... 150 points
Card
value___________________________
Jokers
....................... 50
points each
Twos & Aces……........... 20 points
each
Eight through King ...... 10 points
each
Three through Seven ..
5 points each
THE FIRST PLAY: Select a person to start playing. When it's the first player's
turn, he or she draws two cards from the draw pile and at the end of their
turn, discards one.
This first discard is the beginning of the
discard pile. Keep the discard pile next to the draw pile.
The second player and those that follow have the
option of drawing two cards from the top of the draw pile or taking the entire
discard pile.
TAKING THE DISCARD PILE: To pick up a discard pile, you must fulfill all
of the following conditions:
1) Your team must have met the opening point
count and has melds on the board.
2) The discard pile must not be frozen
3) You must immediately put in play the top
card. You can add the top card on the discard pile to two matching cards in
your hand or one matching card and a wild card. Or you could add the top card
on the discard pile to a meld already on the board.
Once the top card is put in play, all the rest
of the cards in the discard pile will be added to your hand.
FREEZING THE DECK: A black three or a wild card on top of the
discard pile will freeze the deck, and it cannot be picked up. Discarding a
black three will freeze the deck for the next player and only that player will
not be able to pick up the discard pile.
If someone discards a wildcard, the discard pile
becomes frozen for everybody. No one can pick up the discard pile unless the
player has two matching cards of the same rank in their hand and the three
cards must be melded immediately.
Cards can be put into play or added to melds
only during his or her turn. When the player can't meld or play any longer, the
player must discard a card from his or her hand. That card is added to the
discard pile. Then play passes to the next player on the left. Play continues
until one player can "go out" (see below); then points and penalties
are assessed (see below). The score is tallied for each team, and if neither
team has won the game, the next hand is dealt.
MELDS: Valid melds consist of three or more cards of the same rank
or value. Wildcards (deuces and jokers) can be used to help form a meld as long
as the number of wildcards never exceeds or equal the number of non-wild cards.
Melds consisting of all wildcards are required. Black threes can be melded only
when going out; red threes cannot be used in a meld.
Red threes must be played one at a time. Any
time you obtain a red three, you must place it face up on the table (give it to
the keeper of the cards), and you have the option of drawing another card from
the draw pile. Each red three is worth 100 points.
Melds of seven or more cards can be closed or
left open. A closed meld of seven or more cards is known as a Canasta. You can
close a meld of seven or more cards by setting them aside and out of play. Only
by setting your canasta to the side and out of play are you guaranteed the
bonus points.
Canastas score bonus points depending upon
whether or not wildcards (deuces and jokers) are used in the canasta. A
"Natural" or Red Canasta (one without wildcards) scores a 500-point
bonus; otherwise, the Canasta is a Black Canasta (one having wildcards) for
which a 300-point bonus is scored. A closed canasta of wildcards counts 1500
points.
Note: If someone goes out and your team has
seven or more cards in play on the table, your team does not get the bonus
points.
KEEPER OF THE CARDS: Each team selects one team member to keep the
cards. The keeper determines whether or not to close a meld of seven or more
cards or leave it open. If the meld is kept in play, additional cards can be
added to the meld. A closed meld of seven or more cards becomes a canasta, and
bonus points will be awarded to the team's final tally. No cards can be added
to a closed meld. The keeper of the cards can close a meld of seven or more
cards at any time during his or her turn.
If you are not the keeper of the cards, you cannot
close a meld unless you contribute one or more cards to a meld of six or more
cards. Tell the keeper to close the meld. If you play an additional card before
telling the keeper to close, you lose the right to close, and the canasta must
be left open.
PICKING UP THE FOOT: There are two ways to pick up the foot,
1) When a player melds all the cards from his or
her "Hand" without having to discard, the "Foot" can be
picked up, and the player can continue to play.
2) If a player can play all the cards from his
"Hand" except for one, that card is discarded, and the player's turn
has ended. The foot becomes his new hand, and these cards can be played on his
next turn. Play passes to the next player on the left.
GOING OUT: Play continues until someone can "go out." Going out
means that a player has played all his or her cards from both the
"Hand" and "Foot." When a player can "go out," they
should consult with their partner(s) if it's okay to do so.
Five canastas are required before going out:
Three red, a black, and a wild card canasta.
You must have a discard to go out.
PENALTIES: When a player goes out, all other players must subtract from their
team's score the values of all cards still un-melded (that is, all cards still
in their "Hand" and "Foot"). Penalty points are identical
to the card point values stated above, except for red threes. Any red three
still in your hand and foot count 300 points against your team!
SCORING: After someone plays all the cards in their hand and foot, each
team will earn bonus points for each Canasta. 500 points for each red, 300
points for each black, and 1,500 points for each wildcard Canasta.
To determine your bonus points, add up the value
of each canasta and 100 points for each red three. If your team went out, you
also get an additional 100 points.
After you tally all the bonus points, collect
all the cards your team played and assign them their point value, and add them
together. Combine the card total with the bonus points to get your subtotal.
Next, combine all the cards left unplayed in
your team's hand and foot and add together their point value. Take your
subtotal and subtract the value of your unplayed cards to get your score.
ENDING THE GAME: If your score is 10,000 or more, you win. If no
one wins, deal out another set of cards and continue.
CUTTHROAT
Cutthroat allows you to play on your opponent's
melds. It is a vastly more challenging game. All rules and benefits apply,
except:
At closing (by going out or running out of cards
from the draw pile), all open melds of seven or more cards become a canasta for
the other team, and bonus points are awarded; they also receive the card count.
Yes, open melds of seven or more cards are given to the other team (after
closing) as canastas.
Note: If you are the player going out, you
should try to make open canastas on the other team so you can take them. Also,
you must understand that if you leave an open canasta on your team, it goes to
the other team at closing.
A card laid is a card played, and it cannot be
changed if the player has ended his turn by discarding. If a card player makes
an illegal move (such as adding a 6 to a book of 9) and it is known which
player made the error, it can be returned to the player's hand. If the player
making the error is unknown, add the card to the middle of the draw pile. If
you play on the other team's melds, it is considered a gift, and you cannot
retract it without permission from the receiving team.
Having at least one wildcard canasta is a
requirement. Leaving a meld of wildcards on the board for a long time is very
dangerous. Let's say you have started a meld with three wildcards, and now it
is your opponent's turn. Should that person have four cards of the same value,
they can add them to your meld of three wild cards. If they add four sevens to
your three wild cards, that meld is now a black canasta of sevens and cannot be
used as a wildcard canasta. Remember, you must have one more natural card for
each wildcard. If you have a meld of six wildcards, it will take seven cards of
the same rank to destroy it.
Note: Each team can never have two melds of the
same rank on the table. You must close one before starting another meld of the
same rank.
Taking the discard pile in Cutthroat is
different. If you have only one card that matches the top card on the discard
pile, you can still pick up the discard pile with one matching card and a wild
card. You must play the three cards immediately. There is no change in the
rules.
However,
1) If you have two matching cards in your hand,
show them to the other players. Then, you can pick up the pile and add the
discard pile to your hand.
2) If a meld is already on the board with the
same rank as the top card in the discard pile, you can add the entire discard
pile to your hand.
In both cases, you do not need to play them
immediately. You can play them at your discretion.
This rule change is very important. See the
reason in the strategy section.
Black Threes: Black threes can be melded only when the player goes out and
just before he discards. If you have seven black threes, you must close them
before going out, or they go to the other team. These seven or more black
threes are a red canasta and count 500 bonus points. If you have six black
threes and a wildcard, you may add the wildcard to the six black threes to make
a black canasta worth 300 points.
TALKING DURING THE GAME: No restrictions.
EIGHT PLAYERS: Cutthroat is still fun with eight players. If talking were
not allowed, it would be a boring game waiting for seven people to play before
you got your turn. Because talking is permitted, you can strategize and give
advice. You can be active in the game even when it is not your turn.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION: A player's turn starts with the draw and ends
with a discard. During the player's turn, he or she controls the board. The
group should decide all disputes. If the group cannot come to a consensus, the
player having his turn decides. His or her judgment is final.
Strategy: The game of Cutthroat has many game-changing opportunities. For
example:
Suppose your opponents have a meld of six
wildcards and a meld of six sevens.
You have just picked up the discard pile and
discovered that you have seven sevens. You could destroy this chance of their
getting a wildcard canasta by adding seven sevens to their wild cards.
Unfortunately, you can't because they have an open book of sevens.
If you add one of your sevens to their book of sevens
and close them, you can destroy their book of wild cards with seven sevens. But
you used one of your sevens to remove their book of sevens. Now, you only have
six sevens, and seven are needed. You must always have one more natural card
than wild cards.
Suppose you added a wild card to their book of sevens and
then closed them. With their open book of seven out of the way, you can add
your seven sevens to their wild cards—destroying their wild card canasta.
With their not having a required wild card canasta,
their ability to go out has been delayed. You have more time to add cards to
your books and make more points for your team. Unfortunately, the other team
can use this time to add cards to their books. You should try to make open
canastas on the other team just before you go out.
I hope you can see the possibilities and the need for
strategy. Remember, you can discuss strategy. The downside is that your
opponents can listen in on your strategy discussion. With careful planning, you
can go out and take their open canastas before they can do anything about it.
