CRYING CANASTA RULES FOR FOUR PLAYERS
This game is played in partners that sit opposite each other. Four decks of cards are required including 2 jokers (8
total) from each deck. The cards are thoroughly shuffled and the dealer is determined by the cut of the cards. The
player cutting the largest card is the dealer for the hand and the player to the dealer’s right deals the crier (foot).
Both the hand and crier consist of 15 cards. If the hand dealer cuts exactly the number of cards for all four hands
plus one for the turnover card (61 cards) the hand dealer’s team earns 100 points. The turnover card begins the
discard pile. If the crier dealer cuts exactly the number of cards for all four criers (60 cards), the crier dealer’s team
earns 100 points. The first player is the player to the hand dealer’s left. A play involves drawing two cards, playing
cards for meld or on existing cards and discarding one card. Discarding a joker or deuce (wild cards) or 3 freezes
the discard pile for the next players turn, meaning the pile may not be picked up. The following two columns
explain the points and meld requirements:
In the first hand both teams must meld 50 points.
Each card carries a point count for melding as follows:
4-7
8-K
Ace
2 (deuce)
Joker
5 points each
10 points each
20 points each
20 points each
50 points each
As each team’s score increase earns it takes more to
meld. The following is the scale:
3,000 – 90 meld
6,000 – 120 meld
9,000 – 150 meld
12,000 – 200 meld
15,000 – 250 meld
When melding, you may only lay down if you have at least three like cards (i.e., three 4’s, three 5’s, and etc) in sets
to obtain the total for 50 points meld. You may use a wild card (deuce or joker) with two like cards (i.e. two 4’s
and a joker or deuce) to achieve the 50 points meld. The goal is to make canastas, which are comprised of 7 cards
in the set. It takes 8 canastas for the team to go out. Canastas with all like cards (i.e. 7 jacks) are red canastas and
are worth 500 points. Canastas with wildcards are black canastas and are worth 300 points. When building a black
canasta you can only use two wild cards and there must always be more like cards than wildcards in the set.
Deuces may be used as wildcards or you may build canastas with them. A canasta of deuces is worth 3000 points.
During a player’s turn he/she may pick up the discard pile at the beginning of his/her turn if he/she has a pair
matching the top card in the discard pile (except 3’s or wildcards). One red 3 may be played on the board for each
red canasta a team has except for a canasta of 2’s. Red 3’s gives the team an additional 100 points for each red 3
played. Black 3’s must be discarded. Players signaling or talking to their partners in attempt to influence play is
illegal. When this occurs and the opposing team calls the illegal act, the hand in play is terminated A new hand is
then dealt.
When a player has played all his/her hand he/she may pick up his/her crier. If he/she did not have a discard
he/she may continue to play out of his/her crier. Both partners must play out of the crier for the team to go out.
For a team to go out, one partner must ask the other partner to go out. The partner may only answer yes or no.
Failure to ask will result in the player having to pick up the cards played, discard and play continues. The team
going out earns 200 points. The player going out must play all of his/her cards including dead cards (wildcards are
not dead cards). A “dead” card is one that the team already has a canasta of. A discard is not required to go out.
If the player going out has seven or more black 3’s, he/she may play these as a “no” point canasta to go out as long
as there is NO discard. All red 3’s in any player’s hand or crier after going out count 500 points, against the team. If
the draw pile cards are gone during play before a team goes out the hand is over.
The team that reaches 21,000+ points first is the winning team. If both teams reach 21,000 points in the same
hand, the team that has the most points over 21,000 wins.