Canasta is a card game that belongs to the rummy family of games. It was developed in the 1940s in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, and became popular in the United States and Great Britain from the 1950s on
. The game can be played with two to six players, but the most popular form is played by four players in two partnerships
. The objective of the game is to score points by making as many melds as possible, especially canastas, which are melds of seven or more cards
. A meld is three or more cards of the same rank, regardless of suit
. Points are scored by forming melds - combinations of three or more cards of the same rank, with or without the help of wild cards
. A meld with at least seven cards is called a Canasta
. The game is played with two full decks of cards, including two Jokers from each deck totaling 108 cards
. The game can last an hour or more and is a great game for socializing with small groups of people
