Getting set up
How Many Decks Do You Need?
Canasta and Hand and Foot both use several decks shuffled together, but not the same number. Here is what to put on the table for your group.
The quick answer
- Canasta: two decks plus four jokers for 2, 3 or 4 players. Three decks plus six jokers for 6 players.
- Hand and Foot: usually one more deck than the number of players, with both jokers from each deck. Five decks for four players.
Decks by number of players
| Players | Canasta | Hand and Foot |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 decks + 4 jokers (108 cards) | 3 decks + 6 jokers (162 cards) |
| 3 | 2 decks + 4 jokers (108 cards) | 4 decks + 8 jokers (216 cards) |
| 4 | 2 decks + 4 jokers (108 cards) | 5 decks + 10 jokers (270 cards) |
| 5 | See note below | 6 decks + 12 jokers (324 cards) |
| 6 | 3 decks + 6 jokers (162 cards) | 7 decks + 14 jokers (378 cards) |
Canasta details
Classic Canasta uses two standard 52-card decks plus four jokers, for 108 cards. That is the same whether you play with two, three or four people. What changes is how many cards you deal:
| Players | Cards dealt to each player |
|---|---|
| 2 | 15 |
| 3 | 13 (some groups use 11) |
| 4 | 11 |
| 6 | 13 |
Most standard decks come with two jokers, so two decks give you exactly the four you need. Some older rule books mention playing with extra jokers, but four is the standard.
Five players is awkward in Canasta, and the main rule books do not set out a standard five-player game. A simple fix is to play the four-player game and have one person sit out each hand in turn, keeping score.
Six players use three decks and six jokers. Play as three teams of two or two teams of three, and deal 13 cards each.
Modern American Canasta also uses 108 cards for four players.
Hand and Foot details
A common rule of thumb is one more deck than the number of players, keeping both jokers from every deck. That gives enough cards for everyone's hand and foot, with a good-sized stock left over.
Groups do vary. Some use five decks for any number of players, and some add a sixth deck for four players to make the stock last longer. If your stock keeps running out before anyone goes out, add a deck. If you have cards left over every round, you can try one fewer.
Players dealing 13 cards to each pile instead of 11 will use more of the deck, so an extra deck helps there too.
See how to play Hand and Foot for the full rules.
Practical tips
Mixing different decks
It is fine to mix decks with different back designs or colors. In fact, it helps when you sort them out afterward. What matters most is that the cards are the same size and roughly the same thickness. Mixing a bridge-size deck with poker-size cards makes some cards easy to spot.
Shuffling five or more decks
- Split the cards into several piles and have different players shuffle each one.
- Swap chunks between piles and shuffle again.
- An automatic card shuffler that takes several decks saves wrists and time.
Large-print cards and holders
Large-index or large-print playing cards are easy to find and make a real difference in a long game. In Hand and Foot you may hold 15 cards or more at once, so a card holder or a tray can help too.
Check your jokers
Before a game, count your jokers. Some decks include an extra card or an advertising card that looks like a joker. Agree which ones are in play.
Related pages
Keep score on your phone or tablet
Got the cards sorted? Our free scorekeeper takes care of the numbers.