Game

Canasta

Matching and Shedding Card Games

Canasta is a card game of the rummy family, usually played by two partnerships with two standard decks plus jokers, in which players build melds of seven or more cards of the same rank, called canastas, to score points. The game originated in Uruguay in the 1930s, is credited to a small group of Montevideo card players, and spread through South America before becoming an international fad in the United States and Europe in the early 1950s, at one point rivaling contract bridge in popularity among home card players.

Facts
Origin Year
1939 1
Originating Region
Uruguay 1
Game Type
Rummy family card game 1
Playing Time Band
30 to 90 Minutes 1
Playing Time
45 2
Skill or Luck
Mixed 1
Age Suitability
Family 1
Designer
Segundo Santos 2
Publisher
(Public Domain) 2
Publisher
American Oil Company (AMOCO) 2
Publisher
Arrco Playing Card Co. 2
Publisher
Association of American Playing Card Manufacturers 2
Publisher
Auto Novelties Ltd 2
Publisher
Brimtoy 2
Publisher
David Westnedge 2
Publisher
De La Rue 2
Publisher
Duratone 2
Publisher
E. E. Fairchild Corporation 2
Publisher
Gladstone Games 2
Publisher
Go! Games 2
Publisher
Guinness Publishing Ltd 2
Publisher
H. P. Gibson & Sons 2
Publisher
Handa 2
Publisher
Heraclio Fournier 2
Publisher
Holdson 2
Publisher
Hudson Industries Pty. Ltd. 2
Publisher
John Sands Pty Ltd 2
Publisher
The Denver Dry Goods Co 2
Game Category
Card Game 2
Game Mechanic
Hand Management 2
Game Mechanic
Melding and Splaying 2
Game Mechanic
Set Collection 2
Minimum Players
2 2
Maximum Players
6 2
Partially Attested
Governing Body
Canasta League of America 1
The Canasta League of America is described as a standardizing body for the most common rules in North America; the source names no international governing body for canasta.
Classification
Player Count
Small Group (3-6 Players) 1
Sport
Game Type (category)
Card Game 1
Canasta
Filter Results1 entry
Connections

Ancestor Of

Buraco, Games
Source Buraco (Wikipedia)

Associated With

Rummy, Games
Source Rummy, Wikipedia

Derived From

Rummy, Games

Canasta, developed in Uruguay in the 1930s, is a member of the Rummy family of card games.

Source The Oxford Guide to Card Games
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Canasta, Wikipedia
  • Introduction
    Canasta (; Spanish for "basket") is a card game of the rummy family of games believed to be a variant of 500 rum.
  • History section
    The game of Canasta was devised by attorney Segundo Sánchez Santos and his Bridge partner, architect Alberto Serrato in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1939, in an attempt to design a time-efficient game that was as engaging as Bridge.
  • Variations, Modern American Canasta
    The Canasta League of America, founded in 2011, has been focused on standardizing the most common rules played in North America.
  • Infobox: playing_time
    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Infobox: random_chance
    Medium
  • Infobox: ages
    11 and up
  • Wikipedia, article summary lead
    Canasta (; Spanish for "basket") is a card game of the rummy family of games believed to be a variant of 500 rum. Although many variations exist for two, three, five or six players, it is most commonly played by four in two partnerships with two standard decks of cards. Players attempt to make melds of seven cards of the same rank and "go out" by playing all cards in their hands.
View the Source
2. Canasta (BoardGameGeek)
  • Playing Time: 45
  • Designer: Segundo Santos
  • Publisher: (Public Domain)
  • Publisher: American Oil Company (AMOCO)
  • Publisher: Arrco Playing Card Co.
  • Publisher: Association of American Playing Card Manufacturers
  • Publisher: Auto Novelties Ltd
  • Publisher: Brimtoy
  • Publisher: David Westnedge
  • Publisher: De La Rue
  • Publisher: Duratone
  • Publisher: E. E. Fairchild Corporation
  • Publisher: Gladstone Games
  • Publisher: Go! Games
  • Publisher: Guinness Publishing Ltd
  • Publisher: H. P. Gibson & Sons
  • Publisher: Handa
  • Publisher: Heraclio Fournier
  • Publisher: Holdson
  • Publisher: Hudson Industries Pty. Ltd.
  • Publisher: John Sands Pty Ltd
  • Publisher: The Denver Dry Goods Co
  • Game Category: Card Game
  • Game Mechanic: Hand Management
  • Game Mechanic: Melding and Splaying
  • Game Mechanic: Set Collection
  • Minimum Players: 2
  • Maximum Players: 6
View the Source
Wikidata: Canasta
Wikidata Q278854, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Rummy, Wikipedia
Associated With: Rummy, Related games section, canasta
Quote, Associated With: Rummy, Related games section, canasta
Although in North America the word rummy is often used interchangeably for gin rummy, the term is applicable to a large family of games, including canasta, mahjong and Rummikub.
View the Source
Buraco (Wikipedia)
Ancestor Of: Buraco, Lead paragraph [derived-from]
Quote, Ancestor Of: Buraco, Lead paragraph [derived-from]
Buraco is a variation of Canasta which allows both standard melds
View the Source

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