Spotlight on Games > Summaries
Canasta Caliente
Thu May 31 21:08:08 PDT 2001
Summary of important rules for the Canasta Caliente card game

• Set-up
  1. Deal 11 cards per player.
  2. Draw the top card to start the discard pile. If a Wild or Bonus card, turn sideways to show pile is frozen. Draw new cards to place above it until neither Wild nor Bonus.
  3. Any Bonus cards in hands are played and replaced.
• A Turn
  1. Draw top card from pile OR ...
     • If Bonus card, play and draw another.
     • If the pile is exhasuted, play on using the discards.
     ... Take entire discard pile OR ...
     • If Before your first meld or After your first meld, but pile is Frozen:
       • Must use the top card in a new natural meld.
     • Otherwise:
       • Must use the top card in a new or existing owned meld.
     ... Play a Caliente Card OR ...
     • Only if having the same or fewer melds than opposition
     • Then draw so that hand has 11 cards or all the cards left, whichever is fewer.
     ... Pass.
     • If the draw pile is gone and cannot take the discard pile because of inability to use the top card, the hand ends and neither team is considered to have gone out.
  2. Meld.
     • A Meld is three or more cards of the same rank, possibly including Wild.
     • A meld may not contain more Wild cards than natural.
     • The First Meld is required to have a point value depending on the team's score:

       Score	Requirement
       0-1495	50
       1500-2995	90
       3000+	120
       negative	no requirement

     • Bonus cards don't help in satisfying the requirement.
  3. Discard OR
     • Discarding a Stop or Caliente means the next player cannot take the pile.
     • Discarding a Wild means the pile is frozen (turn the Wild sideways).
     • Bonus cards may not be discarded.
     • If discarding last card, counts as going out.
     Go out.
     • Requires a melded canasta, i.e. a set of 7 or more cards
     • Discard not required to go out.
     • May ask partner whether it is okay to go out, but must abide by the answer.
• End
  1. The hand ends when a player goes out or cannot legally draw.
  2. Melds are worth the printed points.
  3. Cards left in hand are worth negative the printed points.
  4. Special Bonuses:
     • 100 for going out
     • 500 for each natural canasta (free of Wilds)
     • 300 for each mixed canasta (contains at least 1 Wild)
     • 100 for each Bonus card if you have at least one meld
     • 400 for playing 4 Bonus cards if you have at least one meld
     • 100 for going out "concealed", i.e. melded entire hand in one turn including at least one canasta and had not previously played any cards.
  5. Special Penalties:
     • -100 for each Bonus card if you no melds
     • -400 for playing 4 Bonus cards if you have no melds
     • -100 for each Caliente card played, if caught in the hand, doubles hand penalty (triples if both).
  6. Game to 5,000.

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