- Deal. 11 cards each. Red 3s are bonuses (+100 each), set aside immediately.
- Turn. Draw 1 → optionally meld 3+ of a rank → discard 1.
- Wilds. 2s are wild — they can substitute for any rank in a meld (up to 3 wilds per meld).
- Canasta. A 7-card meld. Pure (no wilds) = +500. Mixed (with wilds) = +300.
- Going out. Empty your hand AND have at least one canasta to win the hand.
- v1 note. Single deck, 2 players, no jokers. No freezing of the discard pile. Real Canasta uses 2 decks + jokers + 4-player teams.