What are the Rules for Canasta Triple Play Hand & Foot?

Hand and Foot constitutes one of the more unusual variants to the typical rummy-style card game. According to Rummy-Games.com, this is a variation on Canasta in which each player receives two sets of cards, respectively known as the "hand" and the "foot". Four people typically play as partners.

According to Rummy-Games.com, Hand and Foot requires one more deck than the number of players. For example, if you have a four-player game, then you must have five decks. Each player receives two sets of thirteen cards. The first set is called the hand, while the second set is referred to as the foot. The foot remains face down until the player empties the hand.

According to Rummy-Games.com, a Canasta consists of a meld of seven cards of the same rank. In Hand and Foot, this is referred to as a "book," and must occur in one of three combinations. A red book is a Canasta that completes the book with no wild cards (deuces or jacks). When you finish a red book, stack the cards face up, with a red card on top. A black book completes the book with wild cards included. When you get a black book, stack the cards face up, with a black card on top. A wild book contains only wild cards. In this case you would stack the cards face up with one of the wild cards on top.

You can pick up your foot if you either meld or discard the final card in your hand. If you meld that card, you may continue playing your foot on the same turn. If you discard the final card, then you begin playing the foot on your next hand.

Each completed red book earns 500 points, while a black book earns 300 and a wild book awards 1,500. Once the hand ends, any black threes in your hand incur a five-point penalty. Red threes receive a 500-point penalty. To win the hand, a team must complete at least one red book, one black book and one wild book. The game ends when someone reaches 20,000 points.