How many decks do I need for canasta?

We are often asked, “How many decks of cards do I need for canasta”.  Well, that is really a trick question.  While most in America are used to “American Canasta” which requires 2 decks, some of the up-and-coming versions of Canasta like “Hand and Foot” can require 5 or 7 decks depending on how many people are playing.

Here is a list of some of the most popular versions of Canasta and how many decks you will need:
1) Canasta – **Most Common** – 2 Decks
2) Bolivia – 3 Decks
3) Brazilian – 3 Decks
4) Chile – 3 Decks
5) Cuban – 3 Decks
6) Cutthroat – 2 Decks
7) Five-Hand Canasta – 2 Decks
8) Hand and Foot – 4 Player (variation of Canasta) – 5 Decks
9) Mexicana – 3 Decks
10) Pennies from Heaven – 4 Decks
11) Samba – 3 Decks
12) Six-Hand Canasta – 3 Decks
13) Three-Hand Canasta – 3 Decks
14) Two-Hand Canasta – 2 Decks
15) Uruguay – 3 Decks

If you see something that is wrong or can think of another version of Canasta that we need to add please let us know!

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