The rules of hands and feet are not too complicated and the game is a great adaptation of the classic Canasta rules. Instead of just having the 11 cards dealt in your hand, you also have 11 cards in a foot to use when all the cards in your hand have been used to create combinations of three to seven cards placed face up on the table. There are many versions of Canasta and Hand and Foot online that make playing and scoring very easy. The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards before any other player. It can be played with just two players or with four paired up on two teams.

Hand and Foot card game instructions start with the simple understanding of how to remove the cards you have in your possession. A meld is a group of three cards such as 4, 4, 4 of any suit or 5, 6, 7 all of the same suit. Once a three-card meld has been started on the table for each side, more cards can be added for each side. A Meld consists of a straight of three to seven cards of the same suit or three to seven of the same kind. Wildcards and 2’s are wildcards. A meld cannot consist of more wild cards than actual cards, and wild cards cannot be melded alone. Once a meld reaches the seven card limit, it becomes a book. A clean meld has no jokers and when it reaches the seven card limit, it becomes a red book. If a seven-card meld contains wild cards, it becomes a Black Book. All melds are placed on the table on their side so that the opposing player places a card on their side that continues a number on a straight or a card that adds to a number meld.

Completed Books are stacked individually with a red or black card face up to indicate the type of Book it is. Similarly, ranked cards can be played in books that are complete. Wildcards can’t. You earn points for each combined card and for Books. If you are a player who is left with cards when another leaves, you lose points for the ones left in your Hand and Foot. You don’t have to have a discard to get out. To exit you must:

1. Play completely with your foot.

AND

2. Possess one or more Black or Red Books.

Score of hands and feet:

Jokers are 50 points

two is 20 points

All aces are scored at 20 points.

From eights to kings add 10 points

Three through seven are 5 points (unless the no 3 rule is adopted at the start of the game)

The game begins with two full decks of cards for two players and four decks for team play. The rules for hand and foot partners are the same for two players, but the scores are combined for each team.

Round points: 50/100/150/200

Round 1, total card points must be at least 50 to play

Round 2, total card points must be at least 100 to play

Round 3 total card points must be at least 150 to play

Round 4 total card points must be at least 200 to play

Reserve Points: 500/1000

Red books are 1000 points

Black books are 500 points

Exiting Player gets 100 extra points

There are many different options and rules for playing the Hand and Foot card game. Try any of the Hand and Foot downloads to see which one you prefer. This is an excellent game to start a monthly card club of eight players at two tables. Each person buys with the amount of dollars that everyone agrees on, such as $5 or $10. Rotate partners throughout the night until each person has collaborated with every other player. Keep track of your team’s scores on your own hands and feet score sheet and at the end of the night, the individual with the highest score wins the entry pool! The rules of Hands and Feet may seem difficult if you are reading them for the first time, but jump in and you will master it in no time.