Hand and Foot is a fun rummy style card game. Score points by melding similar ranking cards.
Find the video tutorial and written explanation for how to play hand and foot below.
Be sure to keep the hand and foot quick guide close while playing for a quick reference to help you learn the rules as you play.
Hand and Foot Tutorial
Needed
Five decks of cards; Ten Jokers; Four Players (divided into two teams)
Deal
All five decks of cards with the jokers are shuffled together.
Each player is dealt a total of 22 cards, one card at a time.
The first 11 cards dealt to each player is known as the player's hand stack and are kept together.
The next 11 cards dealt to each player is known as the player's foot stack. These cards are kept together and remain face down to begin the game.
The remaining cards is placed in the middle as a draw pile (stock pile). The top card of the draw pile is flipped up to start a discard pile.
Objective
The object of the game is to score the most points. Points are scored by melding cards of the same rank together as a team.
Three cards of the same rank are needed to start a meld, and a meld can have up to seven total cards.
The jokers and the 2s are wild cards. These cards can be added to any meld, but a meld can never have more wild cards than cards of the actual number.
There are two types of melds, clean and dirty. A clean meld (aka clean book) is a meld of seven cards all in the same rank.
A dirty meld (aka dirty book) is a meld of seven cards where some of the cards are wild cards.
Once a player melds all the cards from their hand, they will pick up their foot cards.
Once a player melds all the cards in their foot, the round is over. The game is played over four rounds.
Game Play
The player left of the dealer is first to play. If a player is dealt a red 3, or if a red 3 is ever drawn, it is immediately played on the table, and a card is drawn to replace it.
The Draw
Each turn begins with a card being drawn from the draw pile or discard pile. A player is only allowed to draw from the top of the discard pile if the top card is used to create a meld.
If the top card of the discard pile is successfully melded, the player will draw the next top seven cards in the discard pile.
If a player cannot draw the top discard, the player must draw two cards from the deck.
The player can also choose to draw the top two cards of the deck, even if it is possible to draw the top discard.
Melding
After the draw, a player can choose to create melds, if possible.
Three cards of similar rank is the minimum requirement to start a meld.
Wildcards (jokers and 2s) can be used in any meld, but a meld can never have more wildcards than natural cards.
Each card has a value:
Jokers = 50 points
Aces/2s = 20 points
Kings to 8s = 10 points
7s to 4s = 5 points
Black 3s = 5 points
In the first round, the initial meld laid by a team needs to have a combined card value of 50 points as a minimum requirement when starting the game.
In round two, the first meld must be at least 90 points.
In round 3, the first meld must be at least 120 points.
In round 4, the first meld must be at least 150 points.
When a meld has seven cards, it is complete.
If the meld has no wild cards, it is called a clean meld. Melds are stacked to the side with a red card on top for a clean meld (aka red book).
If the completed meld includes one or more wild cards, it is called a dirty meld (aka black book). A completed dirty meld is stacked to the side with a black card on top.
The Discard
A player’s turn ends with a discard. If a black 3 is discarded, the discard pile is blocked. A player cannot draw from a blocked pile.
Play then moves to the next player to start the next turn.
Going Out
A player can only end the round by getting rid of all cards.
A player can only end a round if their team has a completed clean meld, a completed dirty meld, and their teammate has picked up their foot stack.
A player is allowed to ask their partner if they should go out. Depending on what is left in the partner’s hand, the partner may want the round to continue.
Scoring
There are four areas where points are scored.
Card Values: Using the card point values from above, teams score the points from the cards in their melds (including completed and uncompleted melds), minus the points from the cards left in their hands.
Completed Melds: A team gets 500 points for each clean meld and 300 points for each dirty meld. If the completed meld does not include a wild card, it is considered a clean meld. If the completed meld does include a wild card, it is considered a dirty meld.
Red 3s: A team gets 100 points for each red 3.
Going Out: The team of the player who ended the round by playing the last card in the round gets 100 points.
Winning
The team with the highest score after four rounds wins the game!
Game Rules
If the opponent's end a round before getting to your foot, and there is a red three in your foot, your team loses 100 points for it.
If the first card flipped up is a red 3 or a wild card, the card is buried into the draw deck, and the next top card is flipped up as the new card to start the discard pile.
A team cannot have two incomplete melds for cards of equal rank.
A meld cannot have more wildcards than natural cards at any time.
Once a wildcard is melded, it cannot be moved.
A meld cannot have more than seven cards.
Black 3s cannot be melded and are only used to block the discard pile.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Hand and Foot
What is Hand and Foot?
Hand and Foot is a popular card game that is a variation of Canasta.
It is typically played by two teams of two players each, and the objective is to form melds (sets of cards) of the same rank. The game is played with multiple decks of cards.
How many players are required to play Hand and Foot?
Hand and Foot is ideally played by four players, forming two teams of two players each.
However, it can also be adapted for a larger number of players by using more decks and forming additional teams.
What is a meld in Hand and Foot?
A meld is a set of cards that have the same rank or value.
In Hand and Foot, a meld can consist of either clean sets (without wild cards) or dirty sets (including wild cards). Players score points by forming melds.
What are wild cards in Hand and Foot?
Wild cards are designated cards that can be used to represent any other card in a meld.
In most variations of Hand and Foot, Jokers and 2s are the wild cards, and they can be used to substitute for any card in a meld.
How is the scoring done in Hand and Foot?
Scoring in Hand and Foot is based on the value of the cards in the melds and any bonus points earned during play.
Red 3s are worth 100 points, Jokers are worth 50 points, and all other cards have a point value.
Bonus points are awarded for going out (completing all your melds first).
Can you add to your opponent's melds in Hand and Foot?
No, you cannot add to your opponent's melds. Each team works independently to create their own melds.
Are there variations in the rules of Hand and Foot?
Yes, there are several regional variations and house rules for Hand and Foot.
These can affect the number of decks used, the point values, and other aspects of gameplay.
It's important to establish the rules before starting a game of Hand and Foot.