Quick Rules
Hand and Foot is a partnership card game from the Canasta family. You and your partner (North, sitting across from you) play against West and East. Five decks are shuffled together, and each player gets two piles of 11 cards: a hand to play first and a foot to play after that.
- Your turn. Draw two cards from the stock (or pick up the discard pile), put down melds if you like, then discard one card.
- Melds. Three or more cards of the same rank, 4s through aces. Jokers and 2s are wild, but a meld needs at least two natural cards and never more wild cards than natural ones.
- Books. A meld of seven cards is a book. A clean book (no wild cards) earns 500 points; a dirty book earns 300.
- First meld. Each round your team's first meld must add up to a minimum: 50 points in round 1, then 90, 120 and 150.
- Hand, then foot. When you run out of cards in your hand, you pick up your foot and keep going.
- Threes. Red 3s are set aside for 100 points each. A discarded black 3 stops the next player from picking up the pile.
- Going out. Once you are in your foot and your team has at least one clean and one dirty book, ask your partner, then meld or discard your last cards.
- Winning. Add up books, melded cards and bonuses, minus cards left in hand. The higher team total after four rounds wins.
Playing here: tap cards to select them, then press Make a new meld or tap one of your team's piles on the table to add to it. Your hand is sorted by rank with the wild cards at the end, and the current meld minimum is shown on screen. Stuck? Press Hint.
Tips for Winning
- Books first, points second. You can't go out without a clean and a dirty book, and books are where the big points are.
- Protect your clean books. Don't drop a wild card onto a pile that could still become a 500-point clean book.
- Don't race into your foot too early. Arriving in your foot with nothing on the table leaves your team with few places to play.
- Use black 3s wisely. Discarding one blocks the pile for the next player, which is handy when the pile is big.
- Watch the opponents' foot. When an opponent picks up their foot, the end of the round may be close. Get your loose cards down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hand and Foot free to play here?
Yes. You can play as many games as you like for free, with no account, no sign-up and no download.
Does the computer cheat?
No. The computer players only see their own cards and what is on the table and in the discard pile, the same as you. They never see your cards or the order of the stock. At the end of every hand you can press Show All Hands to see every hand and the cards left in the stock. Every deal has a number, such as Deal #48213, and Replay This Deal replays the exact same shuffle. You can also tap Why? next to a computer move to see the reason for it.
Can I play with my family's rules?
Yes. Open Settings and choose House Rules. You can take the whole discard pile instead of seven cards, require two clean and two dirty books to go out, skip asking your partner, use the same 50-point minimum every round, and more. Each option is explained on our Rule Variations page.
What is a clean book and a dirty book?
A book is a pile of seven cards of the same rank. A clean book, also called a natural or red book, has no wild cards and earns a 500-point bonus. A dirty book, also called a black book, has at least one joker or 2 in it and earns 300.
Why can't I pick up the discard pile?
You need two natural cards in your hand of the same rank as the top card. You can't pick up the pile when the top card is a wild card or a black 3. If your team has not melded yet this round, the top card, your pair and anything else you meld that turn must also add up to the round's minimum.
Why can't I go out?
You can only go out after you have picked up your foot, and your team needs at least one clean book and one dirty book on the table. You also have to ask your partner first. If your partner says no, you have to wait until your next turn.
What happens when I get a red 3?
Red 3s are never melded. The game places each one face up in front of you and gives you a replacement card from the stock. Each red 3 is worth 100 points to your team, but a red 3 left in a foot that was never picked up costs 500.
What do Easy, Normal and Hard do?
Easy computer players make simpler choices and sometimes miss good plays. Normal players play a steady, sensible game. Hard players think further ahead about books, the discard pile and when to go out. Every level follows the same rules and sees only what you could see in its seat.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. Your game is saved in your browser after every move. Close the page and come back later, and you can pick up where you left off on the same device.
More help: the full rules, the rule variations behind each House Rules option, and our free Canasta game if you'd like to try Hand and Foot's older cousin.
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