Hand 'n Foot vs. Canasta

Hand 'n Foot is basically a variation of Canasta. Since Canasta is the more well-known and established card game, we'll start by describing how Canasta works and how it differs from Hand 'n Foot.

Canasta was invented nearly 70 years ago to possess the best strategies of Rummy and Bridge. It wasn't long before a Canasta craze swept through the Americas. In Canasta, the goal is to create melds of cards before going out. Each meld is a "canasta," which is Spanish for basket. Each canasta consists of seven cards of the same rank. You get huge points for canastas, and the number of canastas determines who wins the game. Canasta is a lot like Rummy, except in Rummy the focus is on going out as quickly as possible. Having leftover cards is a bad thing when you're playing Rummy.

The Hand 'n Foot game is a lot like Canasta in this way: You want to make melds (canastas) before you go out. There are two major differences, though. First, Hand 'n Foot requires more cards, usually four to six decks, which makes it easier to form melds. Second, players get two hands of cards instead of just one: The Hand, and the Foot. The Foot may only be played once the Hand has been used up.

Hand 'n Foot is a game whose outcome depends on a combination of strategy and luck. Although Hand 'n Foot is not as well known as Canasta, many players are fond of this game. Some believe that it is even more satisfying than Canasta for beginners since it's easier to make melds.