Canasta scoring confuses a lot of beginners because points come from several different places at once — the cards in your melds, the canastas you complete, your red threes, and bonuses for going out. On top of that, cards left in your hand count against you.
This page covers every source of points in Classic Canasta, clearly and in one place.
When Does Scoring Happen?
Scoring happens at the end of each round, once a player has gone out. Both partnerships count their points at the same time.
The game is played over multiple rounds until one partnership reaches 5,000 points. Running totals are kept between rounds.
Card Point Values
Every card has a point value. These values count for cards in completed melds — and count against you for cards still in your hand when the round ends.
| Card | Point value |
|---|---|
| Joker | 50 |
| Two (wild card) | 20 |
| Ace | 20 |
| King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8 | 10 |
| 7, 6, 5, 4 | 5 |
| Black three | 5 |
| Red three | 100 (scored separately — see below) |
Canasta Bonuses
Completing a canasta — a meld of seven cards — is the most important scoring event in the game. You must complete at least one canasta to be allowed to go out.
| Canasta type | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Natural canasta (no wild cards) | 500 points |
| Mixed canasta (contains wild cards) | 300 points |
These bonuses are added on top of the card values in the meld.
Red Three Bonuses
Red threes (3♥ and 3♦) are placed face up on the table as soon as you draw them — they never sit in your hand. At the end of the round they score as follows:
| Red threes held | Points |
|---|---|
| 1 red three | 100 |
| 2 red threes | 200 |
| 3 red threes | 300 |
| All 4 red threes | 800 (doubled bonus) |
Important: Red threes only score in your favour if your partnership has made at least one meld during the round. If your partnership made no melds at all, the red three values are subtracted from your score instead of added.
👉 Canasta Red Threes Explained
Going Out Bonus
When a player goes out and ends the round, their partnership earns a bonus:
| How you go out | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Standard going out | 100 points |
| Going out concealed | 200 points |
Going out concealed means a player goes out in a single turn without having melded anything previously during that round — playing every card from their hand at once.
Cards Left in Hand — Penalties
Any cards remaining in a player’s hand when the round ends are subtracted from that partnership’s score. This includes both the player who did not go out and their partner.
This is why holding high-value cards like aces, jokers and wild cards late in the game is risky — if you are caught with them in hand, they cost you points instead of earning them.
How to Count Your Score at the End of a Round
Add up the following for your partnership:
- Card values in all completed melds
- Canasta bonuses — 500 per natural, 300 per mixed
- Red three bonuses — 100 each, 800 for all four
- Going out bonus — 100 or 200
Then subtract:
- Card values of cards remaining in hand
- Red three values — only if your partnership made no melds (rare, but it happens)
The result is your score for that round. Add it to your running total.
Scoring Example
Partnership A completes the round with:
- Two natural canastas: 2 × 500 = 1,000
- One mixed canasta: 1 × 300 = 300
- Cards in melds: 180
- Two red threes: 200
- Going out bonus: 100
- Cards remaining in hand: −40
Total for the round: 1,740 points
Initial Meld Requirements
Before your partnership can lay down any meld, your first meld must reach a minimum point value based on your current score. This affects your strategy — the higher your score gets, the more you need to commit to your opening meld.
| Current score | Minimum first meld |
|---|---|
| Negative | 15 points |
| 0 to 1,495 | 50 points |
| 1,500 to 2,995 | 90 points |
| 3,000 or more | 120 points |
Quick Scoring Reference
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Natural canasta | +500 |
| Mixed canasta | +300 |
| Each red three | +100 |
| All four red threes | +800 |
| Going out | +100 |
| Going out concealed | +200 |
| Joker (in meld) | +50 |
| Wild card / two (in meld) | +20 |
| Ace (in meld) | +20 |
| K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8 (in meld) | +10 |
| 7, 6, 5, 4, black 3 (in meld) | +5 |
| Cards left in hand | −face value |
Related Guides
- Canasta Rules — Complete Guide
- How to Play Canasta
- Canasta Red Threes Explained
- Wild Cards & Jokers in Canasta
- The Discard Pile in Canasta
- Hand and Foot Scoring
Written by Carol Vance — Last updated 2026