Our verdict: the easiest way to play Canasta and Hand and Foot online with a partner. Tableza deals classic four-player Canasta and Hand and Foot with the rules built in, three computer levels and private tables for friends. It’s free on desktop or mobile, with no download.
Best for: players learning the game, and partners who want a quick hand together from different homes.
What Is Tableza?
Tableza is an online platform for classic tabletop games. You play on desktop or mobile with no download, with a free account. Canasta and Hand and Foot sit alongside ten other classics, including cribbage, Spades, Euchre and Mexican Train.
The idea is simple: no casino look, no gambling, no ads. Just the game, the way you’d play it around the card table.
Classic Canasta
Tableza plays classic four-player Canasta in two partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other. It uses two decks plus four jokers, 108 cards in all.
The rules you’d normally have to remember are enforced for you:
- Jokers and 2s are wild
- Red threes are set aside and scored
- The discard pile freezes when needed
- Your team’s first meld must be worth at least 50 points
- Black threes can only be melded when you go out
New to the game? Read our How to Play Canasta guide first, and keep Canasta Scoring handy.
Hand and Foot
Tableza’s Hand and Foot is the four-player partnership game with five decks and jokers, 270 cards in all. You draw two cards a turn, and taking the discard pile gives you its top seven cards. Books are completed melds of seven cards.
To go out, both partners must have picked up their foot, and your team needs at least two clean and two dirty books. For the full rules, see our Hand and Foot Rules.
One Thing to Know: Single Hands
On Tableza, each game of Canasta or Hand and Foot is a single hand, not a full game played to 5,000 points. That suits a shorter session, but if you want to play a whole evening’s game to 5,000, you’ll keep the running total yourself, or use World of Card Games (see Alternatives).
Playing Against the Computer
You can practice against the computer at three levels: easy, medium and hard. The computer fills the other three seats, including your partner. In Canasta, easy mode has a Hint button that highlights the best meld you can lay down, which is a great way to learn when to meld and when to hold back.
Playing With Your Partner and Friends
Open a private table and invite your partner and two friends, so four of you can play from different homes. You can also use online matchmaking to find a game, and Tableza has a friends list and messages to line up the next one.
Play Canasta & Hand and Foot on Tableza
Practise against the computer or invite your partner and friends to a private table, on desktop or mobile.
Play free on Tableza →Free to play · No download
The Interface
The table is clean and easy to read, with your team’s melds laid out clearly. Because the rules are enforced, you can’t make an illegal meld or go out too early, which takes a lot of the stress out of learning.
Is Tableza Free?
Yes. You can play against the computer, use online matchmaking and invite friends to private tables for free, with no credit card. There are no ads and no gambling.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free on desktop or mobile, no download
- Classic Canasta and Hand and Foot in one place
- Rules enforced, from wild cards to the minimum first meld
- Three computer levels, with hints in Canasta
- Private tables for four friends
- No ads, no casino feel
Cons
- Each game is a single hand, not a full game to 5,000
- Four-player partnership games only (no 2- or 3-player Canasta)
- No Modern American Canasta or Samba
- No native mobile app yet (the web version works on phones)
Who Should Play on Tableza?
Tableza is the best fit if you’re learning Canasta or Hand and Foot: the rules are enforced and the hints show you good melds. It also suits regular partners who want a quick hand together without setting up a table.
If you want full games to 5,000, Modern American Canasta or tournaments, look at the alternatives below.
Alternatives to Tableza
- World of Card Games: free Canasta and Hand and Foot played to 5,000, with no signup.
- Canasta Junction: the home of Modern American Canasta, with live games and daily tournaments (paid membership).
- Canasta by LITE Games: a classic Canasta app with partners and customisable rules.
See every option compared in our Play Canasta Online guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tableza free?
Yes. Games against the computer, online matchmaking and private tables are all free with an account, and no credit card is needed.
Can I play Hand and Foot online with friends on Tableza?
Yes. Open a private table and invite three friends.
Does Tableza play a full game to 5,000 points?
No. Each game on Tableza is a single hand.
Can I play two-player Canasta on Tableza?
No. Tableza plays four-player partnership Canasta. For the two-player rules, see our 2-Player Canasta guide.
Is Tableza good for beginners?
Yes. The rules are enforced and easy mode has hints in Canasta. Keep our free Canasta Cheat Sheet beside you for your first games.
