How to Play Hand and Foot
How to Play Hand and Foot
Hand and Foot is a friendly rummy game for four players working in two partnerships. You first play the cards in your hand, then pick up your hidden foot and keep building sets until one team goes out. You need a normal deck of cards; for a full four-player game, gather five standard decks, including their jokers. You can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. Many families use slightly different rules, so this guide uses one common beginner-friendly partnership version.
Quick facts
| Detail | Common beginner rule |
|---|---|
| Players | 4 players, in 2 partnerships |
| Cards | 5 standard 52-card decks plus jokers |
| Starting cards | 13-card hand and 13-card foot per player |
| Goal | Make melds, complete piles, and go out |
| Game length | 4 deals, with one deal in each round |
What you are trying to do
Your team is trying to score more points than the other team after four deals. You score by placing groups of cards called melds. A meld is three to seven cards of the same rank, such as three nines or six queens. A seven-card meld is complete and is called a pile or canasta.
You and your partner share melds. Either teammate may add cards to a meld your team has already started. The challenge is to empty your hand, reach your foot, and then empty your foot while helping your partnership make the required piles.
What you need
Use five shuffled decks, counting two jokers in each deck. You also need a clear table, paper and pencil or a notes app for scoring, and four players. Sit opposite your partner so teammates alternate turns. Cards from 4 through ace can be used in ordinary melds. Twos and jokers are wild cards, meaning they can stand in for another rank. Threes have special rules instead of forming ordinary melds.
Set it up
Choose a dealer for the first round. One dealer deals four face-down stacks of 13 cards, one stack to each player. These are the hands. The dealer's partner deals four more face-down stacks of 13 cards, which become the feet. Each player keeps the foot face down and must not look at it yet.
Put the remaining cards face down in the middle as the stock, or draw pile. Turn one card face up beside it to begin the discard pile. If that first card is a red three or a wild card, bury it in the stock and turn up another card. Everyone picks up their hand, and the player to the dealer's left takes the first turn.
How to play
- Replace red threes. Before your first turn, place any red threes in your hand face up with your team's cards and draw one replacement card for each. If you draw a red three later, put it face up immediately and draw a replacement. Red threes are bonus cards, not ordinary meld cards. Black threes normally stay in your hand and are useful for blocking the discard pile.
- Draw cards. On a normal turn, draw the top two cards from the stock. Instead, you may take up to seven cards from the discard pile if its top card is not a three and you hold two cards of the same rank as that top card. Immediately use those two cards and the top discard to begin a meld. You may then take the rest of the selected cards, up to seven total.
- Make or add to melds. Put down three or more cards of one rank, or add matching cards to a partnership meld. At least twice as many natural cards as wild cards must appear in a mixed meld. For example, three eights and one two are legal, but one eight and two twos are not. A completely wild meld made only of twos and jokers is also allowed. No meld may exceed seven cards, and your team may not keep two unfinished melds of the same rank.
- Meet the first-meld target. The first time your partnership puts down cards in a round, their printed values must total at least 50 points in round one, 90 in round two, 120 in round three, or 150 in round four. You may combine several melds to reach the target. Red-three bonuses and the seven-card pile bonus do not count toward this opening target.
- Discard one card. End your turn by placing one card face up on the discard pile. A black three blocks the next player from picking up the discard pile. A wild card also makes the pile difficult to take, because the next player would need two matching wild cards to claim it.
- Move from hand to foot. When you play or discard the last card in your hand, pick up your face-down foot and continue playing on a later turn. If you finish your hand by melding every card, you may begin using the foot right away; otherwise, you wait until your next turn after the discard. Do not look at the foot before this transition.
- Build the required piles. To qualify to go out, your partnership must complete at least two clean piles, two dirty piles, and one wild pile. A clean pile has seven natural cards and no wild cards. A dirty pile has one or two wild cards while still following the natural-card rule. A wild pile has seven wild cards.
- Ask before going out. You may not end the deal until your partner has picked up their foot and played at least part of one turn from it. Ask your partner for permission. If they agree, meld all your remaining cards, or meld all but one and discard the final card.
How you win
The deal ends when a player legally gets rid of every card in both the hand and foot. Record each team's score. Add the values of cards in your team's melds, then add bonuses for completed piles and red threes. Subtract the values of cards left in either teammate's hand or foot.
Card values are: jokers 50 points; twos and aces 20; eights through kings 10; fours through sevens 5; and black threes 5. Each clean pile is worth 500 bonus points, each dirty pile 300, each wild pile 1,500, each red three 100, and going out 100. A red three that was not placed face up counts minus 100. Deal four rounds, changing the dealer to the left each time. The higher total wins.
Easy first-game tips
Keep pairs and triplets together so you can start melds quickly. Do not spend wild cards too early; they are valuable for completing piles and reaching the opening target. Watch the discard pile carefully, especially when an opponent throws away a card your team needs. Talk with your partner about which ranks to collect, but do not show one another hidden cards. Most importantly, check the go-out requirements before you empty your hand, because finishing first is not enough by itself.
Quick questions
Can my partner add cards to my meld?
Yes. Melds belong to the partnership, so either teammate can add matching natural or wild cards until that meld reaches seven cards.
Can I look at my foot early?
No. Keep it face down until you have used all the cards in your hand and are allowed to pick it up.