<P> It is exactly like the original canasta, in its original version . </P> <P> This variation originates in Slovakia . Since the definition of Canasta rules differed from player to player a strong urge has risen for unified rules . This in turn was satisfied by the creation of Boat Canasta, which really is a mix of other known rules, but thoroughly optimized . Currently this variant of Canasta is steadily gaining popularity mainly in Slovakia, but also in countries such as France, Germany and England . </P> <P> This version is a quad deck game that is played with a hand and a foot, unlike traditional canasta that just has a hand . Hand and Foot is a Canasta variant involving four to seven decks and is played by teams of two players (usually two teams, but it also works with three or four teams). The number of decks used is typically one more than the number of players, though this can vary . Due to the larger pool of available cards, it is much easier to form canastas in Hand and Foot than in standard Canasta, which changes the strategy considerably . Some players feel this version is more enjoyable for beginners . The variant was born in the 1970s; commercial decks to play Hand and Foot have been available since 1987 . Important rule changes for this variant include: </P> <Ul> <Li> Each player is dealt two piles of 11 cards, which will be referred to as the "hand" and the "foot". The hand is picked up normally, while the foot remains face down until the hand is exhausted . </Li> <Li> A player who melds all cards from the original hand picks up the foot as a new hand and continues playing . A player who exhausts the original hand by discarding picks up the foot as a new hand, but does not play from it until the next turn . </Li> <Li> On each turn, players draw two cards from the stock . Each player discards one card on each turn . </Li> <Li> The number of canastas required to go out are three red (or clean, i.e. no wild cards) and four black (dirty, i.e. with wild cards) canastas . When playing a singles game (that is, without partners), the requirement is one red canasta and two black canastas . </Li> <Li> Discards may be picked up with a natural pair, but a player must take the top five cards from the discard pile . </Li> <Li> Threes may not be melded; so, since the only way to get rid of them is by discarding them one at a time, the number of threes in your hand represents a minimum number of turns before you could possibly go out . </Li> <Li> Black threes (in your hand or foot) score five points, red threes are scored as negative 300 points . </Li> </Ul>

How many decks of cards for hand and foot canasta