<P> Canasta (/ kəˈnæstə /; Spanish for "basket") is a card game of the rummy family of games believed to be a variant of 500 Rum . Although many variations exist for two, three, five or six players, it is most commonly played by four in two partnerships with two standard decks of cards . Players attempt to make melds of seven cards of the same rank and "go out" by playing all cards in their hand . It is the only partnership member of the family of Rummy games to achieve the status of a classic . </P> <P> The game of Canasta was devised by Segundo Santos and Alberto Serrato in Montevideo, Uruguay, along with Dicy Louise Evans of Bonnyman, Kentucky, in 1939 . In the 1940s the game quickly spread in myriad variations to Chile, Peru, Brazil and Argentina, where its rules were further refined before being introduced to the United States in 1948, where it was then referred to as the Argentine Rummy game by Ottilie H. Reilly in 1949 and Michael Scully of Coronet magazine in 1953 . The game quickly became a card - craze boom in the 1950s providing a sales avalanche of card sets, card trays and books about the subject . </P> <P> The classic game is for four players in two partnerships . Variations exist for two and three player games wherein each plays alone, and also for a six player game in two partnerships of three . If partners are chosen they must sit opposite each other . Canasta uses two complete decks of 52 playing cards (French Deck) plus the four Jokers . All the Jokers and twos are wild cards . </P> <Table> Card functions <Tr> <Th> Card </Th> <Th> Value </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Red 3s </Td> <Td> Bonus points </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Black 3s </Td> <Td> Safe discard (may be melded when going out) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A </Td> <Td> Melding cards </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2, Joker </Td> <Td> Wild melding cards </Td> </Tr> </Table>

How many decks of cards for canasta with 4 players