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Wild cards cannot be added to a completed Canasta, however, natural cards can. It can be started with three or more natural cards.
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MELDSĪny meld can be started with a minimum of three cards and completed later by adding more cards.
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In subsequent turns, each player may add cards to those already shown or show new melds, without having to comply with the conditions to go out. The game continues in strict left to right turn and each player in turn must take the two top cards off the stock deck or take the discard pile with all the cards in it, provided that the first of these can be used immediately to display a meld, ending their turn by discarding one of their cards. Play is completed with the forced discard of a card from the player’s hand. Taking cards from the discard pile is not obligatory, it is possible to go out using the cards held if they reach the required valuation. If the two top cards of the stock deck are taken, it is not necessary to display cards, however, if the top card of the discard pile is taken then the player must go out.
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If a player’s hand is reduced to one card, they are obliged to announce this fact by saying “Pumpa” out loud and may not take a card from the discard pile unless the stock deck is finished. Taking the top card off the pile forces the player to take all the other cards that are in it. When the pile is frozen, that is to say when it contains a Red Three or wild card, it is necessary to have two natural cards in the hand equal to the top card on the pile in order to take it. The pile can also be taken when it is not frozen or when its top card is equal to that of a completed Canasta or that of an initial Canasta meld being played. The pile can never be taken by using two wild cards. After going out for the first time, that couple can take the discard pile without meeting the second condition, and as for the first condition, it is sufficient to have a card equal to the card on the top of the pile, with the other being supplemented by a wild card. The other cards that go to form the discard pile cannot be used until the cards held have been played and the points needed to go out have been reached, using the top card of the pile. It is not necessary to meet this second condition if a player “folds” when going out, i.e., showing all of their cards all at once. Only one player from each couple has to meet these conditions.
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