Canasta Score Sheet: Print It or Keep Score Online
Quick answer
Print a canasta score sheet for two sides, “We” and “They”, with a column for each part of canasta scoring: natural and mixed canastas, red threes, going out, card points, the hand total and the running total. Or keep score online below: enter what each side has and the total adds itself up.
Printable canasta score sheet
One line per hand, 14 hands per page: most games end in 6 to 12. Write the bonuses for each side, then the card points (melded cards minus cards left in hand), the hand total and the running total. The row at the top reminds you how many points your first meld needs.
Canasta Score Sheet
| Minimum first meld — score below 0: 15 · 0 to 1,495: 50 · 1,500 to 2,995: 90 · 3,000 or more: 120. Game to 5,000. | ||||||||||||||
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| Natural canastas | Mixed canastas | Red threes | Going out | Card points | Hand total | Running total | Natural canastas | Mixed canastas | Red threes | Going out | Card points | Hand total | Running total | |
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Natural canasta 500 · Mixed 300 · Red three 100 each, all four 800 (minus if no meld) · Going out 100, concealed 200 · Card points = melded cards − cards left in hand.
Canasta Scoring at a Glance
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Joker | 50 |
| Ace, Two | 20 |
| King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8 | 10 |
| 7, 6, 5, 4 | 5 |
| Black three | 5 |
| Bonus | Points |
|---|---|
| Natural canasta (no wild cards) | 500 |
| Mixed canasta (1–3 wild cards) | 300 |
| Each red three | 100 |
| All four red threes | 800 |
| Going out | 100 |
| Going out concealed (in all) | 200 |
Red threes count minus if your side made no meld. Bonuses don't count toward the first-meld minimum. Minimum first meld — score below 0: 15 · 0 to 1,495: 50 · 1,500 to 2,995: 90 · 3,000 or more: 120.
Online canasta scorekeeper
No pencil? Enter each hand here. Use the − and + buttons or type a number. The box under each side shows the canasta scoring line by line, so you can check it.
Canasta scorekeeper
Enter what each side has at the end of a hand. The total adds itself up. Your scores stay on this device.
Hand 1. First side to 5,000 wins.
How canasta scoring works
- Count each side's canastas: 500 for a natural one, 300 for a mixed one.
- Add red threes: 100 each, or 800 for all four. If the side made no meld, they count minus.
- Add 100 for the side that went out (200 if concealed).
- Add the points of every card in the side's melds, and subtract the points of the cards left in both partners' hands.
- Add the hand total to the running total. The first side to 5,000 wins.
New to the game? Read the full canasta rules, with a scoring example worked out step by step.
If you like Canasta, try
Hand and Foot
2–6 players · 90 min · Learn in a game or two
Canasta’s big-family cousin: play your hand, then pick up your foot.
Phase 10 rules
2–6 players · 60 min · Easy to learn
Rules, the list of all 10 phases and free score sheets.
Gin Rummy
2 players · 20 min · Easy to learn
Build runs and sets, then knock when your leftovers are low.
Questions people ask
How do you keep score in canasta?
After each hand, each side writes down its bonuses (natural canastas 500, mixed canastas 300, red threes 100 each or 800 for all four, going out 100), adds the points of its melded cards and subtracts the points of the cards left in its hands. Add the hand total to the running total. The first side to 5,000 wins.
What is the minimum meld in canasta?
It depends on your side’s running total at the start of the hand: 15 below zero, 50 from 0 to 1,495, 90 from 1,500 to 2,995 and 120 from 3,000 up. The score sheet has a reminder row for it.
Can a canasta score be negative?
Yes. If the cards left in your hands are worth more than your melds and bonuses, the hand score is negative. Red threes also count minus when your side made no meld at all. A side’s running total can go below zero, and then its first meld needs only 15 points.
What size paper does the canasta score sheet print on?
US Letter, landscape. It also fits A4. Page 1 is the score sheet with 14 hands; page 2 is a scoring reference. Black ink only. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print window to keep a copy.
Does the online scorekeeper save my game?
Yes, on this device, in your browser. Close the page and come back later: the hands are still there. “New game” clears them after asking you first.