The whole pile may be collected if it contains less than seven cards. Having two hands makes scoring at the end interesting, because if a player is not in their foot yet all of those cards count against that player and their partnership. Whether youre looking for a modern and fun new game to play with family and friends. I may suggest playing an additional game or making a house rule for a tie-breaker! around the table in clockwise rotation. This site recommends for two players 5 standard decks. I hope this helps. The other couple said we could not do that and had to break up a book to cover the 25 point difference, thus costing us the 300 point bonus for that book. I hope this helps. Setups. and another pile of 11 cards (face down) to each of the players for their foot. I play with a group that is inconsistent in how to SCORE a 1500 run of clean 7s. Does the going out team both have to be in their foot before one of them can go out? Once you have that total you will subtract the points lost from the remaining cards in your hand. Hi Dolores, the game rules are the same expect each player plays for themselves and not in a partnership. A player cannot choose to draw less than 7 from the discard (but may end up drawing less if there are not 7 cards in the pile to begin with) and cannot split their draws between the two piles. What is the penalty for mistakenly starting a third run. WebA range of Card Trays is also available. Is there any rule that way you CAN NOT pick up the discard pile when you first meld? This would equal a net minus 75 points. A players turn can consist of making a meld or adding to one they or their partner has previously made. Red 3s and complete book bonuses do not count. Once a team has completed a Clean and Dirty book and once one of the players in that team has played all of the cards in their Foot, they may go out and end the round. Hi Greg, a player cannot put down 3 wild cards to start a book. The Hand and Foot rules on the site (as far as my research would have me believe) are the standard rules. Can you shed some light on whether we were correct in making a red book out of the 9s. If To score simply total up all the points you would score from your books and other point sources. A completed book of 5s and a meld of two 4s with a wild card. Hi Martha, an all wild card book is called a wild book and is worth 1500 points. Although natural cards can still be added to canastas, the cards making up a canasta are usually stacked and put to the side to indicate they are a canasta. While teams may have books of the same rank, a new meld cannot be started until the same ranked meld has been completed first. Thank you! Hi Nancy, you can pick up your foot by discarding both types of 3s. During an initial meld does a clean book count for the face value? When my turn came, I had 7 nines in my hand so I laid them all down as a red book. My question is about discarding wildcards. Thank you so much. You can either add cards to an already established meld or create a new meld, but you cannot do both in a single turn. <> Unless you go out, however, you must always have at least one card in your hand. Drawing two cards form the top of the stock pile. Scoring consists of two parts: bonuses and the point values of the cards. Unlike Classic Canasta, the score for each round has no bearing on the game. Hi Emily, if your partner does not permit you to go out then you must keep tow cards in your hand. We had rules for the molds for each hand in a game. The instructions below are the best fit for a 4 player game with partners. 3Ve:c4B0 P:_`0r Se[*-s'b'HRd7O e]}/gf- 2 ewfh! If a player lays down 5 cards and then wants to start a dirty meld they are still playing that hand can they add a wild card to the hand to make it dirty? If the last card from the player's initial hand is discarded, they wait until their next turn If team players sit across from each other, than the the play is: team A, team A, team B, team B. I think Im missing something. General information about the game (like scores, number of cards in the deck, etc.) They cannot be played- only discarded. I hope this helps. I hope this helps. Burying it would also be a suitable action, as long as all other cards are facedown in the stockpile. 'p1v=GV%[N/" `)l2 2j"hf1n,E#- 0pVtbkMWr %}m9Qild3M;\0bmTKgEw.Z Please let me know if this does not help and I will do everything I can to answer your question correctly. Hi Carl, a players partner may add to a meld, as teammates share melds together. If the deck is completely depleted when a player is required to draw a card, the hand ends immediately, Before gameplay can begin, every player draws a card from the deck. Suits are irrelevant except for 3's as described below. These two stacks of cards must remain separate. The card on top of the book indicates the kind of meld (discussed below): red card for clean books, black card for dirty books, and a joker for wild books. I should note we keep score on a net basis. How many decks are used and how do the other rules vary? You and your partner keep a common set of melds (in the light green area above your hand) Heres a link to that if interested. Are you allowed to have four cards in your hand that match and instead of starting a meld and laying down the 4 like cards you pick up the discarded pile and make your meld? endobj Wild cards (2's and jokers) can be used as any rank except for threes. 2) One player in the partnership has picked up their foot and played at least a single turn from it. Thank you for your question, and I hope you have a lovely day. We play hand and foot in a virtual world setting. Choose one pair to deal first. three 3's), and must include more natural cards than wild cards. At the end of every turn a player must discard one card but also keep at least one card in their hand if they are not able to go out (see Going Out). Ive read where you can use the top car in your meld total and Ive read where you must have your total meld not including the top card but our friends say its a rule that you have to have your meld played and you can not pick up the pile at all until your next turn, assuming a card is played that you want. A book is just a meld until a 7th card is played. Hi Vicki, you need your partners permission in order to go out because once you do go out the game ends. This game does not have standard rules and is also played with a variety of variations. In other words, when his draw is over, should he have drawn a total of 4 cards, or a total of 6 cards? Opponents cannot add to the other teams melds, however, if that is what your question is asking. Like most other games, the partnership with the highest score wins. My understanding is that there are no set rules, yet in some of your answers, you call certain plays as not legal. I hope this helps. A meld is formed with 3 to 7 cards of equal rank. However, I would ask your playgroup if they would be okay with one or both of these suggestions. The second question I am a bit confused by. I hope this helps. I hope this helps. If I have six 5s in a meld and the player before me places a 5 on the Discharge Pile, may I pick up the top 7 cards in the Discharge Pile and play the 5 (top card) on my six 5s to complete a Clean Book? Extreme Hand and Foot Features : - Basic and Detailed Game Rules. Hand and Foot Rules According to traditional rules of Hand and Foot, the top card from the stock must be discarded at the start of the game. The minimum count for the initial meld depends on which round the game is on as shown in the table below. Thanks. If your partner denies you, you may not go out. 1 0 obj If you are picking up from the discard pile, the three mandatory cards to meld may count toward this stipulation, however, the other 6 cards drawn do not count. Hi Susan, yes a wild meld can be made up of all twos. We are trying to play with five players, how is this done? You are dealt 2 hands (a hand and a foot) and you must play through both! Hi Al, hopefully I understand your question but if not let me know. You can control the volume of the sounds (or turn them off completely) with the volume control buttons on your tablet. Hi Trish, I looked into your inquiry and did find a source that states that you cannot start a new meld of the same rank until the previous one is finished. During play, could a person start the book with 2 kings and a wild card and on a later play add another wild card? Is this a correct reasoning? Hi Andrew, there are not any official penalties for this circumstance. 5. Each club has their own variation on rules. I remember the first round was 2 3 or more of a kind. These all must contain 7 cards and be squared books. Hi Terry, I do not believe so. Tap the deck to shuffle and deal 11 cards to each of the players for their hand, Can you add a wild card to a clean pile (making it dirty) even if you have a natural in your hand? If you have a card that plays but you dont have anything else to throw away, do you have to throw that card away? Hi Deborah, I am a little confused by your question. Teammates should sit across from each other. How To Hold A Dart (The Basics Of Proper Dart Grip), How to Play Tien Len: Vietnams Card Game, 8 Most Popular French Card Games to Play With Friends, How to Play 3 Card Brag Game | Rules and Instructions. Hello Alex, thank you for sharing your variation of play with us. The cards will be sorted with higher point value cards on the left and lower point value cards to the right. I have searched for hand and foot canasta rules online and have yet to find a main set of rules, similar to what you find for classic canasta. Thank you. Playing Hand and Foot Players should work together to build up melds. WebHand and Foot is a North American game related to Canasta, in which each player is dealt two sets of cards - the Hand, which is played first, and the Foot, which is played when the This is probably the most difficult and lengthy part of the game. A red card indicates a canasta that doesn't contain wild cards, or a natural canasta. When a meld contains 7 cards it is then considered a canasta. i.e. After either partner makes the initial meld, melds may be made without worrying about the count of the card being laid down. When trying to get to the foot can you make a book with a wild card and then add another card all in the same turn in order to get rid of cards to pick up foot? A meld in itself can be added to as long as it has less than 7 cards. I am not sure how you are getting the forth red three, red threes cannot be melded traditionally so if you were holding a red three or drew it, it should already be played on the table. Hi Sue, yes, 5 decks are used for all number of players 2 through 7. Unless you have a 3rd 5 to use to start the meld you would not be able to draw the 5 from the discard. You have the first turn for the first hand when you launch the game. Can you please speak to the flexibility of rules by agreement. ]GJ}y Czq+ :t(&@V+t=.Wdj 1'\mrsXeyUkU!4F2lc[dD/`zp91YA> Can extra cards be added to closed dirty or clean books? Threes, however, may not be melded in a normal way. The wild cards do not exceed the number of kings. WebCanasta rules require 2 decks of cards, including the jokers, for a total of 104 cards. Red canastas are usually more desirable because they have a higher bonus, but because you need 7 cards of one value they are often harder to get. Lay down a card by dragging it into the light green area. Canasta uses two complete decks of 52 playing cards (French Deck) plus the four Jokers. Alternatively, you can play that each player gets dealt 15 cards, draw two on their turns, and must have two fo each needed books in order to go out. YOPu must also meld at least 3 cards, but can also meld more as well. Hi Karen, Hand and Foot is a game with a ton of known variations so there are a lot of ways to play. To go out a player needs 2 dirty books (also known as a dirty meld of 7 cards), 2 clean books (also known as a clean meld of 7 cards), and 1 wild book (also known as a wild meld of 7 cards). Melds can be made or added to, at the player's discretion provided that they have already met the initial meld requirements. A "clean" canasta has no wild cards. We had books, but no red 3s and a number of cards in melds that were not completed to make a book ( i call that the tableau). 5.9. We also have video instructions on how to play HAnd and foot on our youtube channel that may help as well. Discard a single card to the top of the discard pile, face-up. <> 2. In other words, If I finish a meld of 8s on my turn I cannot then start a new meld of another number. That's 270 cards total, if you feel like counting them all. You must receive permission from your partner to go out, meld the remainder of your cards but one, and discard the last card. For your question, no you cannot have more wilds than natural cards when melding. To take the discard pile, the player must show the pair that matches the top card and meld those cards immediately. When I usually play Hand and Foot Canasta, we just sit down at the table, and the person you are sitting across from becomes your partner. I would suggest offending players must pick back up the wrongly melded cards into their hands. The bonuses awarded for each situation are given below: In the above table it is important to note that the going out bonus is only scored once per partnership, but the other bonuses are scored for each player and added into a single score for the partnership. I have also never found the set of rules that was taught to me. I hope this helps. Thank you for using Gamerules.com! After the top card of the taken discard pile is properly played, the other cards taken will be In order to draw from discard, you must hold at least 2 cards of the same rank as the discard, and you may hold more. To begin the game each player takes a stack of cards Scoring can be done in any order the score keeper wishes. This version of the game is adapted to play on an Android-based tablet. Want to learn more about how to play Hand and Foot, check out some of these resources: Bar Games 101 is a website devoted to helping you learn about the best games to play with your friends. BUT do we also get to count the seven 5 point cards in our total card count? A meld is a group cards of the same ranks. Clean books are worth 500 points but thats for scoring at the end of the game. Play Hand and Foot board game online. Are players allowed to communicate (discuss what cards they are holding) during play via private messages? No external site were used in writing the Hand and Foot Rules given on this site. Wild cards must be dragged and dropped onto a specific pile. Hi Michell, so I would like to preface my answers by saying that Hand and Foot is one of the most variable games out there. Hi Tina, yes the game requires the full 5 decks. I hope this helps! Each deal poses a minimum requirement for the total point value of the cards which make up the first meld createdin a partnership. 4 0 obj Hi Tom, yes you can always add a wild to your books. When trying to get into your foot, can you add a wild card to an already completed book? and then drop it by removing your finger (or stylus) at the new location for the card. Also, can you count the already started meld as your two needed cards to pick up from the discard pile?? <>/Metadata 203 0 R/ViewerPreferences 204 0 R>> 2007-2023 Cool Old Games Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Sitemap | Contact. With the exception of 3's, the suit of a card has no meaning in this game -- only the card's value. For example, if a player has 25 points left in their hand, they can remove 25 points worth of cards from the table instead of subtraction points on the score sheet. Play begins with the player to the left of the hand dealer and passes clockwise. (Or in many cases, actually outscore my team.). Slots are one of the most popular casino games around https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pouzMMQ6-u0, Learn How to Play All Your Favourite Card Games at an Online Casino, A look at the future of online gambling in Canada, Similarities And Differences Between Video Games And Video Slots At Online Casinos, Slots Rules: How To Play Slots For Beginners. This was a confusing situation that popped up. I decide I do not want to. Home Cards and Dice How to Play Hand and Foot: A Canasta Game for Beginners. Do they have to have 2 wild cards to pick up or just 2 of any kind of cards to pick up. The total score for a partnership for the round is the total of the above mentioned values. You may draw the top seven cards of the discard pile if the top card is a wild card, if you have two wild cards, and you immediately meld three or more wild cards including the wild card drawn. Your melds on the table do not count for this. And sometimes during a players turn they just hand wild cards to their partner and say play them anywhere during their turn. In most of the rules I have seen the wild book can be made of jokers and 2s. Then three cards must be melded (the two matching cards and the top) and then others may be melded as well. To set up a game of Hand and Foot, players need to form a circle around a stable playing area. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The scaring is only done once during the game though, at the ends, so a cumulative or running score is not kept. His team is now open. Choose which partnership 2 0 obj Here you are saying that you pick up 7 cards. At the end of each turn, one card is discarded. When a player uses all the cards in their hand (by playing them in melds or discarding them), The team with three books gets zero bonus points. Rules. Hand and Foot uses about 5 or 6 decks of standard playing cards and is played with 2-6 players. 10+ 2-8. Hi Carolyn, while not required, I often use a scoring sheet to make scoring easier. The only way that you can pick up the discard pile is if a player has a natural card in their hand. I hope this helps. You cannot pick up from the discard pile if the top card is a 3 or a wild card. You will also need to empty your foot and your partners permission to go out. Recently we started plying hand and foot. 1. The values of the cards are used for two purposes, determining how many cards are necessary to meet the minimum initial meld value and in scoring a hand after some one has gone out. Red and black 3's serve little purpose in this game. %PDF-1.3 The player's very last card must be discarded (not played on a meld). If your question is can you pull from the discard before you have made any melds, the answer is yes. So for your example to work you would have to have 2 Kings in hand and the top of the discard must be the King. You only score 1500 for a wild book. It requires 5-6 decks of standard playing cards and is suitable for ages 12 and up. Only the top card is relevant for the player/team to pick up the rest of the discard pile. If you mean drawing from the discard pile then yes. If the card happens to be a 3 or a Joker (wild card) it is then buried within the stock and a new card is flipped over. If you do not wish to draw two cards from the stock you maydraw sevencards from the discard. The hand and card game is Canastas variation. Hand and Foot is typically played as a partner game, partners sit across from each other at the table. You are not forced to play the 10 even if you have it in your hand. I hope this helps. In order to go out three requirements need to be met. 4. Can I change that play before I end my turn by discarding? WebHand and Foot Canasta Rules.pdf - Google Docs Loading These rules can be viewed by tapping the "Rules" button. It can be described as a simpler, easier version of Canasta for beginners. I dont remember after that and there were quite a few rounds. Hi Wendy, here are the three requirements in order to go out: 1) The partnership must have completed 2 dirty books, 2 clean books, and 1 wild book. In the other, we can only pick up 5 cards. Secondly, I have never heard of breaking a book for any reason, so I am not sure what your friends were referring to with this. (one of which is your partner). A "dirty" canasta has one or more wild cards. At this point discarding is optional. The first player to go is usually the score keeper and rotates to the left. Does the Wild book have to be all 2s or can it be a mixture of Joker and Dueces? When taking the pile, Not necessarily applied to just Hand And Foot. 2. unless your partner permits you to go out you must end each turn with two cards in hand, one to discard and one to keep playing with. This is definitely more my cup of tea, and the reason this site was formed. If one team has a red book of 10s can they make another book of red 10s or a book of dirty 10s? I do try to be mindful of variations when I answer questions but there are so many that this becomes very difficult unless they are specified in the question asked. A seven card meld is called a book or a pile. This Game is played using 4 / 6 standard Card decks. Foot stacks are to be placed around the stock and the discard pile. When a player discards a wild card, the discard becomes frozen and remains frozen for the rest of the round. whats the seating arrangments for when 6 players play and three (two person teams) around the table. Thanks much! The rules for any number of players are the same as when you are playing with four players. I hope this helps. If you had cards remaining in hand you would total their value. You may play as many legal melds as you wish from the cards in your hand. Hi Joan, yes it is technically possible for a team to have 3 books, as long as one of them is a dirty book. Hi Patti, because the rules state that the cards have to be of equal rank of the card drawn, I would say you have to have two cards of the same rank to draw the wild. This means either player in a partnership may add to any of the melds they both create, unless the meld has reached seven cards. Hello, when playing the last round one team declared they went out. These values count for you (or your team) if they are melded and against you (or your team) if they are not at the end of the game. If you have any natural cards in your hand, you may not discard a wild card, you may only discard a wild card when a wild card is the only option. We play completely different for one you start with double the decks to people. Hi Patsy, so sorry to hear about you having trouble finding this answer, but yes when you place a meld (or a book if all 7 are laid down at once) they use the sum of the values of their cards for the total value of the meld. I am new to this game and still trying to learn the rules, so I apologize if this is a dumb question. Some times a player does not see the advantage of playing a card elsewhere. Variations on the rules and structure of the game then followed. % As per the rulings you stated in your comment, it would seem it is not a legal play. After a player makes all of the moves they can, they end their turn by discarding one card. Both teams can collect bonus points in addition to the card values. The swipe must start somewhere in open space on the table (to distinguish it from selecting a card in your hand). If the last card from the player's hand is played into a meld, then they pick up their foot and 3-8 players or WebAll City Events. Ive not found any rules regarding the discarding of wild cards, any thoughts? Hi Carl, thank you! If they were empty handed then they would just continue to draw 2 cards on their next turn?? With four players, each person gets to start one hand, since there are four rounds. The ruling you posted says you cannot play a meld that forces you to discard a wild card. 3. continue their play without waiting. <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Standard playing cards and is also played with a variety of variations whole pile may be if... If this is definitely more my cup of tea, and the values... And 2s jokers, for a 4 player game with partners bonus points in to. Ive not found any rules regarding the discarding of wild cards must be dragged and dropped onto specific! Total you will also need to empty your Foot and your partners permission to go.. Here you are playing with four players, how is this done cup of tea, must! Turn can consist of making a house rule for a modern and fun new game to play 10!, while not required, I would suggest offending players must pick back up wrongly... With us it by removing your finger ( or turn them off ). Will be sorted with higher point value cards to start the meld you would from! From each other at the end of the 9s viewed by tapping the `` rules ''.. Other games, the player must show the pair that matches the top of moves... Certain plays as not legal that is inconsistent in how to score a run. Equal rank you may play as many legal melds as you wish the. To have 2 wild cards provided that they have to have 2 wild cards is there! Is a game round the game each player takes a stack of cards to their has. The minimum count for this circumstance be added to, at the of... Were correct in making a house rule for a 4 player game with partners, I had 7 in... Okay with one or both of these suggestions other games, the suit of a card elsewhere of and... Stylus ) at the table back up the discard pile? all wild card dragged and dropped hand and foot canasta rules specific.: c4B0 P: _ ` 0r Se [ * -s ' b'HRd7O ]... Apologize if this is definitely more my cup of tea, and the discard pile face-up! The other, we earn from qualifying purchases and rotates to the right 10s or book. Dealer and passes clockwise Dolores, the answer is yes thank you for sharing your variation of with! How many decks are used and how do the other rules vary 's, the discard pile play on Android-based! Answer is yes forced to play the 10 even if you do not exceed the number of cards the... Cards they are holding ) during play via private messages of kings both! Of all twos and friends deck, etc. ) requires 5-6 decks of in... Rules '' button the whole pile may be melded in a virtual world.... Is not a legal play we play completely different for one you start with double the decks to people the! All number of players 2 through 7 three 3 's, the answer is yes hands ( hand., at the table be used as any rank except for 3 's as described below very... Placed around the table to have 2 wild cards to start a is! Is definitely more my cup of tea, and must include more natural cards when melding third.! Wild book can be described as a partner game, partners sit across from each other at the,! Left and lower point value cards to start the meld you would score from your books 2s or can be... You may not be able to draw the hand and foot canasta rules from the discard you! Up from the discard pile when you first meld turn they just hand and Foot players to... We earn from qualifying purchases decks are used and how do the other teams melds, however, am... Molds for each round has no bearing on the game ( like scores, number of kings cards their. The jokers, for a partnership more of a kind and is played canasta the... Meld or adding to one they or their partner has previously made about the count of the game is to... Some light on whether we were correct in making a house rule for a player... Is definitely more my cup of tea, and I hope you have that you... 3 's ), and must include more natural cards when melding stable playing.! The pile, the hand and foot canasta rules ( like scores, number of cards to pick up the. Used for all number of cards in your hand to one they or their partner and say play them during. Must be melded ( the two matching cards and is suitable for ages 12 and up both of suggestions... Is usually the score keeper and rotates to the card values played on a net basis hi,! Required, I am a little confused by your question is can you pull from the pile... Karen, hand and Foot uses about 5 or 6 decks of 52 playing and. This game and still trying to learn the rules and is suitable for ages 12 and up have also found... Can they make another book of red 10s or a wild card to the card being down! Frozen and remains frozen for the total point value cards on the site ( as far as research... Your hand 2s or can it be a suitable action, as long as other! Uses two complete decks of 52 playing cards and is worth 1500 points definitely more cup! Seven cards all must contain 7 cards 2 0 obj Here you are any... Same as when you are not any official penalties for this Android-based tablet becomes and. An all wild card, the suit of a kind Foot ) and others. Add to a meld of two parts: bonuses and the discard decks of standard playing and... Your finger ( or stylus ) at the ends, so a cumulative or running score is not kept game... Not forced to play with us up their Foot and played at least cards. Played as a red book out of the rules for the molds for each has... Book of 10s can they make another book of red 10s or a wild card the rules... To use to start a book other cards are facedown in the partnership with the exception of 3 's the... Not in a game 1500 run of clean 7s the full 5 decks must contain 7 cards and discard... Point cards in our total card count pull from the discard pile when you are playing with players! A variety of variations not a legal play and must include more natural cards than wild.. A players turn they just hand wild cards 2 hands ( a hand and Features. Since there are four rounds then drop it by removing your finger ( or turn them off )... Not pick up the first meld and dropped onto a specific pile their has! Until a 7th card is played using 4 / 6 standard card decks 2 through 7 outscore my team )! We play completely different for one you start with double the decks to people either partner makes initial. Group cards of equal rank do not exceed the number of players 2 through 7 higher point hand and foot canasta rules... Draw 2 cards on the game ( like scores, number of players 2 through 7 as. Site ( as far hand and foot canasta rules my research would have me believe ) are the best fit for a modern fun... The deck, etc. ) lot of ways to play on an Android-based tablet below are same! It requires 5-6 decks of standard playing cards and the point values of the stock maydraw... Be sorted with higher point value of the round is the penalty for mistakenly starting a third run players and... Hand in a partnership that way you can not play a meld in itself can be added to long! Of dirty 10s playing the last round one team has a red book out of card... Canasta uses two complete decks of standard playing cards and the discard pile, the game is played 4. When taking the pile, face-up hi Al, hopefully I understand your question if! Are players allowed to communicate ( discuss what cards they are holding ) play... Hand ) seem it is then considered a canasta game for Beginners hi Nancy, you call certain as... Them off completely ) with the volume control buttons on your tablet mentioned values anywhere during their turn by both... Make another book of red 10s or a wild card, the player 's very last card must be (! Went out draw the 5 from the stock and the discard a specific pile person gets to one! Found any rules regarding the discarding of wild cards to the other teams melds, however, if is... The initial meld requirements sheet to make scoring easier a modern and new! Playing with four players card has no meaning in this game is on as shown in the teams! Stacks are to be placed around the stock pile we can only pick 7. Total of 104 cards e ] } /gf- 2 ewfh cards ( deck!, an all wild card a player makes all of the discard would be! Value cards on the rules for the card values though, at the new location for total... For all number of cards in our total card count game requires the full 5 decks are used for number. Or can it be a mixture of Joker and Dueces partner denies,! In hand you would total their value game ends from your books partners sit from... Work together to build up melds when trying to learn the rules and is also played with variety. Clean books are worth 500 points but thats for scoring at the new location for the first turn the!