1/11/2015

Hand Knee and Foot is a fairly new card game that is catching on all over the USA. The game is a variation of Canasta and similar to Samba but still not quite the same.

Our group used to play Hand and Foot. We were introduced to Hand Knee and Foot about two years ago and have been playing it ever since. This new game is much more challenging and fun to play. None of us play Hand and Foot any more.

This is an easy game to learn and I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I do.

If you have any questions then please find the Hand Knee and Foot page on Facebook and message me and I will be glad to answer them.

Happy Card Playing

HAND, KNEE AND FOOT...HOW TO PLAY

HAND, KNEE AND FOOT

HOW TO PLAY

Begin:  Draw for deal. High card is dealer. Dealer deals 15 cards for “hand”. Player to the right of dealer deals 13 cards for the “knee”. And person to his right deals 11 cards for the “foot”.

The “foot” is placed in front of each player with the “knee” then placed on top crosswise. All “HANDS” are looked at first for red 3’s which are placed in front of the player. Starting to the dealer’s left, 1 card is drawn from the stockpile to replace each red 3. In clockwise order, all red 3’s are shown and replaced before play begins.

Decide which team member will hold the closed canastas for the final count and other team member will lay cards in front of him for melds. Red 3’s are given to the closed keeper. Red 3’s found later in “knee” and “foot” are not replaced. Red 3’s later drawn from stockpile are replaced immediately (do not put in hand, but are given to closed keeper).

Dealer turns top card over. If it is a 7, 5, wild or red 3, another card is turned and placed on top. Player to the dealer’s left begins by drawing 2 cards from the stockpile. He is looking for points to lay down the 1st meld (minimum 3 like cards). If instead of drawing , the player wants to pick up the top card of the discard pile to use with 2 natural like cards in his hand to make initial meld he may do so. If he has the cards within his hand for the correct points meld, he may lay down his meld (the first for the team) and then pick up the whole discard pile with 2 natural cards to match the top card on the discard pile and play those cards additionally. After initial meld by team, anytime the top card of the discard pile is wanted (with two natural cards in his hand) he must pick up the entire discard pile. When the discard pile is picked up and cards played, the player “knocks” that he is done playing (no discard is  layed). If a player picks 2 cards from the stockpile, he plays his cards, and then he will discard 1 card.

Once the 1^st 7 card canasta is completed, it is handed to the closed keeper and the player picks up his “knee” immediately and continues to play those cards, as he chooses, until he either discards or “knocks”. His partner must wait until his turn to pick up his “knee” and before looking at his “knee”, he must decide if he wants to pick 2 cards from the stockpile or pick up the entire discard pile for further meld, using two cards in his hand, which matches the top card in the discard pile. Then he continues to play the cards in his “knee” until done. If a player forgets to pick up his “knee” in his turn and is reminded by his partner or opponent, a 1000 point deduction is given to the reminder.

As the BASIC BOOKs of canastas are made, any cards of the basic books may not be buried. The cards that made up the Red or Black canastas in the BASIC BOOKS can be restarted in another meld, and when completed, set aside as additional canastas. Only those 7 cards can be played. At you next turn or partners next turn, additional like cards can be buried. Wild cards, 7s and 5s can never be buried. They can be restarted for another meld with the same original point count. Wilds can also be used to make Black canastas or discarded. 5s and 7s can never be blackened.

When all cards of the “hand” and “knee” are played, the “foot” may be picked up and continue to play. If a discard was made, the “foot” will be played in your following turn.

If a player is in his “foot”, he may “go out” if he has the BASIC BOOKS completed, and can play all his cards or “bury them”. One discard is allowed when “going out”. Before “going out”, a player must ask his team mates permission. The team mate does not have to be in his “foot”, but will consider the possible point deductions in his un-played cards.

If all cards from the stockpile have been played and neither team can “go out”, then the point count will include partial BASIC BOOK and other canastas, red 3s, and deductions for un-played cards.

POINT COUNT FOR HAND KNEE AND FOOT

PLAYERS:  Four players - play 2 teams of 2 each with 6 decks

                     Six players – play 2 teams of 3 each with 7 decks

GAME:  A game consists of four rounds.

POINT VALUES

JOKERS…………………..50 POINTS

ACES & DEUCES……..20 POINTS

RED THREES……………100 POINTS  (DEDUCT 500 POINTS WHEN NOT PLAYED)

8 THRU KING………….10 POINTS

4 THRU 7…………………5 POINTS

BLACK THREES …………DEDUCT 100 POINTS WHEN NOT PLAYED

SCORE                                                                                                        MELD REQUIREMENTS

UP TO 15,000………………………….50 POINTS

15,000 TO 30,000……………………..90 POINTS

30,000 TO 50,000……………………..120 POINTS

OVER 50,000……………………………150 POINTS

IN ORDER TO “GO OUT”, A TEAM MUST HAVE ON THE TABLE THE FOLLOWING REQUIRED CANASTAS

THIS IS YOUR “BASIC BOOKS”

ONE CANASTA OF SEVEN                       7’S (NO WILD CARDS)

ONE CANASTA OF SEVEN                      5’  (NO WILD CARDS)

ONE CANASTA OF SEVEN                      WILD CARDS (DUECES AND JOKERS)

ONE CANASTA OF SEVEN                     CLEAN (RED, NATURAL, ALL THE SAME CARD)(NO WILD CARDS)

ONE CANASTA OF SEVEN                      DIRTY (MIXED NATURAL CARDS WITH MAXIMUM OF 2 WILD CARDS)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SCORING:

CANASTA OF 7’S………………………………………………………………………..…….5,000 POINTS EA

CANASTA OF 5’S……………………………………………………………………………..3,000 POINTS  EA

CANASTA OF WILD CARDS………………………………………………………………….………2,500 POINTS EA

CANASTA OF SEVEN, CLEAN OR RED………………………………………………………….500 POINTS  EA

CANASTA OF SEVEN MIXED……………………………………………………………………….300 POINTS  EA

THE ABOVE “BASIC BOOKS” TOTALED TOGETHER HAVE A VALUE OF………..11,300 POINTS  ADDITIONAL BOOKS OF 7’S, 5’S AND WILD CARDS SCORE AS ABOVE

TEAM GOING OUT………………………………………………………………    …..200 POINTS
 7 RED THREES………………………(700 pts plus 300 pt bonus) ....................…….1,000 POINTS

RED THREES REMAINING IN HAND, UNPLAYED……………………………………………….MINUS 500 POINTS EA

BLACK THREES REMAINING IN HAND, UNPLAYED…………………………………………..MINUS 100 POINTS EA

SCORE SHEET

TEAM____________________________________                           TEAM______________________                                                      

HAND #1                                                                                                                      HAND #1   

BASIC BOOK       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                BASIC BOOK       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                   

CANASTAS          ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                CANASTAS          ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

POINT COUNT    ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                UP TO 15K = 50 PTS                POINT COUNT    ___ ___, ___ ___ ___               

SUB TOTAL         ___ ___,___ ___ ___                                                                  SUB TOTAL         ___ ___,___ ___ ___

DEDUCTION       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                 DEDUCTION       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

         TOTAL                 ___ ___, ___ ___ ___            ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                  TOTAL  ___ ___, ___ ___ ___     ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

HAND #2                                                                                                            HAND #2   

BASIC BOOK       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                BASIC BOOK       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                   

CANASTAS          ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                 CANASTAS          ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

POINT COUNT    ___ ___, ___ ___ ___         15K TO 30,000 = 90 PTS             POINT COUNT    ___ ___, ___ ___ ___               

SUB TOTAL         ___ ___,___ ___ ___                                                                   SUB TOTAL         ___ ___,___ ___ ___

DEDUCTION       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                 DEDUCTION       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

         TOTAL                 ___ ___, ___ ___ ___            ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                    TOTAL  ___ ___, ___ ___ ___     ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

HAND #3                                                                                                            HAND #3   

BASIC BOOK       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                BASIC BOOK       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                   

CANASTAS          ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                CANASTAS          ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

POINT COUNT    ___ ___, ___ ___ ___       30K TO 50,000 = 120 PTS               POINT COUNT    ___ ___, ___ ___ ___               

SUB TOTAL         ___ ___,___ ___ ___                                                                 SUB TOTAL         ___ ___,___ ___ ___

DEDUCTION       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                DEDUCTION       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

         TOTAL                 ___ ___, ___ ___ ___            ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                  TOTAL  ___ ___, ___ ___ ___     ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

HAND #4                                                                                                            HAND #4    

BASIC BOOK       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                BASIC BOOK       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                   

CANASTAS          ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                CANASTAS          ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

POINT COUNT    ___ ___, ___ ___ ___              OVER 50,000 = 150 PTS          POINT COUNT    ___ ___, ___ ___ ___               

SUB TOTAL         ___ ___,___ ___ ___                                                                  SUB TOTAL         ___ ___,___ ___ ___

DEDUCTION       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                                                 DEDUCTION       ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

         TOTAL                 ___ ___, ___ ___ ___            ___ ___, ___ ___ ___                                    TOTAL  ___ ___, ___ ___ ___     ___ ___, ___ ___ ___

SCORING                                                                                                                                    

BASIC                11,300                  BASIC              11,300                 BASIC                     11,300               

         MINUS 7’S        -5,000              MINUS 5’S         - 3,000                MINUS- WLD'S       - 2,500

        TOTAL              6,300                 TOTAL          8,300                                                         8,800

ABOUT RED THREES

Question..... I have a wild card and an ace in my hand and draw a red three....What is done with the red three ?

Answer: 
Red Threes. At the beginning of the game if a red three is found in your starting hand you replace it with one from the draw pile and the three is given to the "Keeper". Any red threes found in either your knee or foot are not replaced but are given to the keeper during your turn. If you draw a red three from the draw pile it is given to the keeper and is replaced by another card from the draw pile. Other than the beginning hand only red threes drawn from the draw pile are replaced.
7 red threes are not a canasta and should not be counted as one,

Sorry 1 more question...while playing tonight a situation arose and we weren't sure what the rule is. The person went through all the cards in their knee and discarded...when it is their turn can they look at their knee and then decide whether to pick up from the discard pile or draw 2 cards...the knee may have 2 of the card that had just been discarded. Or do they have to draw 2 cards before looking at their knee?

ANSWER: You are dealt a hand knee and foot. Not sure which you are referring to. The knee can only be picked up after the first canasta is made by your team, it is now your turn and you have either drawn two cards or picked up the discard pile. Only then can the knee be picked up. IF A PLAYER IS UNABLE TO GO INTO THEIR KNEE THEN AT LEAST ONE CARD MUST BE HELD IN HAND. If you are talking about the foot you must get rid of all cards in hand before you can pick up your foot. YES, they can pick up their foot and look at it before drawing or picking up the discard pile. IF UNABLE TO GO OUT THE PLAYER MUST HOLD AT LEAST ONE CARD.