Counting

Card Values

Card Point Value
4 to 8 5 pts
9 to King 10 pts
Ace, 2 20 pts
Joker 50 pts
Red 3 -100 pts
Black 3 0 pts

Jokers and 2's are wild.

Set Values

Type Point Value
Red Canasta 500 pts
Black Canasta 300 pts
Zamba 1,500 pts

Scoring

At the end of the hand, each player or team tallies up two scores: the value of their Canastas and Zambas, then the value of all their individual cards (both on the table and in the finished sets). The player who went out adds a finishing bonus of 100 pts. Players who did not go out must subtract the value of the cards left in their hand, as well as their Foot if they were not able to go into it.

Tip: Count your negative score first. Then, count out the equivalent amount from your table and set both aside. This saves you from having to include a subtraction step on the scorecard.

Sample Scorecard

Player 1 Player 2
Canastas & Zambas * 2,700 1,500
Individual Cards cards cards
Round 1 Total total total
1,800 * 3,200
cards cards
Round 2 Grand Total total total

* indicates that the player went out; the score includes the 100-point bonus for doing so.