- Black Three
- The 3 of Clubs and 3 of Spades. Black threes are safe discards — the next player cannot pick up the discard pile when a black three is on top. They can only be melded when going out and are worth 5 points each.
- Canasta
- A meld of seven or more cards of the same rank. Completing a canasta earns a large bonus: 500 points for a natural canasta (no wild cards) or 300 points for a mixed canasta (includes wild cards). At least one canasta is required before a team can go out.
- Concealed Hand
- Going out by melding your entire hand in one turn without your team having previously melded. A concealed hand must include at least one canasta and earns a 200-point bonus instead of the standard 100 for going out.
- Deadwood
- Cards remaining in a player's hand when the round ends. Deadwood counts against your team's score. Each card's penalty equals its point value (jokers = 50, aces/2s = 20, 8-K = 10, 4-7 = 5).
- Discard Pile
- The face-up pile of discarded cards. In canasta, a player may take the entire discard pile instead of drawing from the stock, but only if they can immediately meld the top card. The pile can be frozen to make this harder.
- Freeze
- Making the discard pile harder to take. The pile is frozen when a wild card or red three is discarded onto it (indicated by placing the card sideways). When frozen, the pile can only be taken by matching the top card with a natural pair from your hand.
- Going Out
- Ending the round by melding or discarding all remaining cards from your hand. A team must have at least one completed canasta to go out. Going out earns a 100-point bonus (200 if concealed).
- Initial Meld Requirement
- The minimum point value that a team's first meld of each round must meet. The requirement increases as your cumulative score rises: 15 (negative score), 50 (0-1,495), 90 (1,500-2,995), or 120 (3,000+). Only card values count — not canasta bonuses.
- Meld
- Three or more cards of the same rank placed face-up on the table. Unlike basic rummy, canasta melds are sets only (same rank) — runs (sequences) are not used. Wild cards can be included, but natural cards must outnumber wilds.
- Mixed Canasta
- A canasta (seven or more cards) that includes at least one wild card. A mixed canasta earns a 300-point bonus. It is less valuable than a natural canasta (500 points) but easier to complete.
- Natural Canasta
- A canasta (seven or more cards) consisting entirely of natural cards with no wild cards. Earns a 500-point bonus. Natural canastas are the most valuable achievement in canasta and are often indicated by placing a red card on top of the stack.
- Natural Card
- Any card that is not a wild card — ranks 4 through Ace (excluding 2s, which are wild). Natural cards form the core of every meld. A meld must always contain more natural cards than wild cards.
- Natural Pair
- Two cards of the same rank (both natural, no wild cards). Required to take a frozen discard pile — you must hold a natural pair matching the top card of the pile.
- Partnership
- Canasta is typically played by four players in two fixed teams. Partners sit across from each other and share all melds. Either partner can add cards to the team's melds. Partners cannot directly communicate about their hands.
- Red Three
- The 3 of Hearts and 3 of Diamonds. When drawn, red threes are immediately placed face-up and a replacement card is drawn. Each red three is worth 100 bonus points (or 100 penalty if the team has not melded). All four red threes together earn 800 bonus points.
- Stock Pile
- The face-down pile of undealt cards. Players draw one card from the stock at the start of their turn (unless they take the discard pile instead). When the stock runs out, play may continue with only the discard pile.
- Upcard
- The face-up card on top of the discard pile. The upcard determines whether a player can take the discard pile. If the initial upcard is a wild card or red three, the pile starts frozen.
- Wild Card
- Jokers and 2s. Wild cards can substitute for any natural card in a meld but cannot outnumber natural cards. Jokers are worth 50 points and 2s are worth 20 points. Discarding a wild card freezes the discard pile.
