Incidentally, he showed just how lost he was, even chronologically, when he talked about a game of canasta he had played on one of those trains.
He played various other games for money, especially canasta, poker and backgammon, and wrote books on them.
A canasta of sevens is worth 2,500 points rather than the usual 500.
A canasta is a meld of at least seven cards, whether natural or mixed.
A side must have a samba (called "escalera" in this game) and at least one other canasta to go out.
The game of canasta and several other games are believed to have developed from this popular form of rummy.
Canasta is generally agreed to be best for four players playing in partnerships.
Unlike in other versions of canasta, this is optional.
