Official Pennies from Heaven Rules

Last Updated on April 1, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Pennies from Heaven belong to a distinct North American branch of Canasta. Like Hand and Foot, each player receives a second hand (the “foot”), which can only be played after completing a canasta. There are four types of canastas—natural (red), mixed (black), wild, and sevens—and a team must complete all four to go out. Variants like Railroad Canasta and Bain Hand and Foot introduce additional twists, but all share the same fundamental structure.

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How to Play Pennies from Heaven

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Players and Cards

• Played with 6 players in two teams, seated alternately.
• Uses 4 decks (216 cards total), including 2 jokers per deck.
• Wild cards: Twos and jokers.
• Special cards: Red and black threes have unique properties.

Card Values

• Joker – 50 points
• Two, Ace – 20 points
• K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8 – 10 points
• 7, 6, 5, 4, black 3 – 5 points

Deal

• Each player is dealt two hands:
  • 13-card hand (playable immediately).
  • 11-card “foot” (set aside until a canasta is completed).
• The remaining cards form the stock, with the top card turned face-up to start the discard pile.

Turn Structure

Each turn consists of:

1. Drawing: Pick up either:
   • The top two cards from the stock.
   • The entire discard pile (if eligible).
2. Melding: Create or extend valid melds.
3. Discarding: Place one card face-up in the discard pile.

Melds and Canastas

• A meld consists of at least three cards of the same rank.
• A canasta is a meld of seven cards and is required to pick up the foot.
• Types of Canastas:
  • Natural (Red) – No wild cards (500 points).
  • Mixed (Black) – Contains up to 3 wild cards (300 points).
  • Wild Canasta – All wild cards (1,000 points).
  • Sevens Canasta – Seven sevens, no wild cards (1,500 points).

Minimum Initial Meld Requirements

• Based on the team’s total score:

Team Score	Minimum Meld Requirement
Negative Score	15 points
0 – 4,995	50 points
5,000 – 9,995	90 points
10,000 – 14,995	120 points
15,000+	150 points

Notes:

• Bonuses for red threes and canastas do not count toward the minimum meld.
• A mixed meld must contain at least two natural cards and no more than three wild cards.

Discarding, Freezing, and Taking the Pile

• Sevens cannot be discarded unless both teams have completed a sevens canasta.
• A discard pile is frozen if a wild card is discarded.
• To take the pile, a player must have two natural cards matching the top card.
• If a card is discarded that matches a completed canasta, the pile cannot be taken unless the player starts a new meld of that rank.

Picking Up the Foot

• Players cannot look at their 11-card foot until they personally complete a canasta.
• After forming a canasta and discarding, they pick up the foot and add it to their hand.

Special Rules for Threes

• Red Threes
  • Must be placed face-up immediately when drawn or dealt.
  • Replaced with a new card from the stock.
  • Bonus: 100 points each (1,000 if the team has all 8).
  • If a team does not complete a sevens canasta, red threes count as a penalty (-100 each).
• Black Threes
  • Prevent the next player from taking the pile.
  • Can only be melded when going out.

Going Out and Winning

• A team can only go out after completing all four types of canastas.
• Players may ask their partner for permission before going out.
• A player goes out by melding all their cards and discarding their last one (cannot be a seven).
• If a player’s hand is only sevens, and their team hasn’t completed a sevens canasta, the game immediately ends.

Scoring

• Bonus Points:
  • Going out – 100 points
  • Red threes – 100 points each (1,000 for all 8)
  • Natural canasta – 500 points
  • Mixed canasta – 300 points
  • Wild canasta – 1,000 points
  • Sevens canasta – 1,500 points
• Deductions:
  • Unused cards in hand subtract points.
  • Red threes count negative if a sevens canasta is not completed.

Ending the Game

If both teams tie, an additional round is played.

The game ends when a team reaches 20,000 points.