Last Updated on September 17, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Sambola is an exciting variation of Canasta that combines two of its most popular offshoots — Jonola and Samba. In this game, players can form both Canastas (sets of 7 cards of the same rank) and Sambas (sequences of 7 cards in the same suit). Played with multiple decks and special rules, Sambola rewards careful teamwork, strategic melding, and clever use of wild cards.

Illustration of the Sambola card game showing a hand of cards including Aces, a Joker, 2s, 3s, and 4s, a stack of red-backed cards, two joker icons, and the word “SAMBOLA” displayed prominently.

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How to Play Sambola

Components

Cards: 3 decks of standard playing cards (including 9 Jokers).
Players: 4 players (2 teams of 2) or 6 players (2 teams of 3).

Objective

The goal of Sambola is to be the first team to “Go Out” by tabling all of your cards while meeting the set requirements. Teams score points by creating Canastas and Sambas until one team reaches the winning score.

Teams

In a 4-player game: Players 1 & 3 vs. Players 2 & 4.
In a 6-player game: Players 1, 3 & 5 vs. Players 2, 4 & 6.
Partners sit alternately around the table.

Key Definitions

Natural cards: Fours through Aces.
Wild cards: 2s and Jokers (cannot be discarded).
Red & Black 3s: Special cards with unique effects.
Meld: A group of 3+ cards played face-up.
Canasta: A set of 7 cards of the same rank.
Samba: A sequence of 7 consecutive cards of the same suit.
Red Canasta/Samba: No wild cards included.
Black Canasta/Samba: Includes wild cards.

To “Go Out,” a team must have two Red sets and one Black set.

Setup & Deal

Players select a dealer by drawing cards (highest value deals first).
Each player is dealt 15 cards, one at a time.
The rest of the deck forms three piles:
- Discard Pile: One card turned face-up. (If this card is a 2, Joker, or Red 3, continue until a natural card appears on top. Special cards are turned sideways to show the pile is frozen.)
- Two Pick-Up Piles: The remaining stack is split into two face-down piles.

Frozen & Blocked Discard Piles

Frozen Pile: If a 2, Joker, or Red 3 is placed in the Discard Pile, it is “frozen.” All frozen cards must be taken together before the pile can be used normally again.
Blocked Pile: If a 2 or Black 3 is on top, the pile is “blocked” and cannot be taken unless special conditions are met.

Gameplay

Beginning Your Turn

Draw cards: Either take the top card of each Pick-Up Pile (2 cards total) or, if you qualify, pick up the top 5 cards of the Discard Pile.
Meld or add to melds: Use cards in your hand to create new melds, add to existing ones, or extend Canastas.
- Wild cards may substitute natural cards but cannot be discarded.
- Completed Sambas cannot be extended.
- Completed Canastas cannot have wild cards added.
End your turn: Discard 1 card face-up (unless going out).

Initial Meld

Before your team can use the Discard Pile, you must create your Initial Meld.
This must meet a minimum point value (varies by house rules).

Winning the Game

A team may “Go Out” only when they have:
- 2 Red sets (pure Canastas or Sambas without wilds).
- 1 Black set (includes wilds).
The first team to Go Out ends the round.
Scores are tallied, and the game continues until a team reaches the winning score (commonly 10,000 points).