1.6k Views. A lot of it depends upon your location in the country, which surface you choose, size of the court etc... I cover the subject in great detail (10 plus articles) on Home Court Hoops as well as Basketball Hoops Blog. In addition, I give you enough info for you to be your own general contractor. Enjoy the read.
The canasta must contain at least seven natural cards (this is called the base). Seven or eight of a kind, with no wild cards, is called a natural canasta (or pure canasta); A set of seven or more containing of a kind, and one to three wild cards, is called a mixed canasta.
The Deal. Deal the cards one at a time, face down, clockwise. In a four-player game, each is dealt 13 cards; in a three-player game, the 2 of diamonds should be removed, and each player gets 17 cards; in a five-player game, the 2 of diamonds and 2 of clubs should be removed so that each player will get 10 cards.