Have you ever played Royal Canasta?

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It takes 8 card decks, leaving in the jokers as they along with 2's are wild and a Canasta of them is worth 2500 points. The game can be played with two players, 4, 6 or 8 if with 4-8 you can have partners. This is one of my families traditonally played now during winter months it is fun to play and we of course when the grands and great grands are old enough to play teach them. It has been passed down now for 5 generations. Here are the basic rules. Rules for playing Royal Canasta The game can have 4-8 players which can be 1 on 1, 2 on 2 , 3 on 3 or 4 on 4. The game consists of using eight full decks of cards mixed together including jokers. A canasta consists of 7 cards such as 7 kings, 7 queens, 7 fours; 7 Aces etc Red canasta's are worth 500 points each and you must have 5 to go out as well as a canasta of 7's and wild cards. Wild cards consist of 2's and jokers. You cannot make a wild card black canasta until you have the original 5 needed canasta's. Then you can use wild cards 2's and jokers to make black canasta's worth 300 points each. It is also legal to have more than 5 red canasta's and or black as well as more than wild canasta or 7's. A black canasta has to have black card on top and consists of ONE only wild card. A Joker or 2. 10-Kings are worth 10 point each. 4-9 are worth 5 points each, Aces are worth 20 points each Red 3's are worth 100 points and you do not make a canasta of them. They stand by themselves and can only be counted once. Black 3's are worth nothing except in a black canasta of black 3's worth 100 points. Mostly they are good for discards. Jokers are considered wild and the worth of them is 50 points. They can go with 2's which are worth 20 points to make a canasta of wild cards worth 2500 points. You cannot make a black canasta of wild cards nor of 7's The 7's are worth 1500 points in a canasta. To play the game. Deal one big hand of 13 cards, and one of 15. The little hand is not played until you make a full canasta using the big hand cards and pulling two cards from the decks. Or if you have two of the same card in your hand and can lay down you can pick up the discard pile if the card on top will help you make your points and play one or all the cards in the discard pile. First deal is 13 little hand 15 big hand, you need 50 points to lay down and start a canasta. Second deal 14 little hand 16 big hand, 70 points, 3rd deal 14 little hand, 17 big hand 120 points, and 4th deal 16 little hand and 18 big hand 150 to lay down. One person will deal the little hand place a red card back on top and you do not look at or use the little hand until first canasta is made. If you have a partner you cannot tell them outright to play their little hand but can hint when it is their turn to play. You must draw from the decks 2 cards or from the discard if you can use the card on top each time. To use the top discard on the pile you must have 2 of the same card on top and be able to play them down. You cannot hold on to the top card. When picking up the card from the discard pile you have the option of taking the top card and playing it and or taking the entire pile. But the top card must be played in your turn when it is picked up with two matching cards. You cannot draw from both discard and deck. Two people deal the hands. Dealer of the little hand starts the play for each new hand. Remaining cards split in to two decks to draw from. If a red three, joker, 2 or 7 are turned up to start the hand you must bury that card and turn up another card for the discard pile. You cannot go out if you do not have 5 red regular canasta's and a canasta of 7''s and wilds which are 2's and jokers. Meaning you cannot discard your last card if you have not first achieved this. You however can play all your cards onto a canasta pile and float. If you are holding 3 of a kind in your hand you must lay them down to play once you have the points to lie down. Holding them is cheating. Once a canasta is made and played those cards become dead to other players they cannot pick up the discard pile example if 10's are dead. Nor can they pick up the pile if they have the start of 10's etc of 5 or more cards started in a canasta. Once someone goes out discards his/her last card the hand is over, First count the canasta's accumulated then separate and count the cards from 4-9 and 10-Ace, the 2s and jokers. DO NOT count the black 3 canansta except once and do not count the red 3's more than once. The player or team going out gets 200 points for going out. To play the full game it takes four turns or hands dealt. Sometimes when playing and it gets late and it is a holiday weekend we save the last two hands for the next day and play them. It is a great fun game. We also have good food and drinks to eat. Little ones who cannot play are put down to sleep or a disney movie put on for them. Sometimes if some can't play as there are to many players they spell the regular players to help with the children, or for bathroom breaks. Older children sometimes 6 and up can sit in and watch and help a bit