The Canasta School

Canasta can be considered a classic card game although it is actually younger in game history than other popular card games. The game appeared in the 1940s in the country of Uruguay and eventually spread towards Latin America, only to be adopted by USA, where it became a card game that can only be described as one of the most popular ever. The first standard and official rules appeared thanks to the Manhattan Regency Club and the game received the name of Classic Canasta. Nowadays this is the variation that is still the most popular.

Today the popularity of canasta games is still as high as it was in the past. The word “canasta” actually means basket in the Spanish language, a reference to a tray that was used to hold cards in the past. There are many variations of canasta that are played today. Some of the most popular are Bolivia, Samba, Pennies from Heaven, Hand and Foot and Modern American Canasta.

Around the 1940s the Canasta game history showed much publicity and press. According to Newsweek the game was a rival of Mahjong and Monopoly. Also, according to Fortune magazine the card decks and Canasta books were constantly increasing in sales, breaking a lot of records. Even Life magazine and New York Times dedicated a lot of articles to the new game of canasta. By 1949 the popularity that Canasta enjoyed was higher than Gin Rummy and Bridge.

What is interesting is the fact that nobody knew who invented Canasta and this part of the game history was only discovered by the time the game was already a huge hit in USA and more than thirty books have already been written about it. Canasta game history records that it was Segundo Santos and Alberto Serrato who invented it. They wanted to develop the game from rummy and they were the ones that gave it the name of Canasta after creating a combination between Cooncan, Rummy and Bridge.

What is interesting is the fact that the two inventors never tried to patent their invention nor did they seek recognition. The good news is that Canasta game history still did them justice and they are now acknowledged as the true inventors of the canasta game. As time passed many variations appeared and we see the popularity of the game only constantly rising. Learn all about canasta glossary & terms in our dedicated page.