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Samba

Samba

(Public Domain) · 1950
2–60 min0+ yrs2.3/5 complexity6.3 BGG50Kids
short answer

How do you play Samba?

This is a popular variation of Canasta invented during its craze of the 1940's and 50's. As the official rules from the Association of American Playing Card Manufacturers says, "It offers wider melding opportunities than regular Canasta played with two packs, and is preferred by many players on that account.

To find the best price for Samba, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.

Samba box art
official art · (Public Domain)

This is a popular variation of Canasta invented during its craze of the 1940's and 50's. As the official rules from the Association of American Playing Card Manufacturers says, "It offers wider melding opportunities than regular Canasta played with two packs, and is preferred by many players on that account."

The major differences are:

  • Three packs are used rather than two.
  • Sequences of cards are allowed as valid melds (in addition to sets of the same rank).
  • Fifteen cards are dealt, instead of 11.
  • Two cards are drawn at a time, rather than one.

There are dedicated Samba decks published, some of which include the cards' scoring values on them.

game anatomy
Complexity2.3 / 5
BGG rating6.3 / 10
Vibe
Kids
Play time
0 min
Players
2–6
Recommended age
0+ yrs
from Trișache · verified

Frequently asked questions

Q1How much does Samba cost?
No store is currently tracking Samba. Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q2Where can I buy Samba cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q3How do you play Samba?
Samba is a card game game, for 2–6 players, taking ~0 minutes, featuring hand management. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Samba — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q4How many players does Samba support?
Samba is played by 2–6 players.
Q5How long does a game of Samba take?
A game of Samba takes about 0 minutes. (The first game doesn't count. It never counts.)
Q6What age is Samba for?
Samba is recommended from age 0.
Q7How complex is Samba?
Samba has a BoardGameGeek complexity of 2.3 out of 5.
Mechanics & categories

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