The game is played with one more deck of cards than players. How many decks of cards do you need for Hand and Foot Canasta? While playing you can be losing by a wide margin and you still have a legitimate chance to win. Plus, you can play in teams or singles while using a variety of house rules. Why is Hand & Foot Canasta so much fun?īecause it is the most flexible card game! With 2-8 players its perfect for most size groups. The set you start with is called your hand and once you play all cards in your hand you begin playing with your foot. The game got it's name from the fact that each player is dealt two sets of cards each round. The exact origin of the Hand & Foot variant is unknown but has been traced to the United States in the 1970s. Hand & Foot is a variation of the card game Canasta and is often referred to as Hand & Foot Canasta.