The dealer gives 11 cards face down to each player, one at a time, clockwise, beginning with the opponent on their left and ending with themselves. After the shuffle, the deck is cut by the player to the dealer's left. Any player who wishes may shuffle the deck, and the dealer has the right to shuffle last. Thereafter the turn to deal rotates clockwise. The first hand is dealt by the player to the right of the person who drew the highest card. A player drawing more than one card or one of the four cards at either end of the deck, must draw again. Players drawing equal cards or jokers must draw again. Only for the draw, suits rank: Spades (high), hearts, diamonds, clubs. The player drawing the highest card has choice of seats, plays first in the first deal, and has the player drawing the second-highest card as their partner. Partnerships may be determined by drawing cards from the deck. A wild card is melded only with natural cards and then becomes a card of that same rank. Canasta, a game of the Rummy family was the most popular American game in the early 1950s.

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