Two different kinds of pickup
In our Dutch Samba rules, taking the full pile requires two natural hand cards matching the rank of the top discard. An existing matching group does not let you take the full pile without that pair. This condition applies throughout the round, not just before opening.
There is a separate option to take only the top discard when it extends an existing, incomplete natural sequence. This does not collect the buried pile. It also does not let you create a new sequence from hand cards and a discard.
A full-pile example
The top discard is a 9. You hold two natural 9s. Those three 9s can form the pickup group if the opening requirement and remaining-hand rules are also satisfied. One natural 9 with a joker is insufficient for the pickup pair, even though some matching groups may contain wild cards.
A top three, two or joker cannot be picked up. If you cannot make an eligible pickup, draw two from stock instead. When only one stock card remains, you draw that one.
A single-card sequence example
Your team has 6♥, 7♥ and 8♥ on the table. If 9♥ is the top discard, it can extend that sequence as a single-card pickup. The buried cards stay in the pile. A 9 of another suit cannot extend it.
If those hearts are still in your hand, you cannot use this exception to start a sequence. Completed seven-card Sambas cannot grow further, and a discard cannot bridge two existing sequences into one.
Using the pickup controls
Select the matching cards from your hand and tap Take pile. If you need additional groups for the opening, prepare those extra groups with Add meld first, then select the pickup pair. Choose an existing destination using the selector below the melds when appropriate.
The server checks the top card, selected cards, opening total and any going-out restrictions together. If the move is rejected, none of the proposed cards leave your hand. The message describes the failed condition so you can revise the plan.
A legal pickup is not always a useful pickup
Taking the pile can bring valuable matching cards, but it can also leave you with a large hand. Consider whether your team can play those cards before an opponent ends the round. The visible top card tells you whether a pickup is possible; it does not reveal the quality of every buried card.
A decision you can make from the visible cards
Decide first whether you want the whole pile or only a sequence extension. A whole-pile pickup needs a matching natural pair from your hand. For example, two natural Jacks can match a Jack on top even when their suits differ. The existence of a Jack group on your team's table does not waive the pair requirement.
For the separate sequence option, suits do matter. An existing 9, 10, Jack of spades can accept the Queen of spades from the top. It cannot accept the Queen of clubs, and it cannot collect all the cards underneath. This is a top-card extension of a sequence already on the table, not a way to make a new sequence using cards still in your hand.
Why an apparently matching pickup can fail
Matching the top card is one test, not the whole move. An unopened team must meet its point minimum with a complete legal plan. A proposed meld must obey the limits on wild cards and the size of completed combinations. The resulting hand must also respect the conditions for ending a turn or going out. Satisfying one of those tests does not override another.
Read the rejection as a statement about this proposed action. If it says the opening is too small, review the points in your current hand and the visible top card. Do not add guessed values for hidden cards beneath it. If the plan would empty your hand illegally, keep enough cards or use a different plan. A rejected proposal does not spend your turn or change the saved cards.
Try a small table exercise
Place a Queen face up and imagine two Queens in your hand. Ask whether your team is open, whether any relevant pile restriction applies, and whether the resulting group can be used legally. Now replace one hand Queen with a Joker and ask the questions again. The change is small visually, but it can remove the specific qualification needed for pickup.
Finally imagine that the pile contains many cards. Ask a different question: would taking them help your team finish combinations before the round ends? Legal access is a rules question; whether to use it is a strategy question. If you cannot justify both, drawing from the stock is a valid way to continue learning without forcing a pickup.