What is Cribbage?

Cribbage is a card game originating from the United Kingdom, and it is designed to be played by 2-6 players. The game is, at its core, a strategy-based card game, but it also has a distinct cribbage board that epitomizes the game type. The game has a strict set of rules and a unique scoring system, making it an acquired taste.

Cribbage is a simple two person card game. The game involves scoring points by playing and grouping cards into pairs. Flush (not including top card). You can participate in cribbage every Tuesday! What is the perfect cribbage hand? Join our members weekly for fun and sociability. All supplies provided. When: Every Tuesday, 11:30am - 2:00pm. Play the classic card game Cribbage online for free. No download required. Play against the computer, or challenge another human player!

The classic Cribbage game has quite a following, especially in its country of origin. It is commonly played in pubs, clubs and other places of gathering, and serves as a popular pastime among the UK-based public.

The Board

Cribbage’s most distinctive aspect is theboard, and the same board style has been used since the game’s introduction inthe early 17^th century. The board serves as a makeshift scoringsheet, and is definitely one of the defining aspects of the game.

A typical Cribbage board template is a sequence of holes,known as “streets”, laid out in a cyclic fashion. Scores are kept across thewhole game, so two pegs are used per player. These pegs are used in analternating fashion, such that the previous peg always remains to show theprevious score.

While that forms the essentialscore-counting part of the board, there are also certain other boards thatincorporate a separate game-counter, which shows the number of games won byeach side.

How manyholes are in a Cribbage board?

The boards count score for each player, upto a maximum of 121, hence each line of peg-holes having a maximum of 120 holesin total.

How to Play Cribbage?

Cribbage is designed to be played by 2-6players, and you really just need a deck of the standard 52-card deck to play Cribbage. The board is anadded bonus, but can be substituted with a simple score sheet or counter if oneis unavailable.

The goal of the game is to be the firstplayer to reach the score threshold of 121 points, though certain variationsmight prefer the 61-point limit instead. Scores are awarded for satisfyingspecific conditions, which will be described in detail in the Scoring sectionof the guide.

We provide easy Cribbage instructions for the 2-player variant below.

Deal Phase

Regardless of the number of players, theturn order is determined through deck splitting. The player who reveals thelowest card goes first. Turn order then proceeds in clockwise order.

The dealer shuffles the deck and proceeds todeal 6 cards to each player. These 6 cards form the hands of each player. Eachplayer is then required to discard 2 cards, to form the crib. These discardedcards are placed face down, and will only be used in the Show phase of thegame.

At this stage, all players will have handsconsisting of 4 cards, and the crib also contains 4 cards.

The player to the left of the dealer willthen cut the deck, and the dealer reveals the top card. This card will be the“starter”.

Dealers rotate at the end of each round.

Play Phase

The non-dealer goes first, and places acard from their hand face up in front of her, stating the count. The count iscumulative, so each successive card played by any player will add to thisvalue.

For instance, if the first card laid down isa 5, the non-dealer will say “5” as the count. The dealer then plays a 10 inresponse. The dealer will say “15” as the count, summing up all previouslyplayed cards.

The count cannot exceed 31, and if a playeris unable to play cards without exceeding the count, they will say “Go”. If allplayers call “Go”, the last player who managed to play a card will earn apoint. The count is then reset to 0.

During the Play phase, players can beawarded points for achieving certain conditions. These include:

• Making a count of exactly 15
• Playing a card that is a pair,three of a kind, or four of a kind with the previously played card
• Making a run of three or morecards (note that suit is unimportant in these runs)

As scores are awarded, the pegs are movedin a leapfrog fashion. For example, if the dealer gets 2 points, he places apeg 2 holes ahead.

Show Phase

Once the play phase concludes, each playerthen places their hands face-up. Scores are the awarded based on the contentsof each hand. The starter card that was revealed during the Deal phase is alsoconsidered in the combinations.

Points are awarded for the following:

• Combinations of cards totallinga value of 15
• Runs
• Pairs
• Nobs, where a player has a Jackof the same suit as the starter card
• Flushes

When revealing each combination, the playeris required to show each combination, and count the points out loud.

The dealer, after counting his/her hand,also counts the crib, and adds valid combinations from the crib to his score.

Winning

A player wins the game once he/she reachesthe defined point threshold.

Cribbage Rules

There are specific rules one must follow in Cribbage, and there is the optional “Muggins” rule that can add a layer of strategy.

Card Values

The cards are valued with Kings being thehighest card, and Aces being the lowest.

Calling Counts

Counts are called with the conditionpreceeding it. For example, a player will call their scores as such “Pair 2,Pair 4, Three of a kind 7, 15 9…” and so on. This applies to all phases of thegame.

Flipping Jacks

If a Jack is revealed during the deckcutting, the player making the cut will be awarded 2 points.

CribbageRun Rules

Runs do not have to be played in order. Forexample, Player 1 plays an 8, followed by a 10 from Player 2. Player 1 can thenplay a 9 to claim a run.

Muggins

Since the game involves calling out thevalid combinations for scores, it is possible for players to miss some scorablesets. If other players observe these missed point opportunities, they can call“Muggins” to claim the points.

Note that this is an optional rule, andsome people play without this rule.

Summary of Rules

In summary, the Cribbage pegging rules are:

• Dealer is determined by deck cutting.
• Each player is dealt 6 cards.
• Each player discards 2 cards to the crib.
• The non-dealer cuts the deck to reveal the “starter” card.
• The non-dealer begins by playing a card, followed by the dealer.
• The play continues until all players have clear their cards from their hand.
• The Show phase commences, and each player counts their hand.
• The dealer counts the crib.
• The dealer rotates at the end of the round.
• When a player reaches the defined point threshold, they win.

Scoring Chart & Points

Cribbage scoring is based on the available combinations of cards, and each combination has a different assigned score. Once a player achieves the required points, they win the game. The highest score in Cribbage is 121, at which point the player wins.

Scoring Chart

The standard cribbage scoring chart is shown below.

There also several Cribbage scoring calculators available like this one.

Hand Example

This is an example hand of Cribbage played from thedeal to the end of the round.

The players are then required to discard 2cards to form the crib.

Crib: 6 ♥, K ♥, 10 ♦, 8 ♦

A starter card of is A ♣ is revealed.

The Play phase begins:

1. The non-dealer begins by playing a A ♣.
2. The dealer plays a A ♦, making a pair, getting awarded 2 points.
3. The non-dealer plays his/her A ♥, making a three of a kind, earning 6 points.
4. The dealer plays a 3 ♠, increasing the count to 6.
5. The non-dealer plays a 6 ♣, increasing the count to 12.
6. The dealer plays as 3 ♦, increasing the count to 15, earning 2 points.
7. The remaining cards are played out without any points being earned by either player.

At the end of the Play phase, the scores are:

• Dealer: 4 points
• Non-dealer: 6 points

The Show phase then begins:

The dealer’s hand has 2 pairs (3s and Aces with the starter card). The dealer gets 4 points.

The non-dealer’s hand has a three of a kind (Aces with the starter card). The dealer gets 6 points.

The players now have these points:

• Dealer: 4 + 4 = 8 points
• Non-dealer: 6 + 6 points = 12 points

The dealer then counts the crib, but thereare no available combinations.

Hence, the round ends with these scores:

• Dealer: 8 points
• Non-dealer: 12 points

The dealer the rotates for the next round.

What is thebest hand in Cribbage?

The best hand is ultimately subjectiveduring the Play phase, but the highest score a hand can get during the Showphase is 29.

The best possible hand is 5♠5♣ 5♥ 5♦ and any Jack.

One of the four cards will be the startercard. This combination gives 8 different 15s for 16 points, a four of a kindworth 12 points, and a nobs worth 1 point, giving a total of 29 points.

Cribbage Strategy & Tips

Strategy and tips to help you master Cribbage land:

• Discards are important, as the crib serves as a possibility for the dealer to earn extra points.
• Cribbage strategy revolves around choosing the right cards to play during the play phase.
• Remember, runs do not have to be played in order.
• The best cribbage players always have the count in mind, getting easy 15s and 31s.
• Take your time during the show phase, as you don’t want to miss potential points.
• Keeping runs during the Deal phase can help during the Show phase, but not necessarily during the Play phase.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the game invented?

Cribbage was invented in the early 1600s in Great Britain. You can read more on the history here.

How many points is a Four of a Kind in Cribbage?

A four of a kind is worth 12 points.

What is a Skunk in Cribbage?

A skunk is when a player wins with a 31 point difference with his opponent.

What is a Flush in Cribbage?

A flush is a combination of 4 or more cards in the same suit.

What Is A Flush In Cribbage Set

Useful Links

• American Cribbage Congress: The largest Cribbage organization in the world. They standardized the rules for tournaments.
• The Cribbage Guy: Great place to find all kinds of unique Crib Boards.
• Cribbage Boards – Limited Edition: House of Cribbage is an online store for limited edition exquisite inlaid wooden boards.

Cribbage Rules

Objective

The objective in Cribbage is to be the first player to get 121 points. The gameplay is divided into three distinct parts, The Deal, The Play and The Show. Each part is explained in detail below.

This version of Cribbage is for two players, there are many other variations possible, but these rules are only for the variation we've chosen for this site. There are a lot of rules, I've tried to explain them as best I can here, but you can also look at the rules at www.pagat.com or at Cribbage Corner, both of those are good places to learn how Cribbage works.

The Deal

The game starts with both players drawing a card from the deck to find out who is the dealer. The person that gets the lower card is the dealer. If the players draw equal cards then they draw again until the dealer can be determined. This way of determining the dealer is only done in the first round, in subsequent rounds who is the dealer will alternate between the two players.

The dealer deals 6 cards to himself and 6 cards to the opponent. Each player then chooses two cards from their hand to put face down into the crib. The crib belongs to the dealer and is used at the end of the round to gain extra points. Which cards you choose to put in the crib is very important, as it affects how many points you can get in later parts of the game.

At this point each player has four cards in their hand, and the Crib has four cards. The deck of cards is then put to the side, and the non-dealer (also called a pone) cuts the deck and then reveals the top card. This card is referred to as the starter or the cut. If the starter is a Jack then the dealer immediately scores 2 points. This is known as Two for his heels. Once the starter card has been shown, the players are ready to proceed to the next part of the game.

The Play

The pone (the player who is not the dealer) starts by laying down a card on the table and announcing its value, e.g. lays down a 6 and announces 'Six'. The dealer then lays down a card and announces the cumulative value of the cards on the table, e.g. he lays down a 5 and announces 'Eleven'. This continues with the players laying down one card each until a player cannot lay down another card without the cumulative value going over 31. The player then says 'Go' and the other player can then continue to lay down his cards until he also can't lay down a card without going over 31. He then says 'Go' as well, and the player who laid down the last card will score 1 point if the total value is under 31 but 2 points if the value on the table is exactly 31. They then reset the count to 0 and continue with their remaining cards, starting with the player who did not lay down the last card. An ace is counted as 1, face cards are counted as 10 and other cards are their normal value.

What Is A Straight Flush In Cribbage

During this phase there are several ways to score points, based on how you lay down your cards. Points are scored as you lay down your cards, e.g. if your opponent has just laid down a 4 and then you lay down another 4 on top of it then you will score a pair. The starter/cut card is not used at all in this part of the game.

Players always announce the cumulative value of the cards on the table when they lay down a new card. If they score points they will announce the points as well, e.g. 15 for 2, or 31 for 2. When a player has said 'Go' then the other player will say '1 for the Go' when he's claiming the point from laying down the last card. He might also say '1 for last', if the other player has not laid down any cards since the value was last reset. 1 for the Go or 1 for last are just different ways of announcing the same thing, that the player gets 1 point because he laid down the last card under 31.

Scoring during The Play

• Fifteen: For adding a card that makes the total 15, score 2 points.
• Pair: For adding a card of the same rank as the card just played, score 2 points.
• Pair Royal (Three of a kind): For adding a card of the same rank as the last two cards, score 6.
• Double Pair Royal (Four of a kind): For adding a card of the same rank as the last 3 cards, score 12.
• Run (sequence) of three or more cards: Score 1 point for each card in the sequence. The cards do not need to be in order, but they do need to be all together. E.g. H2 C8 D6 H7 S5 is a 4 card sequence because C8 D6 H7 S5 can be re-arranged into S5 D6 H7 C8, but H2 C5 C7 D7 S6 is not a sequence because the extra 7 in the middle breaks up the sequence of 5-6-7. Basically if you can take n cards that are in order and re-arrange them so all the n cards form a numerical sequence then it's a sequence.
• Last card, total value less than 31: Score 1 point.
• Last card, total value exactly 31: Score 2 points.

It's worth noting that even though all face cards count as 10, you cannot create a pair, pair royal or double pair royal with cards unless they have the same 'real' rank. E.g. two queens are a pair, a queen and a king aren't, even though they are both valued at 10. For sequences an ace is always low, you can't make a sequence with a king and an ace next to each other.

It's also worth noting that you can make points in many ways with the same cards. E.g. if the cards on the table are DA C7 and you lay down H7 you will get 2 points because 1+7+7=15 and 2 points because 7+7 is a pair of sevens. So, in that case you would announce 'Fifteen for 4'.

This part of the game continues until both players have played all their cards. The scores are updated as soon as a player gets points, and if a player reaches the target score, 121, the game is finished immediately.

The Show

What Is A Flush In Cribbage Room

Once The Play is finished, the players take back their cards from the table and it's time to calculate the score for their hands, and the crib. These are always scored in the same order: pone's hand, dealer's hand, dealer's crib. As before, the scores are added to the scoreboard as soon as they are calculated, and if a player reaches 121 the game is over immediately, the other player doesn't get to count his score. This means that there's no chance of a tie, or both players going over 121 in the same round. The dealer will normally get more points since he scores both his hand and the crib, but the pone scores his hand first, so if they're both close to 121 the pone might win, even though the dealer would have gotten more points if he were allowed to count them.

The Show Scoring

The scoring for The Show is similar to the scoring for The Play, but with some important differences. The starter card is used here with both hands and the crib, so a hand is the hand + the starter, and the crib is the crib + the starter. You can use the same card for many different combinations, e.g. it can be part of a pair and also part of a sequence.

• One for his nob: For having the jack of the same suit as the starter, score 1 point. E.g. starter is H4, you have HJ.
• Fifteen: Any combination of cards that sum to 15. You can re-use cards, so if you have HJ, SJ and C5 you get 2 points for HJ C5 and another 2 points for SJ C5.
• Pair: For any pair of cards, e.g. SQ DQ, score 2 points.
• Pair Royal (Three of a kind): For any three cards of the same rank, e.g. S8 C8 H8, score 6 points.
• Double Pair Royal (Four of a kind): For any four cards of the same rank, e.g. HA SA DA CA, score 12 points.
• Run (sequence) of three or more cards: Score 1 point for each card in the sequence. E.g. for SA H2 C3 D4, score 4 points.
• Flush, 4 cards: If all the cards in your hand are of the same suit, e.g. SA S5 S9 SJ, score 4 points. These four cards all have to be in your hand, you cannot have three cards in your hand + the starter count as a flush. A 4 card flush also can't be used for the crib, only for your hand.
• Flush, 5 cards: If all the cards in your hand, and the starter card, are of the same suit, e.g. SA S5 S9 SJ SQ, score 5 points. You can also get a 5 card flush for your crib, if all the cards in the crib and the starter are of the same suit.

Skunks and Double Skunks

A skunk is when a player wins by over 30 points, his opponent has less than 91 points when the game is over. A double skunk is when a player wins by over 60 points, the opponent has less than 61 points. Normally a skunk will count as two games and a double skunk as 3. However, on this site we're not playing multiple games, we only track each game individually. We will however show you an image of a skunk or two if you get a skunk, and we do keep track of skunk counts for the statistics page.

Variations

As with every game, there are slight variations in how people play Cribbage. I've tried to look at many sources and pick the most 'standard' rules I could. Some common variations is that the next-to-last hole on the scoreboard is the 'stinkhole' and not all points count there. I'm not using that variation on this site, you can score wherever you are. There are undoubtedly other variations that people like and would like to see here, if a lot of people request a specific variation I would consider adding it, but I don't want to start adding different options for the game, I like picking one way to play a game and sticking with it.