Cribbage is a card game for two players (variants exist for three and four) using a standard 52-card deck and a cribbage board to keep score. The first player to peg 121 points wins.
Card values
Aces count 1, number cards count their face value and kings, queens and jacks count 10. For runs, cards rank in order with ace low: A-2-3 is a run, Q-K-A is not.
The deal and the crib
- Cut for deal; the lowest card deals first. The deal alternates every hand.
- The dealer gives each player six cards.
- Each player discards two cards face down to form the crib, a bonus hand that belongs to the dealer.
- The non-dealer cuts the deck and the dealer turns up the top card - the starter. If it is a jack, the dealer pegs 2 points ("his heels").
The play (pegging)
Starting with the non-dealer, players take turns laying one card face up and announcing the running total. The total may not go over 31. Points are pegged immediately:
| Event | Points |
|---|---|
| Total reaches exactly 15 | 2 |
| Total reaches exactly 31 | 2 |
| Pair (same rank as the previous card) | 2 |
| Three of a kind | 6 |
| Four of a kind | 12 |
| Run of three or more (in any order) | 1 per card |
| "Go" - opponent cannot play without passing 31 | 1 |
| Last card played | 1 |
When neither player can play, the count resets to zero and play continues until all cards are played.
The show (counting hands)
Each player counts their four cards plus the starter. The non-dealer counts first, then the dealer, then the dealer's crib.
- Fifteens: 2 points for each combination totalling 15.
- Pairs: 2 points for each pair.
- Runs: 1 point per card in each run of three or more.
- Flush: 4 points if all four hand cards share a suit, 5 if the starter matches too. A crib flush needs all five cards.
- Nobs: 1 point for holding the jack of the starter's suit.
Example: a hand of 5-5-J-Q with a 4 starter scores fifteens for 8 (each 5 with the J and with the Q), plus a pair for 2 = 10 points.
Winning the game
The game ends the moment a player reaches 121, even in the middle of pegging. Because the non-dealer counts first, they can sometimes win before the dealer gets to count.
Cribbage strategy tips
- Discarding as dealer: give your own crib good cards - fives, pairs and cards that add to fifteen.
- Discarding as non-dealer: avoid giving away fives or pairs. Wide-apart cards like a king and a 2 are safer.
- Lead with a four or lower. Your opponent cannot reach fifteen with a single card.
- Do not lead a five. Ten-value cards are the most common, so a five often gives up fifteen-two.
- Play to the board. Late in the game, when you only need a few points, protecting your lead matters more than your own score.
