Cribbage

1 Overview

Cribbage is a 400-year-old card game combining arithmetic, memory, and strategic discard decisions. Players score points during the play (pegging) and again when counting completed hands. A cribbage board tracks scores with pegs. First to peg past 121 wins. Points come from pairs, runs, cards totaling 15, flushes, and special Jack combinations.

2 What You Need

• 1 standard 52-card deck (no jokers)
• A cribbage board with pegs (or paper scorecard)

Find cribbage boards on Amazon

3 Setup

1. Each player places their two pegs at position 0 on the cribbage board. You use two pegs to track previous and current score (leap-frog style).
2. Cut for deal: lowest card deals first. Thereafter, the deal alternates.
3. Card values: Aces = 1, numbered cards = face value, Jack/Queen/King = 10 (for 15-counting). Face cards retain their rank for pairs and runs.
4. Deal 6 cards each in a 2-player game. With 3-4 players, deal 5 cards each and add one card from the deck to the crib immediately.
5. Target: First to 121 points wins.

4 The Crib

Each player discards 2 cards face-down to form the crib. The crib is a bonus hand belonging to the dealer, scored at the end of the round.

What to Discard

• When you are the dealer: The crib is yours. Discard cards that work well together: pairs, near-15 combos, sequential cards. 5s are excellent crib cards.
• When you are the non-dealer: Throw "garbage" to the dealer's crib. Cards far apart in rank (King and 2) cannot pair or form runs together. Never give 5s to the opponent's crib.
• Dangerous discards to opponent's crib: 5-5, 5-J, 5-10, sequential pairs like 6-7 or 7-8.

5 The Starter Card (The Cut)

After discarding, the non-dealer cuts the remaining deck. The dealer turns up the top card of the lower half. This is the starter card (cut card). It combines with both players' hands during the show but is not played during pegging.

His Heels (Nibs): If the starter is a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points before any play begins.

6 Pegging (The Play)

Players alternate playing cards face-up, keeping a running count that cannot exceed 31. Announce the running total aloud. Points are pegged immediately.

The Go Rule

When a player cannot play a card without the count exceeding 31, they say "Go." The other player continues playing until they also cannot play. The last card played earns 1 point for Go. The count resets to 0 and play continues with remaining cards.

7 The Show (Counting Your Hand)

After pegging, each player counts their 4-card hand combined with the starter card to make a 5-card hand. Count order: non-dealer first, then dealer's hand, then dealer's crib.

8 Scoring Notes

Muggins: An optional rule where if a player fails to count all their points, the opponent may call "Muggins" and take the missed points. Must be agreed upon before the game starts.

Counting Order: Non-dealer counts first, then dealer, then dealer's crib. This matters because reaching 121 during your count wins immediately. The non-dealer has the advantage of counting before the dealer's crib.

9 The Perfect 29-Point Hand

The maximum possible score in a cribbage hand is 29 points. It requires:

• Hand: Three 5s plus a Jack matching the suit of the starter card
• Starter: The 5 of the same suit as the Jack

Breakdown: Four 5s = Double Pair Royal = 12 points. Each 5 paired with the Jack makes a 15 (four combos) = 8 points. Three 5s = 15 (four combinations of three 5s among four cards) = 8 points. Nobs (Jack matches starter suit) = 1 point. Total: 12 + 16 + 1 = 29 points. The probability of this hand is approximately 1 in 216,580.

10 Variants

Three-Player Cribbage

Each player receives 5 cards and discards 1 to the crib. Play proceeds clockwise. First to 121 wins.

Four-Player Partnership Cribbage

Two teams of two, partners sitting across from each other. Each player receives 5 cards and discards 1. Partners' scores combine. Game target is often 121 for the team.

Five-Card Cribbage (Original)

The original form uses 5 cards per player with a target of 61 points. Faster and historically accurate to the 17th-century game Sir John Suckling invented.

11 Strategy Guide

Discarding to Your Own Crib

Pairs are valuable. 5-5 is exceptional. 5-10, 5-J, 5-Q, 5-K all make an instant 15. Sequential cards (6-7, 7-8) can contribute to runs. Throw your 2 weakest cards relative to your crib potential.

Discarding to Opponent's Crib

Kings and Aces are safe discards: they rarely pair or complete 15-combos with random cards. Avoid giving 5s, sequential pairs, or anything within 5 ranks of each other.

Pegging Offense

Lead a 4 (your opponent cannot hit 15 in one card). Play cards that leave the count below 21 to avoid giving the opponent a 31. Trap opponents into giving you pairs.

Pegging Defense

Avoid playing into a count of 21 (opponent can play a 10-value card to hit 31 for 2 points). Do not match ranks your opponent just played. Say Go strategically to force your opponent to use their best cards.

12 Wrong House Rules

• "A flush in the crib counts with 4 cards of the same suit." Crib flushes require all 5 cards to be the same suit.
• "The game ends at 120." The target is 121 points. You must peg past hole 120.
• "Muggins is always in play." Muggins is optional and must be agreed upon before the game starts.
• "Nobs is worth 2 points." Nobs (Jack in hand matching starter suit) = 1 point. Nibs (starter IS a Jack) = 2 points pegged by the dealer at the cut.
• "Runs must be played in consecutive order." Runs during pegging count if the last N cards form consecutive ranks in ANY order played.

13 History of Cribbage

Cribbage was invented in the early 17th century by the English poet and courtier Sir John Suckling (1609-1641), derived from the older game of Noddy. Suckling was famously wealthy and reputedly had special marked card decks made for cheating at other games -- but cribbage was his legitimate creation.

The game spread through England and became especially popular among sailors and soldiers, who brought it to America. The cribbage board, one of the oldest purpose-built game accessories, was designed for fast and cheat-resistant scoring. The American Cribbage Congress estimates over 10 million cribbage players in North America today.

14 Frequently Asked Questions