Cribbage

• Cribbage Board Template
• Cribbage Scoring Chart
• Cribbage With Jake
• Cribbage Scoring
• Cribbage Classic
• Cribbage Tournaments Online

Cribbage evolved from an earlier English game called 'Noddy,' and the man credited with inventing it is Sir John Suckling, a wealthy English poet. Cribbage affords players both the anticipation of the luck of the deal as well as ample opportunity to exercise their skills in discarding and play. Cribbage News Cribbage Goodies; Welcome to the largest, most comprehensive collection of free online cribbage games on the web! Read the Latest game upgrades. Read the latest ecribbage newsletters! Step by Step instructions to play Kings Cribbage Tutorial. Become an eCribbage PRO Member today. Follow eCribbage on twitter! Cribbage is a classic card game that involves playing cards to create combinations and gain points. To play a game of cribbage you need atleast two people but can have three.

Play proceeds through a succession of 'hands', each hand consisting of a 'deal', 'the play' and 'the show'. At any time during any of these stages, if a player reaches the target score (usually 121), play ends immediately with that player being the winner of the game. This can even happen during the deal, since the dealer scores if a Jack is cut as the starter.

The deal

The players cut for first deal, and the person who cuts the lowest card deals. The dealer shuffles and deals five or six cards to each player, depending on the number of players. For two players, each is dealt six cards; for three or four players, each is dealt five cards. In the case of three players, a single card is dealt face down in the centre of the table to start the crib. Once the cards have been dealt, each player chooses four cards to retain, then discards the other one or two face-down to form the 'crib' (also called the box), which will be used later by the dealer.At this point, each player's hand and the crib will contain exactly four cards. The player on the dealer's left cuts the deck and the dealer reveals the top card, called the 'starter' or the 'cut'. If this card is a Jack, the dealer scores two points for 'his heels'.

The play

Starting with the player on the dealer's left, each player in turn lays one card face up on the table in front of him or her, stating the count—that is, the cumulative value of the cards that have been laid (for example, the first player lays a five and says 'five', the next lays a six and says 'eleven', and so on)—without the count going above 31. The cards are not laid in the centre of the table as, at the end of the 'play,' each player needs to pick up the cards they have laid.

Players score points during the play. For causing the count to reach exactly fifteen a player scores two points and play continues. Completing a pair (two of a kind) scores two points; three or four of a kind are counted as multiple pairs: completing three of a kind is the same as three different pairs, or 6 points, and four of a kind is 6 different kinds of pairs, or 12 points. A run of three or more cards (consecutively played, but not necessarily in order) scores the number of cards in the run.

If a player cannot play without causing the count to exceed 31, he calls 'Go'. Continuing with the player on his left, the other player(s) continue(s) the play until no one can play without the count exceeding 31. A player is obliged to play a card unless there is no card in his or her hand that can be played without the count exceeding 31 (one cannot voluntarily pass). Once 31 is reached or no one is able to play, the player who played the last card scores one point if the count is still under 31 and two if it is exactly 31. The count is then reset to zero and those players with cards remaining in their hands repeat the process starting with the player to the left of the player who played the last card. When all players have played all of their cards the game proceeds to the 'show'.

Players choose the order in which to lay their cards in order to maximize their scores; experienced players refer to this as either good or poor 'pegging' or 'pegsmanship'. If one player reaches the target (usually 61 or 121), the game ends immediately and that player wins. When the scores are level during a game, the players' pegs will be side by side, and it is thought that this gave rise to the phrase 'level pegging'.

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The show

Once the play is complete, each player in turn, starting with the player on the left of the dealer, displays his hand on the table and scores points based on its content in conjunction with the starter card. Points are scored for combinations of cards totalling fifteen, runs, pairs (multiple pairs are scored pair by pair, but may be referred to as three or four of a kind), a flush and having a Jack of the same suit as the starter card ('one for his nob [or nobs or nibs]', sometimes called the 'right' Jack). A four-card flush scores four and cannot include the cut or starter; a five-card flush scores five.

The dealer scores his hand last and then turns the cards in the crib face up. These cards are then scored by the dealer as an additional hand, also in conjunction with the starter card. Unlike the dealer's own hand, the crib cannot score a four-card flush, but it can score a five-card flush with the starter.

All scores from 0 to 29 are possible, with the exception of 19, 25, 26 and 27. Players may refer colloquially to a hand scoring zero points as a 'nineteen hand'.

Match

A match (much like tennis) consists of more than one game, often an odd number. The match points are scored on the cribbage board using the holes reserved for match points. On a spiral board, these are often at the bottom of the board in a line with 5 or 7 holes. On a conventional board, they are often in the middle of the board or at the top or bottom.

In a two-player game of cribbage, a player scores one match point for winning a game. Their opponent will start as dealer in the next game. If a player skunks their opponent (reaches 121 points before their opponent scores 91 points), that player wins two match points for that game. If a player double skunks their opponent (reaches 121 points before their opponent reaches 61), they score three or four match points for the game, depending on local convention. If a player triple skunks their opponent (reaches 121 points before their opponent reaches 31 points), they automatically win the match. Double and triple skunks are not included in the official rules of cribbage play and are optional. There are several different formats for scoring match points.

-------Scoreing--------

The starter

The player on the dealer's left cuts the undealt portion of the deck (leaving at least 4 cards), and the dealer reveals the top card, called the 'starter' or the 'cut', placing it on top of the deck face up. (It is illegal to peek at any other cards in the deck during this process.) If this card is a Jack, the dealer scores two points for 'his heels', also known as 'his nibs', or simply 'nibs'. The game can end on a cut of a Jack for the dealer.

The play

In addition to scoring one or two points for the last card, players score points according to the following rules:

• fifteen-twos
  • two points for a cumulative total of exactly fifteen ('fifteen two')
• runs
  • three points for completing a run of three cards, regardless of the order in which they are laid (a 6, then a 4, then a 5 is a run of three even though they were not laid in order)
  • four points for completing a run of four
  • five points for completing a run of five
  • six points for completing a run of six
  • seven points for completing the run of seven; e.g. playing 2, 4, 6, A, 3, 5 and 7
• pairs
  • two points for laying a card of the same rank as the previous card, thus completing a pair
  • six points for laying a third card of the same rank (a 'pair royal' or 'trips')
  • twelve points for laying a fourth card of the same rank (a 'double pair royal' or 'quad')

The show

Once the play is complete, each player in turn receives points based on the content of their hand. Starting with the player on the dealer's left, players spread out their cards on the playing surface and calculate their score based on these four cards and the starter card:

• fifteen-twos
  • two points for each separate combination of two or more cards totalling exactly fifteen
• runs
  • three points for a run of three consecutive cards (regardless of suit)
  • four points for completing a run of four
  • five points for completing a run of five
• pairs
  • two points for a pair of cards of a kind
  • six points for three cards of a kind (known as a 'pair royal', comprising three distinct pairs)
  • twelve points for four cards of a kind (a 'double pair royal', comprising six distinct pairs)
• flush
  • four points for a flush, where all four cards in the hand are of the same suit, with an additional point if the starter card is also of that suit.
  • one point for holding the Jack of the same suit as the starter card ('one for his nob' or '.. his nobs' )

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cribbage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_cribbage

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.

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

Texas holdem blind timer. 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:

Cribbage Board Template

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:

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

Texas holdem blind timer. 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:

Cribbage Board Template

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

Casino gods. 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.

Cribbage Scoring Chart

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 With Jake

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?

Cribbage Scoring

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

Cribbage Classic

Useful Links

Cribbage Tournaments Online

• 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.