What Is Cribbage?
Cribbage is one of the most unique card games ever invented. You score points in TWO different ways: first during the ‘play’ phase where you lay cards one at a time, and then during the ‘show’ phase where you count combinations in your hand. Points are tracked by moving pegs along a cribbage board (a long board with 121 holes). First to 121 wins — and the moment you hit 121, the game ends, even mid-hand.
What You Need
- A standard 52-card deck
- A cribbage board and 2 pegs per player (you can use paper if you don’t have a board)
- 2 players (3 or 4 can play with small rule adjustments)
Card Values for Counting
- Aces = 1
- Number cards = face value
- Jack, Queen, King = 10 each
Setup
- Deal 6 cards to each player.
- Each player chooses 2 cards to place face-down in the center — this is the Crib, an extra hand that belongs to the dealer.
- Cut the remaining deck. Flip the top card face-up — this is the Starter card, used by both players when scoring hands.
- If the starter card is a Jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points (‘Two for his heels’).
Phase 1: The Play (Pegging)
Players take turns laying cards face-up, one at a time, announcing the running total as they go.
- Non-dealer plays first, announcing the value (e.g. ‘Seven’).
- Dealer plays next, adding to the total (e.g. ‘Seventeen’).
- Keep going back and forth. The total CANNOT exceed 31.
- If you can’t play without going over 31, say ‘Go.’ Your opponent continues playing if they can.
- After a ‘Go’ or when 31 is reached exactly, the last player to lay a card scores 1 point (‘Go’) or 2 points (’31’). Start counting from 0 again.
Points Scored During Play
- 15: If your card brings the total to exactly 15, score 2 points.
- 31: Bring the total to exactly 31, score 2 points.
- Go: Opponent can’t play without going over 31, score 1 point.
- Pair: Play the same rank as the last card played, score 2 points.
- Three of a kind (pair royal): Three in a row of the same rank = 6 points.
- Four of a kind: Four in a row = 12 points.
- Run: Three or more consecutive ranks played in any order = 1 point per card (e.g. 5-6-7 in any order = 3 points).
Phase 2: The Show (Counting Hands)
After all cards are played, everyone counts the combinations in their 4-card hand together with the starter card (5 cards total). Non-dealer counts first, then dealer, then dealer counts the Crib.
Points Scored in Hand
- Fifteen: Any combination of cards totaling 15 = 2 points. Count ALL possible combinations!
- Pair: Two cards of the same rank = 2 points.
- Run: Three or more consecutive ranks = 1 point per card.
- Flush: All four hand cards the same suit = 4 points. Add starter card same suit = 5 points.
- Nobs: A Jack in your hand that matches the suit of the starter card = 1 point.
Example hand: You have 5♠ 5♦ 5♣ J♥ with starter 5♥. Every combination of three 5s + J = 15. Plus four-of-a-kind (5s) = 12 pts. Plus nobs if Jack matches. This is a legendary 29-point hand.
Winning
First player to reach 121 points wins — right then, mid-play if necessary. You don’t wait until the end of the round.
Strategy Tips
- Discard 5s to your own crib — a 5 combines with any 10-point card to make a 15.
- Avoid giving your opponent’s crib a 5 for the same reason.
- Keep pairs and cards that make 15s in your hand when choosing what goes to the crib.
- Peg aggressively in the play phase — don’t miss chances to score pairs and runs.