How to play cribbage
Cribbage is the two-player card game scored on a pegging board: make fifteens, pairs and runs, and be first to 121. This version deals you in against the computer and counts every hand out loud, so it doubles as a way to learn. Free, no signup.
Cribbage rules
- The deal. Six cards each. Low card in the cut deals first, then the deal alternates.
- The crib. Each player throws two cards face down into the crib. It belongs to the dealer and is counted last.
- The starter. The non-dealer cuts and the dealer turns the top card. A jack scores the dealer 2, his heels.
- Pegging. Non-dealer leads. Take turns playing one card, calling the running count, which can't pass 31.
- Go. If you can't play without passing 31, say go. The other player plays on; the last card played scores 1 (2 if it hits 31). Then the count starts again at 0.
- The show. Non-dealer counts first, then the dealer's hand, then the dealer's crib, each with the starter.
- Winning. First to 121 wins, at that moment, even in the middle of pegging. A loser under 91 is skunked.
How to count a cribbage hand
- Fifteens: 2 for every combination of cards that adds to 15. Face cards count 10, aces 1.
- Pairs: 2 each. Three of a kind is 6, four of a kind is 12.
- Runs: 1 per card in three or more in a row. A double run (4-5-5-6) counts both runs.
- Flush: 4 for four cards of one suit in hand, 5 with the starter. The crib needs all five.
- Nobs: 1 for the jack of the starter's suit.
- In pegging: 15 and 31 score 2, a pair 2, three of a kind 6, four 12, runs 1 per card in any order.
Example: 4♣ 5♥ 5♠ 6♦ with a J♦ starter is 15-2, 15-4, 15-6, 15-8, a pair for 10, a double run for 16. The best possible hand is 29.
Cribbage strategy
- Feed your own crib. Throw fives, pairs and close cards (7-8, 6-7) when you deal.
- Starve theirs. Never give the other player's crib a five, a pair or a 5-10 combination.
- Lead low. A 4 or lower can't be answered with 15. Never lead a 5.
- Mind 5 and 21. Sixteen of the 52 cards count 10, so leaving the count at 5 or 21 hands over 2 points.
- Pair with care. Pairing scores 2 but invites three of a kind for 6.
- Near the end, play the board. If you only need a few points, peg safely and let your hand count you out.
Frequently asked
What is the highest hand? 29: three fives and the jack of the fourth suit, with the last five cut.
Why is a zero hand called nineteen? No hand can score 19, so "nineteen" is the joke for nothing.
Is muggins on? No. Every point is counted for you, and the breakdown shows each one.
How good is the computer? Level 3 throws by the average value of each keep over every starter and pegs defensively. Levels 1 and 2 play simpler.
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