Game Objective

Most Cribbage games, played between two players, are played until the first person reaches 121 points.

Because points can be scored throughout the several phases of the game, Cribbage players use a peg board to track score throughout each hand.

Equipment and Setup

Cribbage is a centuries-old card game that maintains strong popularity world-wide, but especially in Great Britain.

While score can be kept with pencil and paper, most players use a Cribbage Board, one of the defining elements of the game.

Required Materials

The game uses a standard 52-card deck without Jokers. As mentioned, most players use a wooden peg board—called a Cribbage Board—to keep score.
On the table52 cards
Required Materials 1Required Materials 2Required Materials 3Required Materials 4Required Materials 5Required Materials 6Required Materials 7Required Materials 8Required Materials 9Required Materials 10Required Materials 11Required Materials 12Required Materials 13Required Materials 14Required Materials 15Required Materials 16Required Materials 17Required Materials 18Required Materials 19Required Materials 20Required Materials 21Required Materials 22Required Materials 23Required Materials 24Required Materials 25Required Materials 26Required Materials 27Required Materials 28Required Materials 29Required Materials 30Required Materials 31Required Materials 32Required Materials 33Required Materials 34Required Materials 35Required Materials 36Required Materials 37Required Materials 38Required Materials 39Required Materials 40Required Materials 41Required Materials 42Required Materials 43Required Materials 44Required Materials 45Required Materials 46Required Materials 47Required Materials 48Required Materials 49Required Materials 50Required Materials 51Required Materials 52
The classic wooden peg board is an iconic part of every Cribbage game. It keeps the score, adds tradition, and brings players together around the table.
Equipment and Setup

Initial Layout

Players sit at a table across from each other. The Crib (the 4 cards face down aside) is positioned near the dealer. Players lay their cards just in front of themselves when they play.
On the table
Initial Layout 1Initial Layout 2

Card Distribution and Game Start

Starting a Cribbage game is not complicated. Players—and games are usually played between two—decide upon a dealer in whatever way they’d like. The dealer shuffles.

Dealing Cards

In a two-player game, each player receives six cards. Each player chooses two cards to discard face down into the crib, an extra hand scored by the dealer later in the hand.

The non-dealing player cuts the remaining deck, and the dealer turns up the top card of the bottom half as the starter card. If it’s a Jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points!

On the table6 cards
Dealing Cards 1Dealing Cards 2Dealing Cards 3Dealing Cards 4Dealing Cards 5Dealing Cards 6

Order of Play

The non-dealing player goes first, and then they alternate, each laying one card at a time.
On the table
Order of Play 1Order of Play 2Order of Play 3

Turn Structure

There is 3 phases in the cribbage game, the first one playing cards, the second one counting hands and the last one is counting the Crib.

Phase 1 : Playing cards

Once the cards are dealt, play begins—there’s no drawing more cards. Players take turns laying down one card at a time, trying to keep the running total at 31 or less. Points are scored for making 15s, pairs, runs, or hitting exactly 31. Any cards has his value except the Aces which score 1 and figures which score 10. If a player can’t play without going over, they say “Go,” and their opponent continues until no more cards can be played. Find below a summary of the points for each combinaisons :

  • 15: Any combination of cards that adds to 15 scores 2 points.
  • 31: Totaling exactly 31 scores 2 points.
  • Any Pair: 2 points
  • Three of a Kind: 6 points
  • Four of a Kind: 12 points
  • Runs (consecutive cards regardless of suit):
    • Run of 3: 3 points
    • Run of 4: 4 points, and so on . . . .
  • “Go:” If a player cannot play without exceeding 31, the other player says "Go" and scores 1 point.
  • Last card: If a player lays the final card (without reaching 31), they score 1 point.

Below a 31 points and a one pair which score 2 points each.

On the table5 cards
Phase 1 : Playing cards 1Phase 1 : Playing cards 2Phase 1 : Playing cards 3Phase 1 : Playing cards 4Phase 1 : Playing cards 5

Available Actions

In a Cribbage hand, players go back and forth, laying down one card at a time and chasing points with every move. Hit 15, nail a pair, or sneak in a run—every play counts. Keep your eyes on the total (don’t go over 31!) and your hand on the pegs, because every point could be the one that wins the game.

Phase 2 : counting cards in hand

After the play phase ends, each player adds up the points in their hand using their four cards plus the starter card (the one that was cut at the beginning).

  • 15s: Any combination of cards that adds to 15 scores 2 points.
  • Pairs: As above.
  • Runs: As above.
  • Flush:
    • 4 cards in hand of the same suit: 4 points
    • 5 cards (including the starter) of the same suit: 5 points
  • Nobs: If their hand contains a Jack of the same suit as the starter card, the player receives 1 point

Below an example of a hand scoring 9 points :

  • 1 point for the J♥
  • 2 points for J♥ + 5♥ which is a "15"
  • 4 points for 3♥, 4♠, 5♥ and 6♣
  • 2 points for 4♠, 5♥ and 6♣ which is an other "15"
On the table5 cards
Phase 2 : counting cards in hand 1Phase 2 : counting cards in hand 2Phase 2 : counting cards in hand 3Phase 2 : counting cards in hand 4Phase 2 : counting cards in hand 5

Scoring System and Winning Conditions

The scoring scheme for Cribbage is a little unusual, and the game doesn’t feature trump cards like many traditional games.

What it does feature, however, is a dynamic scoring system and its own unique scorekeeping prop: the Cribbage Board.

Let’s take a look at how Cribbage games are scored.

Point Calculation

Cribbage is scored through a mix of strategy and math, with points earned during both the play and the hand-scoring phases. During play, players score for making combinations like 15s, pairs, runs, or reaching exactly 31.

After all cards are played, each player scores their hand using the same combinations, plus a bonus point if they have a Jack matching the starter card’s suit (“nobs”). The dealer also scores the crib, and points are tracked using pegs on a Cribbage Board.

Game End

Players keep playing until reaching 121. Most Cribbage games are played to 121 points but you can obviously choose a lower objective if you running out of time. This total can be reached at any time during the game and a winner declared directly without waiting to the end of the hand.
On the table
Game End 1Game End 2Game End 3

Specific Rules and Exceptions

The Cribbage Board is perhaps the most defining element of the game. Many players have custom boards made, or use boards that have been passed down for many generations.

The other elements that define Cribbage do so by showing what the game is not: no trick-taking, no penalties, no crazy table talk. Instead, Cribbage relies on players making specific combinations with their cards and tracking the score with the game’s dynamic points system.

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