Cribbage

📌 Quick Info

  • Name of the Game: Cribbage
  • Number of Players: 2 (also played with 3 or 4 as variants)
  • Deck: 1 Standard 52-card deck (no Jokers)
  • Extras: Cribbage board and pegs (for scoring)

🎯 Objective

To be the first player to reach 121 points by forming combinations during the play and through scoring your hand and the crib. Points are tracked using a cribbage board with pegs.

🛠️ What You Need

  • Standard 52-card deck
  • Cribbage board with pegs
  • Score sheet (optional if board unavailable)

🔄 How to Play – Step by Step

▶️ 1. Deal

  • Each player is dealt 6 cards.
  • Each player discards 2 cards face down into the “crib” — a second hand scored by the dealer.

▶️ 2. Cut the Starter Card

  • The non-dealer cuts the deck, and the dealer reveals the top card (called the “starter”).
  • If it’s a Jack, dealer scores 2 points immediately (“His Heels”).

▶️ 3. The Play (Pegging)

  1. Players alternate placing one card at a time, summing the total as they go (cannot exceed 31).
  2. Score during play for:
    • 15 total = 2 points
    • Pairs = 2 points, Three-of-a-Kind = 6, Four-of-a-Kind = 12
    • Runs (3+ consecutive cards) = points equal to length
    • Last card = 1 point (“Go”), or 2 if it lands on 31

▶️ 4. Scoring Hands

After the play ends:

  1. Non-dealer scores their 4-card hand + starter card
  2. Dealer scores their hand + starter card
  3. Dealer also scores the 4-card crib + starter

▶️ 5. Hand Scoring Combinations

  • 15s: Any combination totaling 15 = 2 points each
  • Pairs: 2 points
  • Runs: 3+ consecutive cards = 3+ points
  • Flush: 4 same-suit cards in hand = 4 points; 5 with starter = 5
  • “Nobs”: Jack of the same suit as the starter = 1 point

📜 Pegging Summary

  • Players move pegs along the board to mark scored points in real time.
  • Game ends once a player reaches 121 points — exact count not required.

🧠 Strategy Tips

  • Discard low-value cards like 7–8 into the crib if your opponent is dealer.
  • Hold 5s and 10s when possible — they form 15s easily.
  • Try to keep runs and pairs in hand — they generate points in play and post-play scoring.
  • When pegging, avoid helping your opponent reach 15 or 31.

🧪 Example Play

  • Your hand: 5♥, 5♠, 10♣, K♣ | Starter: 5♦
  • Scoring:
    • Three 5s = 6 points (triplet)
    • Each pair of 15 = 2 points × 4 = 8 points
    • “Nobs” = 0 (no Jack)
  • Total: 14 points

📚 History & Origin

  • Invented by English poet Sir John Suckling in the early 1600s as a variant of “Noddy.”
  • Highly popular in the UK and North America, especially among naval and military communities.
  • One of the few card games played on a dedicated scoring board with pegs.
  • Still widely played online and in tournaments.
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