What you need
- A standard 52-card deck, jokers removed
- A cribbage board with pegs, or the free score keeper
- 2 players for the standard game; 3 or 4 players with small changes to the deal
Players and time
2 players (3 or 4 also work). About 20 to 30 minutes a game.
The goal
Be the first player to reach 121 points. Points come from two places: pegging while the cards are played one at a time, and counting the combinations in each hand and in the crib.
The game can end in the middle of play. The moment a player scores their 121st point, the game is over.
Setup
- Each player cuts the deck. The lower card deals the first game, and the ace is low. In later games of a match, the loser of the previous game usually deals.
- Two players: the dealer deals six cards to each player. Each player then sets aside two cards face down. The four set-aside cards form the crib, which belongs to the dealer and is counted last.
- Three players: deal five cards each and one extra card face down into the crib. Each player puts one card into the crib, so everyone keeps four cards and the crib has four.
- Four players: partners sit opposite each other. Deal five cards each. Each player puts one card into the crib, so everyone keeps four cards and the crib has four. Partners share one score: one of them is chosen to peg for the side, and partners may help each other keep score, but they may not give advice on the play or reveal their cards.
- The player who is not the dealer cuts the rest of the deck, and the card cut to is turned face up as the starter card. If the starter is a jack, the dealer pegs 2 points straight away (his heels).
A turn
- The play (pegging): the player to the dealer's left plays one card face up and says the running total. Players take turns, each playing one card from their four and announcing the new total. Aces count 1, number cards count their number, and jack, queen and king count 10.
- The total may not go above 31. A player who cannot play without going over 31 says Go. The other players then play any cards they can, as long as the total stays at 31 or below.
- Score pegging points as you play (see the table). Fifteen and thirty-one, pairs, runs, and the last card all score.
- When nobody can play, the total goes back to zero. Play resumes with the player to the left of whoever played the last card (in a two-player game, that is the player who said Go). Keep going until all the cards are played.
- The show (counting): once everyone has played all four cards, each hand is counted with the starter card as a fifth card. Count the hand of the player to the dealer's left first, the dealer's hand next, and the crib last. In a game with 3 or 4 players, counting starts at the dealer's left and ends with the dealer.
- Pass the deal one place to the left, gather the cards, and deal again. Keep going until someone reaches 121.
Special cards and combinations
- Fifteen and thirty-one
- During play, making the running total exactly 15 pegs 2 points. Making it exactly 31 also pegs 2 points. The 31 replaces the 1 point you would otherwise get for the last card.
- Pairs in play
- Playing a card of the same rank as the card just before it pegs 2 points. A third card of that rank pegs 6, and a fourth pegs 12. The cards must be played one right after the other, with nothing between them.
- Runs in play
- If the last three or more cards played form a run of consecutive ranks, you peg 1 point per card in the run. The order they were played in does not matter, but a card that does not fit breaks the run. For example, 3, 5, 6, 7, 4 played in that order scores 3 when the 7 goes down (5-6-7) and 5 when the 4 goes down (3-4-5-6-7). The ace is low, so a queen, king and ace is not a run.
- Go and the last card
- When your opponent cannot play and you play the last card without reaching 31, you peg 1 point for the last card. This is the same point as a Go. Only one of the 31, Go and last-card scores can be earned by a single card.
- Counting a hand
- In the show, score every group of cards in your four cards plus the starter. Every set of cards adding up to 15 scores 2. Every pair scores 2, three of a kind scores 6 and four of a kind scores 12. Every run of three or more cards scores 1 per card. A double run, such as 4-5-6-6, scores both runs plus the pair.
- Flushes
- Flushes score only in the show, never in play. Four cards of one suit in your hand score 4. If the starter card is also that suit, the flush scores 5. In the crib, only a five-card flush counts, which means the starter must match too. Four crib cards of one suit alone score nothing.
- His nobs
- If your hand or the crib holds the jack of the same suit as the starter card, you score 1 point. It does not count if the jack is the starter itself. When the starter is a jack, the dealer already got 2 points for his heels.
- Skunks
- A skunk is a win by a wide margin. The American Cribbage Congress rulebook defines it as winning by 31 or more points, which means the loser finished on 90 or fewer. A double skunk, with the loser below 61, is a common extension. What the skunk is worth is for the players to agree on before the game.
Scoring
Points are pegged on the board as they are earned. The table lists every score. A dash means that score is not available at that stage.
| Score | During play | In the hand or crib |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer turns up a jack as the starter (his heels) | 2 | - |
| Jack of the starter suit in the hand or crib (his nobs) | - | 1 |
| Making the running total exactly 15 | 2 | - |
| Making the running total exactly 31 | 2 | - |
| Last card played without reaching 31 (or a Go) | 1 | - |
| Each combination of cards adding up to 15 | - | 2 |
| Pair | 2 | 2 |
| Three of a kind | 6 | 6 |
| Four of a kind | 12 | 12 |
| Run of three or more cards | 1 per card | 1 per card |
| Four-card flush (hand only) | - | 4 |
| Five-card flush (hand or crib) | - | 5 |
Worked example
Pegging: your opponent plays a 7 and says seven. You play an 8 and say fifteen, pegging 2 points for making 15. Your opponent plays a 6 and says twenty-one. The 7, 8 and 6 form a run of three, so they peg 3 points.
Counting: your hand is the 4 of hearts, 5 of spades, 6 of diamonds and 6 of clubs, and the starter is the king of hearts. Fifteens: 4+5+6 using one six, 4+5+6 using the other six, and 5+king. That is 3 fifteens for 6 points. The two sixes are a pair for 2 points. The 4-5-6 run can be made with either six, so there are two runs of three for 6 points. There is no flush and no jack. The total is 6 + 2 + 6 = 14 points.
Keep score with the Cribbage score keeper
How to win
The first player to reach 121 points wins, even if that happens during the play, in the count, or from his heels. Hands are counted in order, so a player who gets to 121 first in that order wins, even if a later hand would also pass 121.
If the loser has fewer than 91 points when the winner reaches 121, that is a skunk. If the loser has fewer than 61, it is a double skunk. The score keeper marks the lines for you.
Common house rules
These are house rules. They are not part of the official rules, so agree on them before you start.
- Muggins House rule
- In some games, a player may claim points an opponent failed to count in their hand. Each missed point goes to the player who called it. The American Cribbage Congress treats this as an option the tournament director can allow. It is off in this page's rules.
- What a skunk is worth House rule
- Groups often double the stake for a skunk and quadruple it for a double skunk, or count the win as extra games. The stakes differ between groups and sources, so agree on them before you start. The score keeper only flags the loser as skunked or double-skunked; it does not apply any stake.
Frequently asked questions
What is the crib?
The crib is an extra four-card hand made from cards each player sets aside. It belongs to the dealer, who counts it after both hands. Because the dealer benefits, the non-dealer usually tries to give it weak cards, while the dealer tries to feed it good ones.
Do flushes count while playing the cards?
No. A flush only counts in the show. Four cards of one suit in your hand score 4, and 5 if the starter card matches. In the crib, only a five-card flush counts.
What is the difference between his heels and his nobs?
His heels is 2 points for the dealer when the starter card is a jack, scored at once. His nobs is 1 point for holding the jack that matches the suit of the starter card, scored when you count your hand or the crib.
What does Go mean?
Go means you cannot play a card without taking the running total over 31. The other players then keep playing any cards that fit. The player who plays the last card pegs 1 point, or 2 if the total hits exactly 31.
Does the order of cards matter for a run during play?
No. A run counts if the latest cards played are consecutive ranks in any order, as long as nothing else was played in between. Each new card that extends the run scores the whole run again.
How do I play cribbage with three or four players?
With three players, deal five cards each and one to the crib, and each player puts one more card in the crib. With four players, deal five cards each and have each player put one card in the crib; partners sit opposite and share one score. In both cases everyone plays with four cards.
What is a skunk?
A skunk is a lopsided win. In the American Cribbage Congress rulebook it is winning by 31 or more points, so the loser ends on 90 or fewer. Many players also use a double skunk for a loser below 61.
Can the game end before the count?
Yes. If a player reaches 121 while pegging, or even from his heels, the game stops immediately and any cards left are not counted.
Sources
- American Cribbage Congress: Cribbage Tournament Rules (2020 edition) (Scoring chart for play and counting, card values, flush rules, the definition of a skunk, and the order of play.)
- Bicycle Cards: Cribbage (Two-player deal, pegging and counting scores, crib flush rule, and the skunk and double skunk lines.)
- Pagat: Cribbage (Three- and four-player deals, order of counting, and the optional muggins rule.)