How to Play Cribbage: Card Game Rules & Interactive Tutorial

Cribbage is a classic 2-player card game where you score points by forming combinations during play and in your hand. Fans of two-player classics like Gin Rummy will appreciate Cribbage's strategic depth. The goal is to be the first to peg 121 points on the cribbage board. Each hand involves discarding to the "crib," playing cards up to 31, and then scoring combinations using a shared start card.

Below you'll find a thorough explanation of the rules, and above, you'll find an interactive tutorial to help you learn how to play. Whichever way you choose, you should be well-acquainted with the rules in no time.

Once you're familiar with the rules, you can play Cribbage online for free at World of Card Games. You can face other players at a public table or set up a private one for a friend. The counting takes practice, so we recommend a few warm-up games against our bots first.

Let the pegging begin!

Cribbage at a glance

A two player counting game with a board, a crib, and a race to 121.

The Cards

Cribbage uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards. Cards rank from Ace (low) through King (high). For counting purposes during play and scoring: Aces count as 1, number cards are worth their face value (2-10), and face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are worth 10 points each.

Objective

The goal is to be the first player to reach 121 points. Points are scored during the play of cards and by forming combinations in your hand. Scores are tracked on a cribbage board using pegs, and the first player to "peg out" past 120 wins.

Deal

The first dealer is chosen at random. The dealer shuffles, the opponent cuts, and each player is dealt 6 cards. The remaining cards are placed face down as the stock. The deal alternates between players for each hand.

The Crib

Each player looks at their 6 cards and discards 2 face down to form the "crib" (also called the "box"). The crib belongs to the dealer and will be scored by the dealer at the end of the hand. Non-dealers should avoid putting helpful cards in the crib, while dealers benefit from discarding cards that work well together.

The Start Card

After discarding, the non-dealer cuts the remaining deck. The dealer turns up the top card of the lower portion and places it face up on the deck. This is the "start card" (or "cut card"). It will be used by both players when scoring their hands and by the dealer when scoring the crib.

If the start card is a Jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points. This is called "Two for his heels."

The Play

Beginning with the non-dealer, players take turns playing one card at a time face up in front of themselves. As each card is played, players announce the running total of all cards played. This count starts at zero and must not exceed 31.

If a player cannot play a card without exceeding 31, they say "Go." The opponent then continues playing cards until they also cannot play without exceeding 31. The last player to play a card scores 1 point for "last" (or 2 points if the count is exactly 31).

The count then resets to zero, and players continue from their remaining cards, with the opponent of whoever played last going first. Play continues until all cards have been played.

Scoring During the Play

Points are scored during the play for the following:

• Fifteen: Playing a card that brings the count to exactly 15 scores 2 points
• Pair: Playing a card of the same rank as the previous card scores 2 points
• Pair Royal: Three cards of the same rank in a row scores 6 points
• Double Pair Royal: Four cards of the same rank in a row scores 12 points
• Run: If the last 3 or more cards played form a sequence (regardless of suit), you score 1 point per card. They don't have to land in order, so 5-3-4 scores 3 points. A card in between that doesn't fit the sequence breaks the run
• Thirty-one: Reaching exactly 31 scores 2 points and ends the count
• Go/Last: If 31 isn't reached, being the last to play before the count resets scores 1 point

The Show

After all cards are played, players score their hands. The non-dealer scores first, then the dealer scores their hand, and finally the dealer scores the crib. The start card counts as a fifth card for all three hands.

Points are scored for:

• Fifteens: Each combination of cards totaling 15 scores 2 points
• Pairs: Each pair of cards with the same rank scores 2 points (three of a kind = 6 points, four of a kind = 12 points)
• Runs: Each run of 3 or more consecutive cards scores 1 point per card (runs can be counted multiple times if duplicates exist)
• Flush: Four cards of the same suit in hand (not counting the start card) scores 4 points. If the start card is also the same suit, score 5 points. For the crib, a flush only counts if all five cards (including the start card) are the same suit
• His Nobs: A Jack in hand that matches the suit of the start card scores 1 point

Game End

The game ends immediately when a player reaches or exceeds 121 points. This can happen at any time: during the play, while scoring hands, or even from "Two for his heels." The first player to peg out wins, regardless of the score of the other player.

Skunks

A "skunk" occurs when a player wins by a significant margin. If the losing player fails to reach 91 points (hasn't crossed the third quarter of the board), the winner has "skunked" them. If the loser fails to reach 61 points (hasn't crossed the halfway mark), this is a "double skunk."

In match play, skunks are often worth extra game points. A skunk may count as winning two games, and a double skunk as winning three or four games. On World of Card Games, skunks are noted at the end of the game but do not affect scoring for single games.

History

Cribbage was invented in early 17th century England, traditionally attributed to the poet Sir John Suckling. The game evolved from an older game called Noddy. Cribbage became one of the most popular pub games in Britain and later spread throughout the English-speaking world, particularly to the United States and Canada. The characteristic cribbage board for scoring has been a part of the game since its earliest days.

The rules in practice

Pegging rewards you for what the running count does. Say you lead a 7 and announce "seven". Your opponent plays an 8 for a count of 15 and pegs 2 points. You answer with a 9, making the count 24, and the 7, 8 and 9 form a run, so you peg 3. If your opponent now plays another 7, the count hits exactly 31 for 2 points, and the last three cards played are 8, 9 and 7, which makes another run for 3 more. Runs during the play don't need to arrive in order.

The show is where combinations multiply. Suppose you hold a 7, two 8s and a King, and the start card is a 9. Each 8 makes 15 with the 7, which is 4 points. Each 8 also completes a 7-8-9 run for 3, giving 6 more. The two 8s are a pair for 2. That hand is worth 12 points, and the King contributes nothing at all. Counting every combination separately is the heart of Cribbage scoring.

"Go" situations decide close hands. Imagine the count sits at 27 and your opponent says "Go" because everything they hold would pass 31. You still have a 4 and a King. You play the 4, hit exactly 31 and peg 2 points, and the count resets to zero with your King ready for the fresh start. Holding a low card back for exactly this moment is often worth more than it looks.

Strategy basics

A few habits will lift your game quickly.

• Choose your discard by counting. Work out what each possible four-card keep is worth before deciding what goes to the crib.
• Treat the crib differently depending on whose it is. Feed your own with fives, pairs and connected cards, and give your opponent's crib wide cards that can't work together.
• Open the play with a card below 5 so your opponent can't make 15 on their first reply.
• Keep a low card for the end of each count. It wins you the point for last and sometimes exactly 31.
• Pair with care. If you pair your opponent's card for 2 points, they may hold a third card of that rank and peg 6 right back. Pair when you can afford that trade, or when you hold the third card yourself.
• Remember the game ends the instant anyone reaches 121. In a tight finish, points pegged during the play arrive before anyone counts a hand.

Frequently asked questions

What is "two for his heels"?

If the start card turned up after the cut is a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points. It can even win the game for a dealer sitting on 119 or 120.

What is "his nobs"?

A Jack in your hand that matches the suit of the start card is worth 1 point in the show. Don't confuse it with heels. Nobs is about a Jack you hold, while heels is about a Jack turned up as the start card.

How does a flush score?

Four cards of the same suit in your hand score 4 points, and 5 if the start card matches too. The crib is stricter. A crib flush only counts when all five cards, including the start card, share one suit.

Who counts their hand first in the show?

The non-dealer always counts first, then the dealer counts their hand, and the dealer counts the crib last. The order matters late in the game, because whoever reaches 121 first wins even if the other player's hand would have scored more.

Can the game end in the middle of a hand?

Yes. The moment either player reaches 121 points the game is over, whether that happens during the play, while counting hands, or from "two for his heels". Cards left uncounted stay uncounted.

Helpful Links

Pagat.com Cribbage Page