Cribbage

Objective

Cribbage is played individually with 2 or 3 players; with 4 players, opposite seats are partners. The first player or partnership to reach 121 points wins immediately, even during a deal. Exceeding 121 is allowed.

Deal and setup

With two players, deal 6 each and discard 2 each to the crib. With three, deal 5 each and one card directly to the crib; each player adds 1. With four, deal 5 each and discard 1 each. Everyone keeps 4 cards and the dealer or dealer’s partnership owns the 4 hidden crib cards.

How to play — step by step

1. A standard 52-card deck without jokers is used. Aces count 1, number cards their face value, and J, Q and K count 10. For pairs and runs, J, Q and K are distinct ranks; ranks run from A to K and an ace never follows a king.
2. The first dealer is chosen by cutting: the lowest rank deals. Tied lowest players cut again. Dealing then rotates clockwise. Shuffling and cutting are automatic.
3. After all discards, a starter is exposed from the remaining deck. If it is a jack, the dealer immediately scores 2. The starter is not played; it is later added to each counted hand and the crib.
4. The player left of the dealer leads pegging. Play one card at a time clockwise. The running total must not exceed 31. If any card fits, you must play. Otherwise say Go and the others continue; players with no cards are skipped.
5. Reaching 15 scores 2, as does 31. Two consecutive equal ranks score 2, three score 6 and four score 12. The longest consecutive tail of played cards forming a run of at least three distinct ranks scores its length; the cards need not be in numerical order. Fifteen can combine with a pair or run. Flushes do not score during pegging.
6. When nobody can continue, the last player scores 1 unless the total is 31. The 2 for 31 replaces the last-card point. Reset both the total and the sequence for pairs and runs; the next player after the last who still has cards leads. The final card of pegging also scores 1 unless it makes 31.
7. Next, count each original four-card hand with the starter. Start left of the dealer, count the dealer’s hand last and then the crib. As soon as anyone reaches 121, no further hand or crib is counted.
8. In the show, each combination totalling 15 scores two and each pair of equal ranks scores two. Count every longest run of at least 3; do not add shorter runs contained within it. Duplicate ranks produce multiple distinct runs. A card may contribute to several scoring combinations.
9. Four original cards of one suit score 4, or 5 if the starter matches. In the crib, all five must match to score a flush. A jack in the original hand or crib matching the starter’s suit adds 1. A jack that is itself the starter does not score this point.
10. Scoring is automatic, with no muggins or Canadian partnership deal. Opponents and your partner cannot see your hidden cards. Wins, XP and rewards are awarded only for a complete game to 121; both winning partners receive a win. Surrender is a loss without XP. Card backs unlock separately from faces.

Important rules to remember