Cribbage (rules)

Over the 400 or so years that the game of cribbage has been around, variations and rules have evolved, with house rules, preferences and even misunderstandings being passed on from one player to another. However, the core of the rules remains constant, and should be familiar to most players. The rules here apply to the standard two-, three- or four-player games, with details of variations being listed below.

The deal

Cribbage uses a standard, 52-card Anglo American deck of cards. The jokers are removed; the suits are equal in status. The players cut for first deal, with the player cutting the lowest card (the ace counts as one, and is the lowest card) dealing first. If the cutters tie, the cards are re-shuffled and re-cut. The dealer shuffles, offers the deck to the player on his right to cut (required in tournament play), and deals cards singly to each player, starting with the player on his left. For two players, each is dealt six cards (though some play with five cards dealt to each player and two to the crib). For three or four players, each is dealt five cards. In the case of three players, a single card is dealt face down in front of the dealer to start the crib.

No player may expose a card or look at a card in the deck (including the bottom of the cut) before or after the deal, except for the starter card. This would result in a two-point penalty, and the opponent (also known as the pone) must see the card.

The crib

Once the cards have been dealt, each player chooses four cards to retain, discarding the other one or two face-down to form the "crib" that will be used later by the dealer.^[1] At this point, each player's hand and the crib will contain exactly four cards.

Example cribs

Two players

Player	Cards dealt	Discarded	Hand
Alice (dealer)
Bob
Crib

Three players

Player	Cards dealt	Discarded	Hand
Claire (dealer)
David
Eve
Crib

The starter

The player on the dealer's left cuts the undealt portion of the deck (leaving at least 4 cards), and the dealer reveals the top card, called the "starter", placing it on top of the deck face up. (It is illegal to peek at any other cards in the deck during this process.)^[2] If this card is a Jack, the dealer scores two points for "his heels", also known as "his nibs", or simply "nibs". The game can end on a cut of a Jack for the dealer.

The play

The play (often called pegging) starts with the player on the dealer's left and continues clockwise. Each player lays one card in turn onto the table so that it is visible, stating the cumulative value of the cards played. (For example, the first player lays a 4 and says "four", the next lays a 7 and says "eleven", and so on). Face cards are worth ten; Aces are worth one. Play must not exceed 31, so a player who cannot lay a card without bringing the total above 31 passes by saying "Go". The other players continue to lay cards in turn without exceeding 31 until no cards can be played. The last player to lay a card scores two points if 31 is reached exactly ("31 for two"); otherwise one point is scored, e.g., "29 for one", or "30 for one", etc. The one-point score is known as "One for the go"^[3], or simply the "Go". The count is then reset to zero and play resumes, starting with the player to the left of the last card played. Players with cards remaining repeat this process until all players' cards have been played.

In addition to scoring one or two points for the last card, players score points according to the following rules:

• fifteen-twos
  • two points for a cumulative total of exactly fifteen ("fifteen for two")
• runs
  • three points for completing a run of three cards, regardless of the order in which they are laid (a 6, then a 4, then a 5 is a run of three even though they were not laid in order)
  • four points for completing a run of four
  • five points for completing a run of five
• pairs
  • two points for laying a card of the same rank as the previous card, thus completing a pair
  • six points for laying a third card of the same rank (a "pair royal" or "trips")
  • twelve points for laying a fourth card of the same rank (a "double pair royal" or "quad")

If a card completes more than one scoring combination, then all combinations are scored. For example, if the first three cards played are 5s, the third one scores eight points: two for making 15, and six for a pair royal. Card combinations cannot span a reset; once the total reaches 31 (or a Go has been scored) and counting has re-started at zero, cards already played cannot contribute to runs or pairs.

Players choose when to lay each card in order to maximise their score according to the scheme shown below. The first player to reach 121 wins the game.

Example plays

Two players

Alice (dealer)
Bob

Player	Card	Cumulative	Score	Announced
Bob		10		"ten"
Alice		15	2 points (fifteen exactly)	"fifteen for two"
Bob		22		"twenty-two"
Alice		28	3 points (run: 5, 6, 7)	"twenty-eight for three"
Bob				"go"
Alice		30	1 point	"thirty for one"
Bob		6		"six"
Alice		10		"ten"
Bob		14	3 points (pair, last card)	"fourteen for three"

Three players

Claire (dealer)
David
Eve

Player	Card	Cumulative	Score	Announced
David		7		"seven"
Eve		14	2 points (pair)	"fourteen for two"
Claire		21	6 points (three-of-a-kind)	"twenty-one for six"
David		26		"twenty-six"
Eve		31	4 points (pair, 31 exactly)	"thirty-one for four"
Claire		8		"eight"
David		18		"eighteen"
Eve		28	2 points (pair)	"twenty-eight for two"
Claire				"go"
David				"go"
Eve		31	2 points (31 exactly)	"thirty-one for two"
Claire		10		"ten"
David		14		"fourteen"
Claire		23	1 point (last card)	"twenty-three for one"

The show

Once the play is complete, each player in turn receives points based on the content of their hand. Starting with the player on the dealer's left, players spread out their cards on the playing surface and calculate their score based on these four cards and the starter card:

• fifteen-twos
  • two points for each separate combination of two or more cards totalling exactly fifteen
• runs
  • three points for a run of three consecutive cards (regardless of suit)
  • four points for completing a run of four
  • five points for completing a run of five
• pairs
  • two points for a pair of cards of a kind
  • six points for three cards of a kind (known as a "pair royal", comprising three distinct pairs)
  • twelve points for four cards of a kind (a "double pair royal", comprising six distinct pairs)
• flush
  • four points for a flush, where all four cards in the hand are of the same suit, with an additional point if the starter card is also of that suit. It is only a flush in the crib if all five cards, the four in the crib and the starter card, are of the same suit.
• nobs
  • one point for holding the Jack of the same suit as the starter card ("one for his nob"^[4] or "... his nobs"^[5])

Common combinations are often scored as a group. For example, a run of three cards with an additional card matching one of the three in value, e.g., 2-2-3-4, is termed a "double run", and scores eight according to the above rules, three for each of the runs and two for the pair. Even more valuable are "triple runs" (three three-card straights including a three-of-a-kind, e.g., 2-2-2-3-4, that score fifteen) and "double-double runs" (four three-card straights including pairs, e.g., 2-3-3-4-4, that score sixteen). Combined runs may also include fifteen-twos. A 24 hand, the largest commonly seen, comprises a double-double run and four fifteen-twos. Two examples are 4-4-5-5-6 and 6-7-7-8-8.

The dealer scores his hand last and then turns the cards in the crib face up. These cards, in conjunction with the starter card, are scored by the dealer as an additional hand. The rules for scoring the crib are the same as scoring a hand, with the exception of the flush.

The highest possible score for a hand is 29 points: a starter card of a 5, and a hand of 5, 5, 5, J with the Jack being the same suit as the starter card. The score might be announced thus:

"Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, fifteen eight," (four J-5 combinations),

"fifteen ten, fifteen twelve, fifteen fourteen, fifteen sixteen," (four 5-5-5 combinations),

"and "twelve for pairs" (four 5s) is twenty-eight,

"and nobs makes twenty-nine."

Scores between 0 and 29 are all possible, with the exception of 19, 25, 26 and 27.^[6] Players may colloquially refer to a blank hand (one scoring no points) as a "nineteen hand".

Example scores

Two players

Starter card
Alice (dealer)
Bob
Crib

Player	Cards	Score	Announced
Bob		2	"fifteen two"
		2	"fifteen four"
		4	"four for a run"
		1	"and one for his nob"
	Total	9
Alice		2	"fifteen two"
		2	"fifteen four"
		8	"and eight for a double run"
	Total	12
Alice (crib)		2	"fifteen two"
		2	"fifteen four"
		2	"and two for a pair"
	Total	6

Three players

Starter card
Claire (dealer)
David
Eve
Crib

Player	Cards	Score	Announced
David		2	"fifteen two"
		2	"fifteen four"
		3	"and three for a run"
	Total	7
Eve		2	"fifteen two"
		2	"fifteen four"
		2	"fifteen six"
		2	"and two for a pair"
	Total	8
Claire		2	"fifteen two"
		3	"and three for a run"
	Total	5
Claire (crib)		2	"fifteen two"
		3	"and three for a run"
	Total	5

The end

After the dealer has scored his crib, all cards are collected and the deal passes to the player on the dealer's left. The next round starts with the deal.

Although the rules of cribbage do not require it (except in tournament play), the traditional method of keeping score is to use a cribbage board. This is a flat board, usually made of wood, with separate series of holes that record each player's score. It is usually arranged in five hole sections for easier scoring. Players each have two pegs that mark their current and previous scores, and all scoring is done by moving the back peg ahead of the front peg.

When a player reaches the target score for the game (usually 121), the game ends with that player the winner.

Variations

• Three players: Five cards are dealt to each player and one card directly to the crib, and each player then discards one card to the crib, as shown in the examples above. Three players can score individually, with the winner the first to reach 121, or in a "two against one" team format, where the two-player team must score 121 to win before the lone player reaches 61.
• Four players: Five cards are dealt to each player, each of whom discards one to the crib. The players can play as individuals or as two sets of partners.
• Five-card cribbage (called the "old game"): Each of two players is dealt five cards, two of which are discarded into the crib. The crib thus consists of four cards but each hand only three. The non-dealer is given a three-point start and play is to 61.
• Five players: Five cards are dealt to each player except the dealer, who has only four cards. The four non-dealers each discard one card to the crib.
• Muggins: This is a scoring variant in which a player who fails to count all the points to which he is entitled in the play or the show loses the unclaimed points to an opponent who calls "muggins" or "cut throat".
• Lowball (or "Loser's Crib"): This is a misère variant in which the normal rules apply but the aim is to avoid scoring. The loser is the first to 121.
• Jokers: Jokers are fully wild, with their rank and suit decided only at the moment of play. The choice of card may even replicate a card already in play, allowing for 5 of a kind (20 points), 6 of a kind (30 points), etc. When a joker is cut as the starter, the dealer scores 2 for heels and each player may choose a different rank and suit for the joker when hands are scored.
• Toss Fives: This is a variant in which players must discard any 5s they may have into the crib (even an opponent's crib).
• Auction Cribbage: In Auction Cribbage, it does not have to be the dealer who gains the points in the crib or box - any player may bid for the points in the box. If a player who is not the dealer puts in a bid, he or she must announce how many points he or she is going to sacrifice for the privilege of taking up the box, and these points are deducted at the end of the scoring for that round (the only player who does not have to sacrifice points in this way is the dealer).

References

1. ^ Parlett, David (October 1987). The Penguin Book of Card Games. Treasure Press. ISBN 1-85051-221-3. 
2. ^ "The Mechanics of Playing Cribbage". The American Cribbage Congress. 2004-10-01. http://www.cribbage.org/rules/rule1.asp. Retrieved 2008-03-01. 
3. ^ "Cribbage Rules". Cribbage Corner. 2008-05-01. http://cribbagecorner.com/cribbage-rules. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
4. ^ Block, Mike, et al. "Six Card Cribbage". Card Games. Pagat.com. http://www.pagat.com/adders/crib6.html. Retrieved 9 July 2010. 
5. ^ "Rule 1. The Mechanics of Playing Cribbage: Definitions". Cribbage Official Tournament Rules. American Cribbage Congress. http://www.cribbage.org/rules/rule1.asp#section6. Retrieved 9 July 2010. 
6. ^ Steven S. Lumetta (2007-05-15). "Amusing Cribbage Facts". http://www.crhc.uiuc.edu/~steve/humor/cribbage.html. Retrieved 2008-03-03. 

External links

• Cribbage rules from Cribbage Corner
• Official tournament rules of the American Cribbage Congress
• Cribbage Scoring Chart