Cribbage

• Objective of the game
The aim of six-card cribbage is to be the first player to score 121 points or more.

• The deck and the board
Cribbage is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, without jokers. A traditional cribbage board is usually used to keep score.

• Values of the cards
All court cards count as 10; the ace counts as 1; other cards are worth their corresponding pip values.

• Number of players
Six-Card Cribbage is essentially a game for two players, but other variations exist.

• The scoring
The score is traditionally recorded by means of inserting pegs on a cribbage board. Two pegs are used, in leapfrog fashion, to record the score for each player, the rear peg showing the previous tally and the foremost peg recording the current score. The pegs move up the outside of one side of the board and then back down the inside. A parallel view of the two players makes it easy to track progress and compare scores.

When a player scores, the rear peg is moved in front of the forward peg by the same number of holes as the score to show the new total. The winner is the first to "peg out," i.e. by exceeding 120 points.

• The deal
Players cut for the deal. The player cutting the lower card deals. Subsequently the turn to deal alternates.

The dealer shuffles, offers the deck to his opponent to cut and then deals six cards to each player, one at the time. The undealt part of the pack is placed face down on the table. Both players discard two cards face down. These two cards are referred to as "the crib" or "the box". This crib is effectively an extra hand scored for the dealer. So the dealer aims to discard cards into the crib that will give a good chance of a high scoring hand, whereas the opponent aims to confound this objective by trying to throw cards that are unlikely to make valuable combinations. Most of the skill in the game of Cribbage is down to the choice of cards discarded at this point.

• The play
The dealer's opponent begins the play by laying one of his four cards face up while clearly stating it's numerical value. The dealer then lays a card separately in front of himself and announces the total of both cards. Play continues like this with each player alternately laying a card on the pile in front of him while verbally keeping tally of the current joint total. However, the total must not go above 31.

When a player cannot play without taking the total above 31, that player says "go" and, if possible, the remaining player must carry on alone until that player, too, cannot play without taking the total above 31. When neither player can play any card without taking the total above 31, the player who laid the last card pegs 1 point saying "One for last". Should either player manage to take the total to exactly 31, that player pegs 2 points instead of 1, saying "Two for thirty-one". Then the cards already played are turned over and the player who did not lay the last card starts a new play.

When one player's cards are exhausted, the other player continues alone. The last card played scores 1 "for last" (unless the amount is 31 in which case 2 points are scored).

During the play, the following events are scored and the appropriate amounts are immediately recorded on the cribbage board.

• If anyone lays down a card which brings the total to 15, 2 points are scored.
• If anyone lays down a card of the same type as the previous one, 2 points are scored ("2 for a pair"). In this context, the numerical value is not used so, for instance, a Jack cannot be paired with a Queen.
• If anyone lays down a third card of the same type, 6 points are scored ("6 for a pair royal").
• If anyone lays down a fourth card of the same type, 12 points are scored "12 for a double pair royal").
• If anyone lays down a card such that with the two preceding cards, a run can be scored, 3 points are scored. The cards do not have to be of the same suit nor do they have to have been laid in sequential order. Aces count low so Queen, King, Ace is not a run.
• Similarly, if anyone lays a card such that with the three or more preceding cards, a run can be constructed, the number of cards which would make up that run are scored. e.g. suppose cards were laid in the following order: 8, 6, 4, 5, 7. The fourth card would score 3 points, the fifth card would score five points.

• The show
Each player then counts the score of the four cards in his hand plus the turned up card. The non-dealer shows first and this is important because it can often make the difference between winning and losing.

• Fifteen - All combinations of cards that add up to fifteen count 2 points.
• A pair, a pair royal or a double pair royal - count 2, 6 or 12 respectively.
• A run - A point for each card in a run.
• A flush - Four or five cards of the same suit. A point is scored for each card. A 4-point flush can only be scored using cards from the hand. The turned up card can ONLY be used in a five card flush. Note that flushes do not count in the play.
• One for his nob - a jack of the same suit as the turned up card. This is always scored last so that the score is tallied by finishing with the satisfying phrase "and one for his nob".

The highest possible score in the show is 29 points - 3 fives and a Jack in the hand with the turned up card another five of the same suit as the held Jack.

• The crib
Finally, the dealer counts the score of the cards in the crib plus the turned-up card and adds these points to his total. Scoring is done in exactly the same way as for the show except that a crib can only score a flush if all five cards are of the same suit for five points.

Four-handed play

Cribbage can also be played as a four-handed game. In this case it becomes a partnership game, similar to bridge, with the North-South players competing against the East-West players. The first dealer is determined by draw of lowest card. Thereafter, dealer position moves clockwise. The person ahead of the dealer is offered to cut the deck. Five cards are dealt to each player; each player discards one card into the crib and play continues clockwise.

Three-handed play

Cribbage can also be played as a three-handed game, but it is rarely done so. Boards with three sets of holes are available for that purpose. Players cut for the first deal and, thereafter, deal and play work in a clockwise fashion. The person ahead of the dealer cuts the cards. Five cards each are dealt with a final card being dealt face down for the crib. Each player discards one card into the crib.

Other Variations

Five-Card Cribbage

This is a simpler game that is none-the-less preferred by many veterans. It is the original form of Cribbage which has been superceded by the six-card game. The differences are as follows:

Play is normally once around the board - first to score 61 points.

At five-card cribbage, there is a significant advantage to being first dealer. To offset this, the non-dealer pegs 3 points before the game begins. This is called "three for last".

Five cards are dealt to each person, one at the time, at the start. Two cards are discarded into the crib which leaves each player with only three cards for the play and the show.

In five-card cribbage the play ends immediately when one of the players scores for 31 or "go". In six-card cribbage, a new play starts once "go" or 31 is reached.

In the Show, a three-card flush can be scored but only if all three cards are from the hand. A four-card flush can be scored if the turned-up card is also of the same suit.

Seven-Card Cribbage

Only experienced players play this game - it can get quite complicated. Play is to 181 points or three times around the board. Seven cards are dealt to each player so that the play and the show are conducted with five cards each.

The highest score under seven-card cribbage is 46 which can only be scored when the six cards, including the turned up card, are 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4. This is a total of 6 for 3 pairs, 16 for 8 fifteens and 24 for 8 runs.