Rules of cribbage

Over the 400 years or so 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 cribbage players. The rules here apply to the standard two- three- or four-player games, with details of variations being listed below.

The deal

The players cut for first deal, with the player with the lowest card (ace counting low) dealing first. The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck, offers the deck to the player on his left to cut, and then deals cards singly to each player, starting with the player on his left. For two players, each is dealt six cards; for three or four players, each is dealt five cards. In the case of three players, a single card is dealt face down in the centre of the table to start the crib.

The crib

Once the cards have been dealt, the players look at their cards. Each player chooses four cards to retain, then discards the other one or two face-down to form the "crib" which will be used later by the dealer. At this point, each player's hand and the crib will contain exactly four cards.

Example cribs

Player	Cards dealt	Discarded	Hand
Alice (dealer)
Bob
Crib

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

The starter

The player on the dealer's left cuts the deck and the dealer reveals the top card, called the "starter", placing it on top of the deck face up. If this card is a Jack, the dealer scores two points for "his heels", also known as "his nibs".

The play

Starting with the player on the dealer's left and continuing clockwise, each player lays one card in turn onto a personal discard pile, stating the cumulative value of the cards laid (for example, the first player lays a five and says "five", the next lays a six and says "eleven", and so on). The total 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 without breaching the 31 barrier until no further cards can be played. The player last to lay a card scores two points if the total of 31 is reached exactly ("31 for two") or one point otherwise (e.g. "29 for one", "30 for one"). The cumulative position is then reset to zero and those players with cards remaining repeat the 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:

• 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 six followed by a four followed by a five is a run of three even though not layed in order)
  • four points for completing a run of four
  • five points for completing a run of five, etc.
• 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")
  • twelve points for laying a fourth card of the same rank (a "double pair royal")

If a card completes more than one scoring combination, then all combinations are scored. For example, if the first three cards played are all fives, the third one scores eight points: two for making exactly 15, and six for a pair royal. Card combinations cannot span a reset: once the total reaches 31 (or as high as possible) and counting starts again from zero, cards already played cannot contribute to runs or pairs.

Players choose the order in which to lay their cards in order to maximise their score according to the scheme shown below. If one player reaches 121, the game ends immediately and that player wins.

Example plays

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"

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 his hand. Starting with the player on the dealer's left, each player spreads out his cards in front of him and calculates his score based on his four cards in conjunction with the starter card:

• two points for each separate combination of two or more cards totalling fifteen exactly
• runs
  • three points for a run of three consecutive cards
  • four points for completing a run of four
  • five points for completing a run of five, etc.
• pairs
  • two points for a pair of cards of the same rank
  • six points for three cards of the same rank (a "pair royal")
  • twelve points for four cards of the same rank (a "double pair royal")
• 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
• one point for the Jack of the same suit as the starter card ("one for his nob")

Common combinations are sometimes scored as a group. For example, a run of three cards with an additional fourth card matching one of the three in value is termed a "double run", and scores eight according to the above rules: three for each of the runs and two for the pair.

The dealer scores his hand last and then turns the cards in the crib face up. These cards are then scored by the dealer as an additional hand in conjunction with the starter card. The rules for scoring the crib are the same as scoring a hand, with one exception: a flush must consist of all five cards, not just the four in the crib.

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 of 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),

"twelve for pairs" (four 5s),

"and one for his nob makes twenty-nine."

Scores between 0 and 29 are all possible, with the exception of 19, 25, 26 and 27. Players may refer colloquially to a hand scoring zero points as having a score of nineteen.

Example scores

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

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.

Variations

• Five-card cribbage, sometimes 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.
• Three players: five cards are dealt to each player and one card directly to the crib; each player then discards one card to the crib. 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 who place one in the crib. Scoring can be four individuals or two pairs.
• Five players: five cards are dealt to each player except the dealer, who has only four cards. The four non-dealers place one card in the crib.
• Muggins: a scoring variant for any number of players in which a player who fails to count all the points in the play or the show may lose those unclaimed points to an opponent who calls "muggins".