Cribbage Rules: How to Play and Score Cribbage

These cribbage rules walk you through the game step by step, from the deal and the crib to pegging during the play and counting hands in the show. Cribbage is a classic two-player card game scored on a pegboard, and it rewards quick arithmetic and smart discarding. Once you have played a few hands the counting becomes second nature. We cover the standard 2-player game first, then 3 and 4 player versions under Variations, with full cribbage scoring tables for the play and the show.

Quick rules

• Goal: be the first to peg 121 points.
• Each player gets 6 cards and puts 2 face down into the crib, which belongs to the dealer.
• A starter card is cut and turned face up. If it is a jack, the dealer pegs 2.
• In the play, players take turns laying cards and calling the running total, which may not go past 31. Points come from 15s, pairs, runs, 31 and the go.
• In the show, each hand is counted with the starter: non-dealer first, then dealer, then the crib.
• Card values: ace 1, number cards face value, jack, queen and king 10.
• The deal alternates every hand.

What you need

• A standard 52-card deck with no jokers.
• A cribbage board with pegs (two per player), or paper and pencil or our scoreboard.
• Two players for the standard game, or 3 or 4 players with the adjustments below.

Setup

1. Each player cuts the deck. The lower card deals first (ace is low).
2. The dealer deals 6 cards to each player, one at a time, face down.
3. Each player picks 2 cards to discard face down to form the crib. The crib is an extra hand scored by the dealer at the end.
4. The non-dealer cuts the remaining deck, and the dealer turns the top card of the lower half face up. This is the starter (or cut card). If the starter is a jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points, called "his heels".

How to play

Phase 1: the play (pegging)

1. The non-dealer lays one card face up in front of themselves and announces its value.
2. Players alternate, each laying a card and calling the new running total, for example "seven", then "fifteen for two".
3. The total may never go above 31. If you cannot play without passing 31, say "go".
4. Your opponent then plays any cards they can without passing 31. The last player to lay a card scores 1 for the go, or 2 if the total is exactly 31.
5. The count resets to zero and play continues with the player who did not play the last card, until all cards are played. The very last card of the play scores 1 (2 if it makes 31).
6. Keep your played cards in front of you. You pick them up again for the show.

Scoring during the play

For runs in the play, the cards do not need to be laid in order. If the cards played are 4, 6, 5, the 5 scores a run of 3. Pairs only count when the matching cards are played one after another.

Phase 2: the show (counting hands)

Each player counts their own 4 cards plus the starter card, in this order: non-dealer, then dealer, then the dealer counts the crib. Order matters, because the non-dealer can reach 121 first and win before the dealer counts.

Scoring

Every distinct combination counts separately. For example, 5-5-6-4 with a starter of 10 scores four 15s (8), a pair (2) and two runs of 3 (6). The highest possible hand is 29: three 5s and the jack of the starter's suit in hand, with the fourth 5 as the starter.

How to win

The first player to reach 121 points wins, and the game ends the moment that peg reaches 121, even in the middle of the play. If the loser has not passed 90 points (has not crossed the "skunk line"), it is a skunk and counts as a double win. Below 61 is a double skunk in many clubs.

Variations

• Cribbage for 3 players: deal 5 cards each and 1 card face down to the crib; each player discards 1 to the crib. The player left of the dealer leads.
• Cribbage for 4 players: play in partnerships, sitting opposite. Deal 5 cards each; each player puts 1 into the crib.
• Five-card cribbage: the older version, with 5 cards dealt, 2 thrown to the crib and a game to 61.
• Muggins: if a player misses points in their count, the opponent may call "muggins" and take them. Many friendly games skip this.

Tips and strategy

• When you deal, throw good cards (5s, pairs, cards that add to 15) into your own crib. When your opponent deals, throw cards that do not work together, such as a king and a 2.
• Never lead a 5. Too many cards are worth 10, so your opponent can easily make 15.
• A 4 is a safe lead because no single card makes 15 with it.
• Avoid playing a card that sets up an easy run, such as a 7 on top of a 6, unless you can extend it.
• Count the show out loud in a fixed order: 15s, pairs, runs, flush, nobs. You will miss fewer points.

Common mistakes

• Counting a flush with only 3 cards. You need all 4 hand cards in one suit.
• Counting a 4-card flush in the crib. A crib flush needs all 5 cards.
• Letting the dealer count first. The non-dealer always shows first.
• Forgetting the "last card" point at the end of the play.

Looking for more classic two-handed games? Try gin rummy, casino or see our card games for two.