- Players
- 2 (or 3–4)
- Time
- 30 min
- You need
- 1 deck and a cribbage board
- To win
- First to 121 points
Playing online here
You play the computer at two-handed cribbage. Choose the full game to 121 or a short game to 61. Pick two cards for the crib, then tap a card to peg; the count, every fifteen and pair and run, and the go are all scored for you, and the show lists each hand's points so you can check the count. To play a friend, make a private room and share the link: each of you plays on your own phone.
Cribbage rules
Cribbage is a card game for two (it works for three or four too) played with a standard 52-card deck and a board for keeping score. Each deal has two parts: the play, where you score as cards go down one at a time, and the show, where you count the hand you kept. Points are moved along the board with pegs, and the first player to reach 121 wins.
Card values
- Aces are worth 1, number cards their number, and jacks, queens and kings 10.
- For runs, cards are in order ace, 2, 3 … 10, jack, queen, king. Aces are always low: queen-king-ace isn't a run.
The deal and the crib
- Cut for first deal; the lower card deals. After that, the deal alternates.
- The dealer gives each player six cards.
- Each player chooses two cards to put face down in the crib. The crib belongs to the dealer and is counted as a third hand at the end.
- The non-dealer cuts the deck and the dealer turns up the top card of the bottom part. This is the starter, shared by every hand. If it's a jack, the dealer scores 2 for his heels.
The play (pegging)
The non-dealer leads by laying one card face up and calling its value. Players then take turns adding a card and calling the new running total. The count may never go over 31.
| During the play | Points |
|---|---|
| Bring the count to exactly 15 | 2 |
| Bring the count to exactly 31 | 2 |
| Pair (same rank as the card just played) | 2 |
| Three of a kind in a row (pair royal) | 6 |
| Four of a kind in a row (double pair royal) | 12 |
| Run of three or more among the last cards played, in any order | 1 per card |
| Go, or the last card of the play | 1 |
If you can't play without going over 31, say go. Your opponent then plays as many cards as they can. Whoever put down the last card scores 1 for the go (2 if they reached exactly 31 instead), and the count starts again at zero with the other player. Keep going until both hands are empty; the very last card played scores 1.
The show (counting hands)
After the play, pick your cards back up. The non-dealer counts first, then the dealer counts their hand, then the dealer counts the crib. Every hand counts with the starter as a fifth card.
| In the show | Points |
|---|---|
| Each combination of cards adding to 15 | 2 |
| Each pair | 2 |
| Each run of three or more | 1 per card |
| Flush: all four hand cards the same suit | 4 (5 if the starter matches) |
| Flush in the crib (all five cards must match) | 5 |
| His nobs: the jack of the starter's suit | 1 |
Combinations overlap, and that's where the points come from. A hand of 4-5-5-6 with a 6 cut holds four separate runs of three, two pairs and four fifteens: 24 points. Three of a kind is just three pairs (6) and four of a kind six pairs (12).
The perfect hand: 29
Three fives plus the jack of the fourth suit, with the last five cut as the starter: eight ways to make 15 (16 points), six pairs among the fives (12) and his nobs (1). It's the only way to score 29.
Winning the game
The game ends the moment someone pegs the 121st point, even in the middle of the play or before the other hands are counted. That's why the non-dealer counting first matters near the end. A skunk is a win with the loser still short of 91, and many players score it as two games. A short game to 61 plays the same way.
The cribbage board
A cribbage board has two (or three) tracks of holes in groups of five. Each player has two pegs and moves them in leapfrog fashion: the back peg jumps ahead of the front one by the number of points scored, so the gap always shows the last score and mistakes are easy to spot. A standard board goes up one side and back down the other twice to make 120, with a final hole for 121.
No board at home? A scorepad works. Keep a running total for each player and add pegging and show points as you go.
Cribbage strategy tips
Tips for the discard
- Keep fives, and cards that make 15 together (a 5 with any ten-card, 7 with 8, 6 with 9).
- Keep cards that run together: 4-5-6 or 6-7-8 gain a lot from almost any starter.
- On your own deal, feed the crib: pairs, fives and cards close in rank. On your opponent's deal, give them cards far apart in rank, like a king and a 2.
- A good discard balances the hand you keep against what the two cards add to (or give away in) the crib. The computer here averages the hand over every possible starter to pick its two.
Tips for pegging
- Lead a card below five: your opponent can't make 15 with one card.
- Avoid leaving the count at 5 or 21, where any ten-card makes 15 or 31.
- Playing a card one or two away from your opponent's card invites them to complete a run.
Want another two-player game? Try Speed, Spit or the partnership game Pinochle, or see our best card games for two.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play cribbage online for free?
Yes. The game at the top of this page is free with no sign-up: play the full 121-point game or a quick 61 against the computer, or make a private room and send the link to a friend so you can play each other from two phones.
What is the highest possible cribbage hand?
29: three fives and the jack of the fourth suit in your hand, with the fourth five cut as the starter. That's eight fifteens (16), six pairs (12) and his nobs (1). It turns up roughly once in every 216,000 hands.
Why can't you score 19 in cribbage?
No combination of four cards and a starter adds up to exactly 19 (or 25, 26 or 27). Players say "nineteen" as a joke when a hand scores nothing.
What does go mean in cribbage?
You say go when every card you have would take the count past 31. Your opponent keeps playing while they can, then whoever played the last card scores 1 (or 2 if they hit exactly 31) and the count starts again from zero.
What is his nobs and his heels?
His nobs is 1 point for holding the jack of the same suit as the starter, counted in the show. His heels is 2 points for the dealer when the starter itself is a jack.
What is a skunk in cribbage?
Winning a 121-point game while your opponent is still short of 91. Many players count a skunk as two wins; a double skunk (opponent under 61) counts as three or four.
Who gets the crib in cribbage?
The dealer. Both players put two cards in it, so the dealer gets an extra hand to count at the end of each deal. The deal, and with it the crib, alternates every hand.