Cribbage is a two-player card game played with a standard 52-card deck. Each hand has three stages: the deal (six cards each, two discarded to the crib), the play (pegging a running count to 31 for immediate points), and the show (scoring the hands plus the crib in combinations). The first player to reach 121 points wins the game, and the deal alternates every hand.
Play now — it's freeCribbage uses the full 52-card deck. Card values for counting are: Ace = 1, 2–10 face value, and J/Q/K = 10. For runs, cards rank A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K, so A-2-3 is a run but Q-K-A is not.
Each player is dealt six cards, then discards two face-down into the middle. These four cards form the "crib", which counts as an extra hand for the dealer at the end of the hand. The dealer position alternates every hand.
After the discards, the player who is not dealing (the "pone") cuts the deck and the dealer turns the top card of the lower packet face up: the "starter". The starter is used in every scoring combination at the show.
If the starter is a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points — "two for his heels". This can happen at any point in the game and can even win it outright.
The pone plays first, then players alternate laying one card at a time, announcing the running total, which must never exceed 31.
You must play a card if you can. Score instantly when you play:
| Combination | Points |
|---|---|
| Bring the count to exactly 15 | 2 |
| Pair (same rank as the previous card) | 2 |
| Three of a kind (pair royal) | 6 |
| Four of a kind (double pair royal) | 12 |
| Run of 3 or more cards (consecutive ranks, any suits) | 1 per card in the run |
| Bring the count to exactly 31 | 2 |
| Opponent cannot play (a "go") and count is under 31 | 1 |
Runs do not have to be played in order — 4, 2, 3 scores 3 for the third player — but no other cards may intervene, and pairs must be consecutive plays. When the count hits exactly 31 the round ends and restarts at zero with the other player leading. If nobody can play below 31, the last player to lay a card scores 1 for the go — you score either 2 for 31 or 1 for the go, never both.
After all eight cards are played, each hand is scored together with the starter — the pone's hand first, then the dealer's, then the crib (which also belongs to the dealer). Every distinct combination counts, and one card can be part of several combinations.
| Combination | Points |
|---|---|
| Each distinct set of cards adding to 15 | 2 |
| Pair of the same rank | 2 |
| Three of a kind (3 pairs) | 6 |
| Four of a kind (6 pairs) | 12 |
| Run of 3+ consecutive ranks (counting duplicates) | 1 per card |
| Four cards of the same suit in hand (five with the starter) | 4 (5) |
| Jack of the same suit as the starter ("his nobs") | 1 |
Double runs score naturally: 7-7-8-8 with a 9 cut makes two runs of three (6), four fifteens (8) and two pairs (4) = 18 in the hand alone. The highest possible hand is 29 — three fives, the Jack of a fourth suit, and the fifth card a five of the Jack's suit.
The crib is scored exactly like a hand with one difference: a flush in the crib only counts if all five cards (four crib cards plus the starter) are the same suit, and it is worth 5.
The first player to reach 121 points wins immediately — you do not have to land exactly on 121, and the game can end mid-pegging, during the show, or even on "his heels".
If the loser has fewer than 91 points the win is called a "skunk" — a resounding victory. Scores are pegged on a board with four 30-point "streets", which is why our scoreboard shows four segments.
When discarding: as dealer, throw yourself useful cards (pairs, cards near 15); as pone, throw cards unlikely to combine, such as Kings and Aces.
Keep flexible hands: a 5 plus court cards makes fifteens in every direction, and A-2-3 plays well in pegging.
During pegging, avoid leading a 5 (it feeds fifteens), and remember pairs you play can score for your opponent if they hold the third card.
Watch the count: steering the total into the 21–24 zone forces your opponent to either give you points or say "go".
Six cards to each of the two players; each then discards two face-down to form the four-card crib, which scores for the dealer.
The crib is the four-card hand built from each player's two discards. It is scored as an extra hand by the dealer at the end of the hand, with the starter included. Its only special rule: a flush must be all five cards.
When the turned starter card is a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points — called "two for his heels" (or nibs).
Players alternate playing cards to a running count that cannot exceed 31. You score 2 for making 15 or 31, 2/6/12 for pairs/three/four of a kind, the length of any run of 3+ cards, and 1 point when your opponent cannot play (a go).
Your four cards plus the starter: 2 points per fifteen, 2/6/12 for pairs/three/four of a kind, one point per card in runs of 3 or more, 4 for a four-card flush (5 with the starter), and 1 for the Jack of the starter's suit (his nobs).
29 points — three fives and the Jack of a fourth suit in hand, with the five of the Jack's suit as the starter: eight fifteens, six pairs and his nobs.
The standard six-card game is played to 121 points, and you win the moment you pass 121 — the deal alternates every hand.
A skunk is a win where the loser finished with fewer than 91 points — a blowout victory.
Yes — you can play Cribbage online free at cribbage.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, with no download, and try tables without signing up.
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