About Cribbage
Play against the computer and race to 121 points on the cribbage board. The game makes it easy to follow the score and focus on your next move.
How to play Cribbage
* Both players are dealt six cards and each puts two into the crib, an extra hand that scores for the dealer.
* A starter card is cut. If it is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 points immediately (his heels).
* During play, you take turns laying cards and announcing the running total. It cannot go above 31.
* Pegging: making exactly 15 or 31 scores 2 points. A pair scores 2, three of a kind scores 6, and four of a kind scores 12. A run of three or more scores its length, even if the cards are not played in order.
* If you cannot play without taking the total above 31, say “go”. Your opponent continues if they can. The last card played scores 1 point, or 2 if it makes exactly 31.
* Hands are then counted in this order: the non-dealer’s hand, the dealer’s hand, then the dealer’s crib. The starter card counts towards all three.
* Counting: every combination totalling 15 scores 2 points; each pair scores 2; and each run scores its length. Four cards of one suit score 4 points, or 5 if the starter matches. A Jack matching the starter’s suit scores 1 point (his nobs).
* In the crib, a flush scores only if all five cards are the same suit.
* The first player to reach 121 wins immediately, even partway through counting a hand.
Cribbage FAQs
What is the highest possible cribbage hand?
The highest possible hand is worth 29 points. It requires an exact arrangement of cards producing the maximum number of fifteens, pairs and the matching-Jack point. It is extremely rare, so even experienced players may never receive one during ordinary play.
What do “his nob” and “his heels” mean in cribbage?
“One for his nob” is the point scored when a Jack in your hand or crib matches the suit of the starter. “His heels”, also called “nibs”, occurs when the starter itself is a Jack, giving the dealer two immediate points.
What is a skunk in cribbage?
A skunk occurs when the winner reaches 121 while the losing player has 90 points or fewer. A loser with 60 or fewer is double-skunked. These distinctions can affect match scoring, but they do not change who wins the individual game.
Do flushes score differently in the crib?
Yes. A regular hand scores a four-card flush when all four held cards share a suit, with an additional point if the starter matches. In the crib, four matching crib cards score nothing unless the starter has the same suit, completing a five-card flush.
What happens when someone says “go”?
A player says “go” when they cannot lay a card without taking the running total above 31. The opponent continues playing if possible. The last player able to lay a card receives one point, unless that card makes exactly 31, which scores two instead.
Is cribbage a game of skill or luck?
Cribbage uses both skill and luck. You cannot control the deal or the starter, but you decide which cards to retain, what enters the crib and how to manage the pegging sequence. Over repeated games, stronger decisions can make better use of the cards received.
Why are aces always low in this version?
Aces have a fixed value of 1 in this version of cribbage. They can occupy the low end of a run and contribute their single point towards a fifteen, but they do not rank above a King or change value according to the situation.