LearnCribbage

The Basics

Cribbage is a classic two-player card game played with a standard 52-card deck. Players race along a 121-hole cribbage board by scoring points during both Pegging (card play) and Counting (the Show).

Card Values

Aces count as 1, numbered cards (2–10) count their face value, and Jacks, Queens, and Kings all count as 10 for making 15s and pegging to 31. For runs (sequences), cards rank in standard order: A (low), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K (high).

1. The Deal & The Crib

The dealer deals 6 cards to each player. The non-dealer is called the Pone. Each player chooses 2 cards to discard face-down into a 4-card bonus hand called the Crib. The Crib belongs to the Dealer, so the Dealer tries to throw helpful cards to the Crib while the Pone tries to throw "balking" cards that won't score.

2. The Cut (Starter Card)

After both players discard to the crib, a Starter card is turned face-up on the deck. It will be used as a fifth shared card when scoring both hands and the crib later. If the Starter card is a Jack, the Dealer immediately pegs 2 points for "His Heels".

3. Pegging (Play of the Cards)

Starting with the Pone, players alternate playing cards face-up while announcing the running total, which cannot exceed 31:

1. Fifteen (15): Playing a card that brings the running count to exactly 15 scores 2 points.
2. Thirty-One (31): Bringing the count to exactly 31 scores 2 points and resets the count to 0.
3. Pairs: Matching the rank of the card just played scores 2 points (Pair), 6 points (3-of-a-kind / Pair Royal), or 12 points (4-of-a-kind / Double Pair Royal).
4. Runs: If the last 3 or more cards played in the current series form a consecutive sequence of ranks (in any order, such as 4–6–5), the player scores 1 point per card in the run.
5. "Go" & Last Card: If a player cannot play a card without exceeding 31, they say "Go". The other player continues playing any legal cards they have, then pegs 1 point for Go (or 2 if they hit 31), and the count resets to 0. Playing the very last card of the deal also scores 1 point (or 2 if it makes 31).

4. Counting (The Show)

Once all 8 cards are played, players pick up their 4 cards and count their points combined with the Starter card. Counting order is strictly enforced:

1. Pone's Hand is counted first.
2. Dealer's Hand is counted second.
3. Dealer's Crib is counted last.

Winning & Skunks

The first player to reach 121 points wins immediately—even mid-pegging or during Pone's first count! Beating an opponent who has 90 or fewer points is a Skunk; 60 or fewer is a Double Skunk.