Cribbage

Sir John Suckling, an English poet and gambler, invented cribbage in the early 1630s. He adapted it from an older game called Noddy. Suckling reportedly made a fortune playing his new game against wealthy opponents, having first distributed gift decks marked with secret codes. Cribbage is one of the few card games still played with a physical scoring board. A 2019 neuroimaging study showed that playing card games that require counting and pattern recognition helps maintain gray matter volume in older adults. The game challenges you to count to 15 and 31, spot pairs and runs, and manage a shared discard pile called the crib. Start a game right now in your browser.

1. Each player receives 6 cards. Look at your hand and choose 2 cards to discard face down into the crib. The crib belongs to the dealer.
2. After both players discard, the non-dealer cuts the deck. The dealer flips the top card, called the starter. If the starter is a Jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points (called His Heels).
3. The non-dealer plays first during the pegging phase. Click a card from your hand to place it on the pile. The running total of card values appears on screen.
4. Card values for pegging: Ace is 1, face cards are 10, and all others count as their number. The total must never exceed 31.
5. If you reach exactly 15 or exactly 31, you score 2 points. Pairs score 2 points, triples score 6, and runs of 3 or more score 1 point per card.
6. If you cannot play without exceeding 31, press the Go button. Your opponent plays if they can. The last player to lay a card scores 1 point for the Go.
7. After pegging, each hand is scored: fifteens, pairs, runs, flushes, and nobs (a Jack matching the starter suit). The dealer also scores the crib. First to 121 points wins.

• A standard 52-card deck is used. Ace is the lowest card. Each player is dealt 6 cards.
• Each player discards exactly 2 cards to the crib. The crib belongs to the dealer and is scored at the end of the round.
• The starter card is revealed after discards. If it is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 points for His Heels.
• During pegging, players alternate placing cards on the pile. The running total cannot exceed 31. Card values: Ace is 1, 2 through 10 are face value, J, Q, K are 10.
• Pegging scores: reaching 15 scores 2 points, reaching 31 scores 2 points, pairs score 2, three of a kind scores 6, four of a kind scores 12, runs of 3 or more score 1 per card.
• If a player cannot play without exceeding 31, they say Go. The opponent plays if possible. The last player to place a card scores 1 point for the Go.
• Hand scoring uses the 4 cards in hand plus the starter: 2 points per fifteen combination, 2 per pair, 1 per card in runs of 3 or more, 4 for a 4-card flush (5 if the starter matches), 1 for nobs (Jack in hand matching the starter suit).
• The dealer scores their hand, then the crib. The non-dealer scores first. First player to reach 121 points wins immediately.

• Discard high cards to your opponent's crib when you are not the dealer. Keep low cards and cards that form fifteens together, like a 7 and an 8.
• When you are the dealer, keep cards that work well with the crib. Pairs, runs, and cards totaling 15 are strong. Discarding a 5 and a 10 to your own crib is a classic play.
• During pegging, avoid playing a card that brings the total to 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25. Your opponent likely holds a 5 or 10 and will score the fifteen.
• Lead with a card your opponent is unlikely to pair. If you lead a King and your opponent plays a King, they score 2. Leading a low card like a 3 or 4 is safer.
• Save your low cards for the end of pegging. When the total is 26 or higher, only cards valued 1 through 5 can be played. Having a 3 or 4 lets you control the final plays.
• Count your hand before discarding. A hand with a 5 and three face cards can score 8 or more points from fifteens alone. Keep hands that have multiple scoring combinations.

• Five-Card Cribbage: The original version. Each player receives 5 cards instead of 6 and discards 2 to the crib. The winning score is 61 points instead of 121. Games are shorter and more tactical.
• Three-Player Cribbage: Each player gets 5 cards and discards 1 to the crib. The dealer rotates each round. The pegging and scoring rules stay the same. The board has 3 tracks instead of 2.
• Four-Player Cribbage: Players form 2 teams of 2. Each player gets 5 cards and discards 1 to the crib. Partners sit across from each other. Team scores are combined on a single track.

• The scoring system is unique among card games. Counting fifteens, pairs, runs, and flushes exercises mental arithmetic in a way no other card game does.
• The crib adds a layer of strategy. You must balance keeping good cards for yourself versus dumping bad cards into your opponent's crib.
• Games finish in 10 to 25 minutes. The 121-point target creates natural tension as both players approach the finish line.
• The pegboard gives a visual sense of progress that pure score numbers cannot match. Watching your peg overtake your opponent's is deeply satisfying.

Play Cribbage directly in your browser. No downloads, no registration. Our version includes a visual pegboard with animated scoring, a smart CPU opponent, and automatic scoring for fifteens, pairs, runs, flushes, and nobs. The game tracks all phases: deal, crib discard, starter reveal, pegging, and hand scoring. Works on desktop, tablet, and phone. Start your first round now.

Cribbage rewards players who can count cards, spot patterns, and plan their discards. The pegging phase tests your ability to read the running total. The scoring phase tests your ability to find every fifteen, pair, and run. Deal your first hand and start pegging your way to 121.

• Cribbage - Britannica
• Parlett, D. - The Oxford Guide to Card Games (1990)