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Cribbage
(Public Domain) · 1630
2–630 min10+ yrs2.5/5 complexity7.1 BGG#754 BGG18,9 KCouples
⚡ short answer
How do you play Cribbage?
The objective of Cribbage is to be the first player to score 121 points. Points are tracked on a cribbage board, where players move their pegs along tracks. Each half of the board has 60 holes, and players must circle their half twice to win.
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▶ Before You Play · How to Play - Cribbage feat. Beth Sobel's River & Stone Cards
How to Play - Cribbage feat. Beth Sobel's River & Stone Cards
Before You Play· 9 min· published Sep 20, 2021Community
the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
🧩
01
Setup
Players receive six cards, then each player discards two cards to the crib, and a starter card is flipped.
The rules, step by step
Setup
To set up, each player receives six cards. Players then discard two cards from their hand to the crib, which is a bonus hand for the dealer. The non-dealer cuts the remaining deck, and the dealer flips over the top card of the lower stack, called the starter card. If the starter card is a jack, the dealer immediately scores two points, known as 'His Heels'.
Objective
The objective of Cribbage is to be the first player to score 121 points. Points are tracked on a cribbage board, where players move their pegs along tracks. Each half of the board has 60 holes, and players must circle their half twice to win.
On your turn
The non-dealer starts by playing one card from their hand, announcing its value. Players then take turns playing one card at a time, announcing the running total of all cards played. The goal is to avoid exceeding a running total of 31. If a player cannot play a card without exceeding 31, they say 'Go', and the opponent scores one point. If a player plays a card that makes the total exactly 31, they score two points. After a 'Go', the opponent can play any remaining cards that do not exceed 31, scoring points for combinations. Once all cards are played, the round ends.
Scoring
Points are scored in two phases: during the round and at the end of the round. During the round, points are scored for: combinations of 15 (2 points), pairs (2 points for a pair, 6 for a triplet, 12 for a quadruple), and runs/straights (1 point per card in a run of three or more, regardless of suit or order of play). At the end of the round, each player scores their four-card hand (plus the starter card) for: combinations of 15, pairs, runs, flushes (4 points for four cards of the same suit in hand, 5 points if the starter card also matches), and a jack in hand matching the starter card's suit (1 point, called 'the Nob'). The dealer also scores the crib hand (the two discarded cards from each player, plus the starter card) using the same scoring criteria, except flushes require all five cards to be of the same suit.
Game end
The game ends when a player reaches 121 points on the cribbage board. The player who reaches this score first is declared the winner. If the dealer reaches 121 points during the scoring of their hand or crib, they win. If the non-dealer reaches 121 points during the scoring of their hand, they win.
Tips
In Cribbage, Aces are always valued as 1, and all face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) are valued as 10. This is important for calculating combinations of 15 and for determining runs. When discarding cards to the crib, consider what cards might benefit your opponent if they are the dealer, or what cards might help you if you are the dealer, to maximize your crib score and minimize your opponent's.
🔬 game anatomy
Complexity2.5 / 5
BGG rating7.1 / 10
Vibe
Couples
Language dependence
No in-game text needed
Play time
30 min
Players
2–6
Recommended age
10+ yrs
BGG rank
#754
✨ from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
The objective of Cribbage is to be the first player to score 121 points. Points are tracked on a cribbage board, where players move their pegs along tracks. Each half of the board has 60 holes, and players must circle their half twice to win.
Q2How do you set up the game?
To set up, each player receives six cards. Players then discard two cards from their hand to the crib, which is a bonus hand for the dealer. The non-dealer cuts the remaining deck, and the dealer flips over the top card of the lower stack, called the starter card. If the starter card is a jack, the dealer immediately scores two points, known as 'His Heels'.
Q3How does a turn work?
The non-dealer starts by playing one card from their hand, announcing its value. Players then take turns playing one card at a time, announcing the running total of all cards played. The goal is to avoid exceeding a running total of 31. If a player cannot play a card without exceeding 31, they say 'Go', and the opponent scores one point. If a player plays a card that makes the total exactly 31, they score two points. After a 'Go', the opponent can play any remaining cards that do not exceed 31, scoring points for combinations. Once all cards are played, the round ends.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
Points are scored in two phases: during the round and at the end of the round. During the round, points are scored for: combinations of 15 (2 points), pairs (2 points for a pair, 6 for a triplet, 12 for a quadruple), and runs/straights (1 point per card in a run of three or more, regardless of suit or order of play). At the end of the round, each player scores their four-card hand (plus the starter card) for: combinations of 15, pairs, runs, flushes (4 points for four cards of the same suit in hand, 5 points if the starter card also matches), and a jack in hand matching the starter card's suit (1 point, called 'the Nob'). The dealer also scores the crib hand (the two discarded cards from each player, plus the starter card) using the same scoring criteria, except flushes require all five cards to be of the same suit.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game ends when a player reaches 121 points on the cribbage board. The player who reaches this score first is declared the winner. If the dealer reaches 121 points during the scoring of their hand or crib, they win. If the non-dealer reaches 121 points during the scoring of their hand, they win.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
In Cribbage, Aces are always valued as 1, and all face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) are valued as 10. This is important for calculating combinations of 15 and for determining runs. When discarding cards to the crib, consider what cards might benefit your opponent if they are the dealer, or what cards might help you if you are the dealer, to maximize your crib score and minimize your opponent's.
Q7How much does Cribbage cost?
No store is currently tracking Cribbage. Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q8Where can I buy Cribbage cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q9How do you play Cribbage?
Cribbage is a card game game, for 2–6 players, taking ~30 minutes, featuring hand management. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Cribbage — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does Cribbage support?
Cribbage is played by 2–6 players.
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