How to Play Cribbage

Cribbage is a classic 2-player card game of points and pegging, played with a distinctive board — one of the oldest and most beloved card games in the English-speaking world.

What You'll Need

Cribbage has been around since the 1600s and it shows — this game has depth. Once you get it, you'll understand why people play it for decades. It's got its own scoring board, its own vocabulary, and a devoted fanbase that tends to be very serious about the rules.

One standard 52-card deck (no Jokers)
A cribbage board with pegs (essential for tracking score)
2 players (most common), though 3-4 can play with modifications

If you don't have a cribbage board, you can track score on paper in a pinch — but the board is part of the experience.

Setup

Each player starts with their peg at the beginning of the cribbage board (position 0). The board tracks progress from 0 to 121 — first to peg out past 121 wins.

Cut the deck to determine who deals first — lowest card deals. The dealer deals 6 cards to each player. Each player then discards 2 cards face-down to form the "crib" — a 4-card hand that belongs to the dealer and will be scored separately at the end of the round.

After discarding to the crib, the non-dealer cuts the remaining deck and the dealer flips the top card of the bottom half face-up. This is the "starter" card (also called the "cut" card). If it's a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points (called "two for his heels").

How to Play

The Pegging Phase (The Play)

The non-dealer leads by playing any card face-up and announcing its value. Play alternates — each player lays a card and announces the running total. Face cards = 10, Aces = 1, number cards face value.

You cannot play a card that would bring the running total above 31. If you can't play without going over 31, say "Go." Your opponent keeps playing until they also can't go, then pegs 1 point for the "go" (or 2 points if they hit exactly 31). The count resets to 0 and play continues with remaining cards.

Points scored during pegging:

15: Running total hits exactly 15 = peg 2 points
31: Running total hits exactly 31 = peg 2 points
Pair: Play a card matching the previous card's rank = peg 2
Pair Royal (3 of a kind): Third card matching rank = peg 6
Double Pair Royal (4 of a kind): Fourth card matching rank = peg 12
Run: Three or more consecutive rank cards played in sequence (not necessarily in order) = peg 1 point per card in the run
Last Card (Go): Playing the last card without hitting 31 = peg 1 point

The Counting Phase (The Show)

After all cards are played, players count the point value of their hands, using the starter card as a 5th card in each hand.

Ways to score in the show:

Fifteen: Any combination of cards totaling 15 = 2 points (every combination counts separately)
Pairs: 2 points per pair (pair royal = 6, double pair royal = 12)
Runs: 3+ consecutive ranks = 1 point per card in run
Flush: 4 cards of the same suit in hand = 4 points; if the starter matches too = 5 points
Nobs: Jack in hand matching the suit of the starter card = 1 point

Non-dealer shows first, then dealer shows, then dealer shows the crib.

Winning

First player to peg their score past 121 on the cribbage board wins. If you peg out mid-hand (during pegging), you win immediately — the show doesn't happen. This is called "pegging out."

Winning by 31+ points is a "skunk" — traditional bragging rights. Winning by 61+ is a "double skunk."

Tips & Strategy

Keep fifteens in your hand. A 5 combined with any 10-value card (10, J, Q, K) = 15. Pairs of 5s score 6 points just in pairs, plus multiple fifteens. The 5 is the most valuable card in cribbage.
Throw good cards to your own crib, bad ones to opponent's. When you're the dealer, the crib is yours — throw cards that score well together. When you're not the dealer, throw nothing useful to the crib.
Lead with a 4. A 4 can't be made into 15 with a single card (the highest single card + 4 = 14). Reduces risk of your opponent immediately scoring on the lead.
Count before you play. In the pegging phase, think a move ahead. Playing toward 15 or 31 is not just reactive — it's strategic sequencing.
Muggins rule. In competitive play, if a player misses points in their count, the opponent can call "Muggins" and take those points. Pay attention to your own hand.

Variations

Three-Player Cribbage

Deal 5 cards each, each player discards 1 to the crib, dealer contributes 1 more from the top of the deck. The crib belongs to the dealer. Play proceeds with three players.