Cribbage

Six cards each, two to the crib, one starter cut from the deck. Peg your way to 31 and back, count fifteens, pairs and runs, and be first to 121.

How to Play Cribbage

Cribbage is a card game for two players in which points come from combinations: cards that add up to 15, pairs, runs and flushes. Points are scored twice in every hand, once while the cards are played and again when the hands are counted. Here you play against the computer, and the first to 121 points wins.

The Deal and the Crib

One 52-card deck is used, and the deal alternates from hand to hand. Each player gets six cards and chooses two to put face down in the crib, an extra hand that belongs to the dealer. Each player keeps four cards.

Then the top card of the deck is turned face up. This is the starter, and it counts as part of every hand. If the starter is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 at once.

Card Values

For adding up totals, face cards count 10, Aces count 1 and other cards count their number. For runs, cards go in their usual order: A, 2, 3 up to 10, J, Q, K. An Ace is always low.

The Play (Pegging)

The player who did not deal plays first. Players take turns laying down one card at a time, and the game keeps a running count of their total, which may not go over 31. You score points during the play for:

If you can't play without going over 31, you say Go and your opponent keeps playing as long as they can. The last player to lay a card scores 1, or 2 for reaching exactly 31, and the count starts again from zero. The game says Go for you automatically.

The Show (Counting the Hands)

When all cards are played, the hands are counted with the starter as a fifth card: first the non-dealer's hand, then the dealer's hand, then the dealer's crib.

• Fifteens: 2 points for every different combination of cards that adds up to 15.
• Pairs: 2 points for every pair. Three of a kind holds three pairs, so it scores 6.
• Runs: 1 point per card in a run of three or more. A run with a duplicate card, such as 3, 4, 4, 5, counts twice.
• Flush: 4 points if all four cards in your hand are one suit, 5 if the starter matches too. The crib scores a flush only when all five cards match.
• Nobs: 1 point for holding the Jack of the same suit as the starter.

The best possible hand is three 5s and the Jack of the fourth suit, with the fourth 5 as the starter: 29 points. The game shows every count step by step, so you can see where each point came from.

Winning

The first player to reach 121 points wins, even in the middle of a hand. That is why the order of counting matters: the non-dealer counts first and may win before the dealer counts at all.

Cribbage Strategy Tips

1. Keep 5s. Any 5 makes 15 with a ten-card, and there are sixteen ten-cards in the deck. A 5 is the most valuable card to hold.
2. Feed your own crib, starve your opponent's. When you deal, put cards that work together, such as a pair or two cards making 15, into the crib. When your opponent deals, give them cards that are far apart, such as a King and a 2.
3. Keep the combinations, not just high cards. A hand like 4, 5, 6, 6 is worth far more than four face cards: it already holds fifteens, a pair and a double run.
4. Don't lead a 5. If you play a 5 first, any ten-card lets your opponent score 15 for 2. A card below 5, such as a 4, is a safer lead because no single card can make 15 with it.
5. Avoid leaving 5 or 21. A count of 5 or 21 lets a ten-card make 15 or 31.
6. Think about pairs. If you play a card that can be paired, your opponent might score 2, and you might answer with three of a kind for 6. Weigh that risk when you choose a card.

Playing Cribbage on Solitaire Parlor

• Tap two cards to choose them for the crib, then press Send to crib.
• During the play, cards you can play stand up a little. Tap one to lay it down. If you can't play, the game says Go for you.
• When the cards are played, press Count the hands and then Continue to see each hand and the crib counted in turn.
• Hint highlights the cards the computer would pick in your place. New Game starts a new numbered game, Restart replays the same one, and Daily Deal gives everyone the same game each day.
• Stats shows games played and won, your win rate, best winning margin and win streaks. Settings changes the table color and card backs, turns on four-color suits and switches sounds on or off.

Your game saves in your own browser as you play. There is no sign-up and nothing to download.

About Cribbage

Cribbage is usually credited to the English poet Sir John Suckling in the early seventeenth century, who built it on an older game called Noddy. It traveled to North America with English settlers and remains a favorite in New England, Canada and among sailors. The wooden cribbage board with its rows of holes and pegs is how players have kept score for centuries; here, the score is kept for you.

If you enjoy two-player games, try Gin Rummy next, or join a computer partner in Spades or Euchre.

Cribbage FAQ

Is Cribbage free to play here?

Yes. Play in your web browser with a mouse or touchscreen. There is no sign-up and nothing to download.

Who gets the crib?

The dealer. The crib is counted last in each hand and its points go to the dealer, so you want good cards in it when you deal.

What does Go mean?

It means you can't play a card without taking the count over 31. Your opponent plays on, and whoever lays the last card before the count starts again scores 1.

Can I win in the middle of a hand?

Yes. The game ends the moment someone reaches 121, during the play or during the count.

Why didn't I score a flush in the crib?

A flush in the crib needs all five cards, the four crib cards and the starter, to be the same suit.