Rules of Cribbage

Cribbage is a counting card game played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The object is to play cards to make a running sum of 15 or 31, or to play combination of cards making pairs and runs. Players score points by making these plays, and the first player to pass 120 points wins.

The Deck

Cribbage uses a standard deck of 52 cards. The ranking of the cards is K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Ace is always low; it is not used above King in a run. During play, aces are counted for one, face cards are counted for ten, and all other cards are counted for their face value.

The Deal

At the beginning of each hand, each player is dealt six cards. Players examine their cards and choose two to place in the crib, a special hand belonging to the dealer. Each player will thus have four cards in hand, and there will be four cards in the crib. (For at-home play with three players or four players, deal each player five cards and for three players deal one card to the crib. Each player places one card in the crib, leaving each player and the crib with four cards.)

The Play

After all players have discarded to the crib, the starter card is turned up. This card has little impact on play but is important during the scoring phase. For at-home play, the eldest hand cuts the deck and turns up the starter. If the starter is a Jack, the dealer immediately receives two points. The Jack scored as a starter by the dealer is referred to as His Heels.

The player to the dealer's left is the eldest hand for play and for scoring. The eldest hand leads with any card and announces its value as the count; for example if 3 is led the count is 3, if Q is led the count is 10. Each successive player in turn plays a card and adds its value to the previous count to get the new count. A player may not play a card that will bring the count over 31; if unable to play the player calls GO and play continues with the next player. When all players are unable to play, the last player to play a card receives one point for making the last play, or two points if the last play made the count 31. The first player who called GO then leads a new card and the count begins again with that card's value.

During play, players try to make certain scoring combinations with the cards:

• Bringing the count to exactly 15 is worth two points
• Bringing the count to exactly 31 is worth two points
• Making the last legal play (not totalling 31) before all players call go is worth one point
• A pair is worth two points
• A pair royal or proil (three cards with the same face value) is worth six points
• A double pair royal (four cards with the same face value) is worth twelve points
• A run is worth as many points as the number of cards making up the run

For a pair, pair royal, or double pair royal, it is the actual face value of the cards that must match rather than the counting value; so Q pairs with Q but not with 10, J, or K (despite the fact that they all count for ten during play). For a pair or run to count during play, there must be no intervening cards between the cards making up the pair or run. However, the cards making up a run do not need to be in order for the run to count. Examples:

• 2-2-2 is a pair royal worth six points to the player who played the last 2;
• 2-3-2-2 is a pair, worth only two points to the player who played the last 2, as there is a 3 intervening;
• 6-1-3-4-5 is a run of three worth three points to the player who played the 5
• 6-1-3-4-5-7 is not a run and is worth no points to the player who played the 7
• 6-1-3-4-5-7-2 is a run of seven cards and is worth 7 points to the player who played the 2
• 6-1-3-4-5-7-2-2 is a pair, worth only two points to the player who played the last 2

Scoring After Play

After all players have played all cards from their hands, each player's hand is scored in order from the eldest hand to the dealer, followed by the crib. Each player lays out their cards and scores points for the following combinations, using the starter as if it is a part of their hand:

1. Fifteen Each combination making 15 is worth 2 points (every distinct combination is counted; in the hand 9-8-7-6-6 there are three combinations totalling 15: 8 + 7, 9 + the first 6, and 9 + the second 6).
2. Pairs Each pair counts for two points. Three of a kind is called a pair royal or proil, and counts for 6 points (as there are three pair combinations among 3 of a kind); four of a kind is called a double pair royal and counts for 12 points (as there are 6 pair combinations among 4 of a kind).
3. Runs Each run counts for as many points as there are cards making up the run.
4. Flush If all five cards are of the same suit the player scores five points. If only the starter is of a different suit the player scores four points. A flush does not count for points during play.
5. His Nobs If a player holds a Jack of the same suit as the starter, the player scores one point.

After the dealer's hand is scored, the crib is scored in the same fashion and its points are awarded to the dealer, except that a flush may only be scored if all five cards (the four in the crib plus the starter) are of the same suit.

By convention in at-home play, the preceding categories are counted in the order listed and each combination is named as it is counted. If a player misses a combination when scoring, any other player may call "Muggins" and claim the overlooked points. The Muggins rule is not used in the online game, and is discouraged in at-home play with younger or less skilled players.

Victory

The winner is the first player whose score exceeds 120 points. Play stops immediately when the first player exceeds 120, even if another player would exceed 120 by a greater margin if allowed to count their after-play score. For at-home play, a player who fails to reach 61 before the game is over is said to be lurched, and is considered to have lost a double game.

In at-home play, players may agree to a shorter game in which the first player to exceed 60 points wins. In this case, a player who fails to make 31 points before the end of the game is lurched.