Cribbage

Setup

• Players: two. Our practice table is you against one bot.
• Cards: a standard 52-card deck. Aces are low, and picture cards count 10.
• Deal: six cards each. The deal swaps every hand, and the dealer owns the crib.
• Board: each player moves a front peg and a back peg, so you can see the last score.

How to play

1. 1Throw to the crib. Both players throw two cards face down to the crib. It scores for the dealer.
2. 2Cut the starter. Turn up the top card of the pack. A Jack there is 2 for the dealer: his heels.
3. 3The play. Take turns laying a card and calling the total, never past 31. Score 15s, 31s, pairs and runs as they form.
4. 4Go. Can’t play under 31? Say go. The other player keeps going, and the last card laid scores 1.
5. 5Count the hands. Non-dealer’s hand first, then the dealer’s, then the crib, each with the starter.

Winning

The first player to reach 121 wins, the moment they get there, even in the middle of counting. Our Quick game plays to 61.

Scoring

Our Classic rules: no muggins (nobody claims points you miss) and no skunks, so a game is simply won or lost.

Key terms

Crib:

The extra hand both players throw two cards to. It scores for the dealer.

Starter:

The card cut and turned up after the throw. Every hand counts it.

The play:

Laying cards in turn and calling the total, up to 31. Also called pegging.

Go:

What you say when you can’t lay a card without passing 31.

Fifteen:

Any cards adding up to 15. Worth 2 each.

Run:

Three or more cards in rank order, in any suit. A point a card.

Nobs:

The Jack of the starter’s suit, in your hand. Worth 1.

His heels:

A Jack turned up as the starter. 2 for the dealer.

Nineteen:

A joke name for a hand that scores nothing, since no hand can make exactly 19.

Skunk:

Winning by 31 or more. Some groups count it double. A house rule; not used in Classic.