Cribbage: Rules and How to Play
Cribbage is a two-player card game of about 30 minutes. Score fifteens, pairs and runs as you play, count your hand, and race your pegs to 121. Play free in your browser with no account.
Objective
Cribbage is a card game for two (also three, or four in partnerships). Points come from pegging during play and from counting hands afterwards, and are recorded by leapfrogging two pegs along a board. The first to 121 wins.
Setup
- Use 52 cards without jokers. With two players deal six each; each lays two face down into the crib, the dealer's second hand. With three, deal five each plus one card to the crib, and each lays away one. With four, partners sit opposite, five cards each, one each to the crib.
- Turn the top card of the stock as the starter. If it is a jack the dealer pegs two (his heels). The first dealer is decided by a cut and the deal passes left.
How to play
- Starting left of the dealer, play one card at a time and call the running count (ace 1, court cards 10). The count may not exceed 31.
- Making exactly 15 scores 2, exactly 31 scores 2. Matching the previous card's rank is a pair for 2 (three in a row 6, four 12). A run of three or more among the latest cards, in any order, scores one per card.
- If you cannot play without passing 31 you say go. When nobody can play, the last player scores 1 (only the 2 for 31 if the count is exactly 31) and the count restarts from zero.
- When all cards are played, hands are counted from the dealer's left with the starter: 2 for each fifteen, 2 per pair, one per card in runs, 4 for a hand flush (5 with the starter), and 1 for nobs (the jack of the starter's suit). The dealer counts the hand, then the crib. A crib flush needs all five cards.
Winning and scoring
- All points are pegged on the board: the back peg jumps over the front one.
- The first to 121 (61 by setting) wins at once — even mid-pegging or mid-count. The non-dealer counts first, which matters near the end.
- A loser short of 91 is shown as skunked, short of 61 as double-skunked.
Common variants
- Muggins: when on, you declare your own hand and your opponent takes any points you miss.
- Five-card and seven-card cribbage are different games and are not played here.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–4 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game to | The first to reach this score wins. | 121 | Yes |
| MugginsMugginsThe show is when each hand of four cards, plus the shared starter card, is counted for scoring combinations. With Muggins on, you declare your own count and your opponent takes any points you miss. It suits players who know the scoring well; while learning, leave it off and let the game count for you. | When on, you declare your own hand and your opponent takes missed points. Here Muggins applies only to counting hands in the show; pegging points are scored automatically, so none can be missed. | Off | Yes |
| SkunkSkunkA skunk is the name for losing by a wide margin. Here it is only shown in the result and does not change the score or who wins. It does not apply to 61-point games. | In 121-point games, a loser short of 91 is skunked; short of 61, double-skunked. | On | Yes |
Terms
- Crib
- The dealer's extra hand, made from the cards laid away, counted last.
- Starter
- The card turned up and counted with every hand and the crib.
- Pegging
- Playing cards one by one to score 15s, 31s, pairs and runs.
- Go
- Having no card that keeps the count within 31. The last player scores 1.
- Nobs
- The jack of the starter's suit in hand: 1 point.
- Peg
- The pins on the scoreboard; the back one leapfrogs the front one.
FAQ
What is the best hand?
29: three fives and a jack with the fourth five as starter in the jack's suit. No hand scores 19 or 25 to 27.
Can I play a shorter game?
Set the target to 61 (about 10–20 minutes).
Can I count my own hand?
Turn on Muggins to declare your own score. Anything you miss goes to your opponent. Here Muggins applies only to counting hands in the show; pegging points are scored automatically, so none can be missed.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-26 · Run by Qdan, Inc.