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—Wins / Losses: 0–0

Level 1
Hops0
You0

Throw 2 cards to the crib, then take turns laying cards without going past 31: score fifteens, pairs and runs. Then count your hand with the starter. First to 121 wins.

Cribbage game cover

Cribbage

ORIGINAL

Cards · Fifteen two, fifteen four: peg your way to 121 before Hops.

Play cribbage free online against Hops, with a real pegging board on the lake. Throw two cards to the crib, peg fifteens, pairs and runs on the way to 31, then count your hand with the starter while Hops counts it out loud: fifteen two, fifteen four. First to 121 wins. Choose Easy, Medium or Hard, or play a friend online.

How to play

  1. You and Hops get 6 cards each. Pick 2 to throw into the crib, a spare hand that belongs to the dealer. The deal changes every hand.
  2. A card from the deck is turned up: the starter. It counts as a fifth card for both hands and the crib. If it's a Jack, the dealer pegs 2 (His Heels).
  3. Pegging: starting with the player who didn't deal, take turns laying a card while the total adds up. Make 15 or 31 for 2, a pair for 2, three of a kind for 6, four of a kind for 12, and a run of three or more cards for 1 per card.
  4. The count can't go past 31. If you can't play, it's a Go and the other player keeps going; the last to play pegs 1 (2 for exactly 31). Then the count starts again from 0, and the very last card pegs 1.
  5. The show: the non-dealer counts first, then the dealer, then the crib, each with the starter. Each set of cards adding up to 15 is 2, a pair 2, a run 1 per card, a 4-card flush in the hand 4 (5 with the starter; the crib needs all 5), and the Jack of the starter's suit 1 (His Nobs).
  6. Your back peg jumps ahead of the front one by the points you score. The first to 121 wins at once, even in the middle of a hand. Win before Hops reaches 91 and it's a skunk; before 61, a double skunk.

Tips to win

  • In your own crib, throw cards that work together: a 5, a pair, two cards that make 15, or cards close in rank. In Hops' crib, throw cards far apart, like a King and a 9, and never a 5 if you can help it.
  • Keep the cards that score: fives with ten-cards, pairs and runs. Ten-cards are the 10, Jack, Queen and King, so a 5 makes 15 with lots of starters.
  • Lead a card lower than 5 when you can: nothing Hops plays next can make 15.
  • Try not to leave the count at 5 or 21: sixteen cards in the deck count 10 and would give Hops 15 or 31.
  • Think twice before pairing Hops' card: he may answer with three of a kind for 6.
  • Keep a low card for late in the count: it can get you 31 or the point for the go.
  • Learning? Press Teach me: Hops picks the two best cards to throw, or the best card to peg, and says why. Coached games count as practice.
  • Switch on Fast for quicker turns and counts, or the Classic look for green felt and a wooden board.

Questions

How do you play cribbage?

Two players get 6 cards each and throw 2 into the dealer's crib, then a starter card is turned up. Players take turns laying cards without going past 31, scoring for fifteens, pairs, runs and the last card. Then each hand and the crib are counted with the starter. Points are pegged on a board, and the first to 121 wins.

How do you count a cribbage hand?

Every set of cards adding up to 15 scores 2, every pair 2, each run of three or more 1 per card, a 4-card flush in the hand 4 (5 if the starter matches) and the Jack of the starter's suit 1. Players say it as they go: fifteen two, fifteen four, a pair is six, and so on.

What is the highest hand in cribbage?

29: three 5s and the Jack of the fourth suit in your hand, with the 5 of that suit as the starter. That's eight fifteens, four of a kind and His Nobs.

What is a skunk in cribbage?

Winning before the loser reaches 91 points is a skunk, and before 61 a double skunk. Lines on the board mark both, and the end card shows it when it happens.

What are His Heels and His Nobs?

His Heels: if the starter is a Jack, the dealer pegs 2 at once. His Nobs: the Jack of the starter's suit in a hand or the crib is worth 1 in the show.

What does Go mean in cribbage?

When you can't lay a card without going past 31, you say Go. The other player lays any cards they can, and whoever played last pegs 1 (or 2 for exactly 31). Then the count starts again. The game says Go for you.

Can I play cribbage online with a friend?

Yes. Choose Online, then Play a friend, and send the link, or use Quick match. Each game to 121 is one round. The table shuffles and deals, keeps your cards hidden until the show and checks every play; you have 30 seconds a turn. If nobody turns up, Hops takes the seat.

How strong is Hops?

On Easy Hops keeps whatever scores right away and pegs carelessly. On Medium he thinks about the starter and avoids handing you easy points. On Hard he weighs every throw over all 46 possible starters, crib included, and plans his pegging to the end of the hand.

Is cribbage free?

Yes. Play free in your browser on phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no account.