How to Play Cribbage: Rules for Beginners
To play cribbage, each player gets 6 cards and throws 2 into the crib, a bonus hand for the dealer. A starter card is turned up, then players lay cards in turn, scoring for 15s, pairs, runs and 31 without the count going past 31. Finally each hand, and then the crib, is counted with the starter. Points move pegs along a board, and the first to 121 wins.
What you need
A standard 52-card deck, a cribbage board with pegs, and two players. Aces are low (worth 1), number cards are worth their number and the Jack, Queen and King are worth 10. Play cribbage online and the dealing, counting and pegging are done for you.
- Goal: be the first to peg 121 points.
- Card values for adding up: A = 1, 2 to 10 = face value, J, Q, K = 10.
- Order for runs: A, 2, 3 … 10, J, Q, K. Aces are always low, so Q-K-A is not a run.
1. The deal and the crib
Cut for the first deal; the lower card deals. The dealer gives six cards each, one at a time. Each player then chooses two cards to throw face down into the crib. The crib belongs to the dealer and is counted at the end of the hand, so the dealer throws cards that score together and the other player throws cards that don't. The deal swaps every hand.
2. The starter (and His Heels)
The non-dealer cuts the deck and the dealer turns up the top card: the starter. It isn't played, but it counts as a fifth card for both hands and the crib in the show. If the starter is a Jack, the dealer pegs 2 at once, called His Heels.
3. Pegging: the play to 31
The non-dealer lays the first card face up and says its value. Players take turns laying one card each and saying the running total. You score for what your card does:
| You play a card that… | Points |
|---|---|
| makes the count exactly 15 | 2 |
| makes the count exactly 31 | 2 |
| pairs the card just played | 2 |
| makes three of a kind in a row (pair royal) | 6 |
| makes four of a kind in a row | 12 |
| completes a run of 3 or more with the cards just played (any order) | 1 per card |
| is the last card before a Go or the end of the play | 1 |
The count can never go past 31. If you can't lay a card without passing 31, say Go. Your opponent keeps laying cards while they can, then pegs 1 for the go (or 2 if they hit 31 exactly). The count starts again from 0 with the next player, and play goes on until both hands are empty. The very last card of the play pegs 1.
4. The show: counting the hands
After the play each player picks their four cards back up and counts them with the starter. The non-dealer counts first, then the dealer, then the dealer counts the crib. Counting first matters at the end of the game: if the non-dealer reaches 121, the dealer's hand never gets counted.
- Fifteens: every different combination of cards adding up to 15 scores 2.
- Pairs: every pair scores 2 (so three of a kind is 6 and four of a kind 12).
- Runs: 1 point per card in each run of 3 or more.
- Flush: four cards of one suit in the hand score 4, or 5 if the starter matches. The crib only scores a flush if all five cards match.
- His Nobs: the Jack of the same suit as the starter scores 1.
Our cribbage scoring guide walks through counting a hand step by step, with a full scoring chart.
5. Winning the game
Each player moves two pegs: the back peg jumps ahead of the front one by the points just scored, so the gap shows the last score. The first to reach 121 wins on the spot, even halfway through pegging or the show. If the loser hasn't reached 91 it's a skunk (often counted as a double win), and before 61 a double skunk.
In the GameLake cribbage game Hops counts every hand out loud (fifteen two, fifteen four…) so you learn the count as you play, and Teach me shows the best two cards to throw.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you get in cribbage?
In two-player cribbage each player gets 6 cards and throws 2 into the crib, keeping 4. With three players it's 5 cards each plus one card from the deck to the crib, and with four players 5 each, played as two teams.
Who counts first in cribbage?
The non-dealer (the pone) counts first, then the dealer counts their hand, then the dealer counts the crib. Pegging also starts with the non-dealer.
What does the dealer get in cribbage?
The crib, a second four-card hand made of the two cards each player threw away, counted with the starter. The dealer also pegs 2 if the starter is a Jack (His Heels).
What happens if you can't play in cribbage?
Say Go. The other player keeps playing any cards that fit under 31 and pegs 1 for the go, or 2 for reaching exactly 31. Then the count starts again from zero.
What is a skunk in cribbage?
Winning to 121 before the loser reaches 91 points. Before 61 is a double skunk. Many players count a skunk as two games won.
How long does a game of cribbage take?
Usually 15 to 25 minutes for two players. Online, with the counting done for you, a game to 121 often takes about 10 minutes.