The goal and the cards
Two players use a standard 52-card deck. The first to reach 121 points wins, over as many hands as it takes. On a cribbage board, pegs keep the score; here, the score is tracked for you.
Aces count 1, the cards 2 to 10 count their face value, and jacks, queens and kings count 10. The ace is always low, so A-2-3 is a run and Q-K-A is not (ace high or low).
Deal and discard to the crib
The dealer deals six cards to each player. Each player discards two of them, face down, to form the crib: a four-card hand that belongs to the dealer and is counted at the end of the hand. The deal passes to the other player every hand.
See how many cards you deal in 2-player cribbage, and what to discard to the crib as dealer and as non-dealer.
The starter card
After both players have discarded, one card is turned face up from the deck: the starter. It is never played, but it counts as a fifth card in both hands and the crib.
If the starter is a jack, the dealer scores 2 points at once for his heels. Any suit of jack counts.
The play (pegging)
The non-dealer plays first. Players take turns laying one card face up and calling the running total, which may never go over 31. Each card scores for what it makes:
| What you make | Points |
|---|---|
| The count reaches exactly 15 | 2 |
| The count reaches exactly 31 | 2 |
| A pair: the same rank as the card just played | 2 |
| Three of a kind in a row | 6 |
| Four of a kind in a row | 12 |
| A run of three or more cards, in any order | 1 per card |
| Playing the last card of a count (a “go”) | 1 |
If you cannot play a card without going over 31, you say “go” and your opponent keeps playing any cards that fit. When neither player can play, the last player to lay a card scores 1 for the go, or 2 for reaching exactly 31, never both (go and 31). The count then restarts at zero, and the player who did not play last leads. See how “go” works.
Pegging ends when both players have played all four of their cards. Details: pairs during pegging and runs played out of order.
The show: counting your hand
After the play, hands are counted in a fixed order: the non-dealer’s hand, then the dealer’s hand, then the crib. The order matters because the first player to reach 121 wins on the spot (who counts first). Each hand is the four cards you kept plus the starter:
| Combination | Points |
|---|---|
| Fifteen: any set of cards totalling 15 | 2 each |
| Pair | 2 each pair (three of a kind is 6, four of a kind is 12) |
| Run of three or more cards | 1 per card, counted again for each duplicate |
| Flush: all four hand cards in one suit | 4 (5 if the starter matches) |
| Flush in the crib | 5, and only if the starter matches too |
| His nobs: the jack of the starter’s suit in your hand or crib | 1 |
Example: you hold 4♣ 5♥ 6♠ K♦ and the starter is the J♣. There are three fifteens (4-5-6, 5-K and 5-J) for 6 points and a run of 4-5-6 for 3 more, so the hand is worth 9. Learn the patterns in counting fifteens, how runs score and double runs.
The best possible hand is worth 29: three 5s and a jack in your hand, with the fourth 5 as the starter in the jack’s suit (the highest possible hand). Rules for the odd cases: his nobs, a flush in the crib and the starter in a flush.
Winning the game
The first player to reach 121 wins immediately, even in the middle of pegging or halfway through counting a hand. Nothing after that point is scored (can you win during pegging). If nobody has reached 121 after the crib is counted, the deal passes and a new hand begins.
A margin of 31 or more points is a skunk; see what a skunk is.
Cribbage rules for two players
Everything above is the standard two-player game: six cards each, two discarded to the crib, four cards kept. Three- and four-player games deal fewer cards each so that the crib still ends up with four cards. Trindo Games plays the two-player game.
For standard two-player play and scoring, see the American Cribbage Congress rules and scoring chart (PDF) and its cribbage glossary. The worked scoring examples here are also checked against Trindo’s rules engine. Trindo deals the cards and scores automatically; you do not need to peg or claim points yourself, and muggins is not used.
To put the rules to work, read the cribbage scoring and strategy guide, or play cribbage free with a friend or the computer. No sign-up.
Cribbage rules questions
How do runs score in cribbage?
A run is three or more cards in consecutive ranks, worth one point per card: 4-5-6 scores 3. Suits and order don’t matter; in play, only the last cards count.
Read the full answer →Can you peg a run out of order in cribbage?
Yes. During pegging, the last three or more cards played score as a run in any order — 5, 3, 4 scores 3 — as long as no repeated rank breaks it.
Read the full answer →What is his nobs in cribbage?
His nobs is 1 point for holding the jack of the same suit as the starter card. It is scored when hands are counted, and it counts in the crib as well.
Read the full answer →What is his heels (his nibs) in cribbage?
If the starter card cut after the discards is a jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points for his heels — also called his nibs. Any suit of jack counts.
Read the full answer →Does a flush count in the crib?
Only a five-card flush counts in the crib: all four crib cards and the starter must share one suit, for 5 points. A four-card crib flush scores nothing.
Read the full answer →Can the starter card help make a four-card flush?
Not a four-card one. A hand flush needs all four cards in your hand to share a suit, for 4 points; a matching starter adds a fifth point but can’t replace one.
Read the full answer →How does “go” work in cribbage?
When you can’t play without passing 31, you say go. Your opponent plays any cards that fit, then whoever laid the last card scores 1 and the count resets.
Read the full answer →Do you score a go and 31 together in cribbage?
No. Reaching exactly 31 scores 2 points, and that replaces the 1-point go — you never get both. The count then resets to zero for the next round of play.
Read the full answer →Who counts first in cribbage?
The non-dealer (the pone) always counts first, then the dealer counts their hand, then the dealer’s crib. Near 121 that order decides close games.
Read the full answer →What is a 19 hand in cribbage?
A 19 hand is a hand worth zero. No four cards plus a starter can score exactly 19 — or 25, 26 or 27 — so players say “19” as a joke for a hand with no points.
Read the full answer →What is the highest possible cribbage hand?
29 points: three 5s and a jack in your hand, with the fourth 5 cut as the starter in the jack’s suit. That’s 16 for fifteens, 12 for pairs and 1 for nobs.
Read the full answer →How do double runs score in cribbage?
A double run of three, like 3-4-4-5, scores 8: two runs of three for 6 plus 2 for the pair. A double run of four, like 3-4-5-5-6, scores 10.
Read the full answer →Is ace high or low in cribbage?
Ace is always low in cribbage. It counts as 1 toward fifteens and 31, and it only runs with 2 and 3 — queen, king, ace is not a run.
Read the full answer →How do you count fifteens in cribbage?
Every different combination of cards adding to exactly 15 scores 2 points. Count them one at a time — “fifteen two, fifteen four…” — using the starter too.
Read the full answer →How do pairs score during pegging?
Playing a card that matches the rank of the card just played scores 2. A third in a row scores 6 (pair royal) and a fourth scores 12 (double pair royal).
Read the full answer →Can you win cribbage during pegging?
Yes. The game ends the instant a player reaches 121, even in the middle of pegging. Nobody finishes the play or counts hands once someone pegs out.
Read the full answer →What is a skunk in cribbage?
A skunk is winning by 31 or more points — the loser finishes below 91. In match play it counts as two game wins; a double skunk (loser under 61) counts three.
Read the full answer →What is muggins in cribbage?
Muggins is an optional rule: if a player undercounts their hand, the opponent can call “muggins” and claim the points that were missed for themselves.
Read the full answer →What should you discard to the crib?
As dealer, throw cards that score together, like 5s, pairs or cards summing to 15. As non-dealer, avoid that — give the crib wide-apart, unconnected cards.
Read the full answer →How many cards do you deal in 2-player cribbage?
Six cards each. Both players discard two into the dealer’s crib, keeping four. The crib ends up with four cards, and one starter card is cut for all hands.
Read the full answer →Play Cribbage free →Invite a friend or practice with the computer. No sign-up.