Crib rules in 30 seconds
- Pick the dealer. Both players cut the deck. Lowest card deals (Ace is lowest). After that, take turns dealing.
- Deal 6 cards each from a normal 52-card deck.
- Throw 2 cards face down into the crib. The crib is an extra hand for the dealer.
- Turn up one card from the deck. Everyone uses it. If it’s a Jack, the dealer gets 2.
- Play cards in turn, adding them up to 31. Score for making 15 or 31, pairs and runs.
- Count your hand. Non-dealer first, then dealer, then the crib. Score for 15s, pairs, runs and same suits.
- First to 121 wins.
What you need
- A standard 52-card deck (no jokers).
- A cribbage board and pegs to keep score, or a pencil and paper. How the cribbage board works.
- Two players. Cribbage is at its best as a two-player game; three or four can play with small changes, covered below.
Card values: Aces count 1, number cards count their number, and Jacks, Queens and Kings count 10. For runs, cards go in their natural order A-2-3 … J-Q-K, and the Ace is always low (Q-K-A is not a run).
The goal
Be the first player to score 121 points. You score in two ways each hand: while playing cards one at a time (pegging), and by counting the combinations in your hand afterwards (the show). A game is usually decided over 8 to 10 deals.
Cutting and dealing
How to decide who deals first: shuffle, then each player cuts the deck and shows the bottom card of their cut. The player with the lower card deals first.
- Ace is the lowest card, then 2, 3 … up to King, the highest.
- Suits don’t matter. If both cards are the same rank, cut again.
- After the first hand, the deal alternates — you take turns being dealer.
Dealing first is an advantage, because the dealer gets the first crib. That’s why it is decided by the cut. In our online game, you tap a card to cut and the game shows who deals.
The dealer then deals six cards to each player, one at a time, face down.
The crib
Each player looks at their six cards and throws two of them face down into the crib (also called the box or kitty). The crib is an extra hand that belongs to the dealer and is counted at the end of the round. Each player keeps four cards.
Why this matters: choosing your two discards is the most important decision in crib. In your own crib, throw cards that work together. When it is your opponent’s crib, throw cards that don’t. See our discard strategy tips.
The starter card
The non-dealer cuts the deck and the dealer turns over the top card of the lower half. This is the starter (or “cut card”). It is not played, but it counts as a fifth card in both hands and in the crib.
If the starter is a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points for “his heels”.
Pegging rules (the play)
The non-dealer goes first. Players take turns laying one card face up in front of themselves and saying the running total out loud. The total can never go above 31.
Scoring during pegging
| You play a card that… | Points |
|---|---|
| Makes the count exactly 15 | 2 |
| Makes the count exactly 31 | 2 |
| Pairs the previous card (same rank) | 2 |
| Makes three of a kind in a row (pair royal) | 6 |
| Makes four of a kind in a row (double pair royal) | 12 |
| Completes a run of 3 or more with the cards just played, in any order | 1 per card |
| Is the last card before a “Go”, or the last card of the hand | 1 |
The non-dealer holds 7♠︎ 6♥︎ K♣︎ 5♦︎. The dealer holds 8♦︎ 6♣︎ 4♠︎ Q♥︎.
- Non-dealer plays 7♠︎: “seven”.
- Dealer plays 8♦︎: “fifteen for two”. Dealer +2
- Non-dealer plays 6♥︎: “twenty-one, and a run of three for three” (6-7-8). Non-dealer +3
- Dealer plays 6♣︎: “twenty-seven, and a pair for two”. Dealer +2
- Non-dealer has only K♣︎ and 5♦︎, both too big: “Go”.
- Dealer plays 4♠︎: “thirty-one for two”. Dealer +2. The count resets.
- Non-dealer leads K♣︎ (10), dealer plays Q♥︎ (20), non-dealer plays 5♦︎ (25) — the last card of the hand. Non-dealer +1
Pegging total: dealer 6, non-dealer 4.
Go and the last card
If you can’t play a card without taking the count over 31, you say “Go”. You do not choose to say go — if you have a card that fits, you must play it.
- Your opponent then plays as many cards as they can without passing 31.
- They peg 1 point for the go, or 2 if they reach exactly 31 — never both.
- The count resets to zero, and the player who did not play the last card leads the next series.
- Last card: whoever plays the final card of the whole play pegs 1 point (or 2 if it makes 31). This is often called “one for last”.
Pairs and runs never carry across a reset: after a go or 31, scoring starts fresh from the next card led.
Pegging clicks faster when you play it.The game scores every 15, pair, run and go for you as you play, so you see the rules in action.
Practise pegging nowThe show: crib counting
After all cards are played, each player picks up their four cards and counts them together with the starter.
| Combination | Points |
|---|---|
| Each combination of cards adding up to 15 | 2 |
| Each pair | 2 |
| Three of a kind (three pairs) | 6 |
| Four of a kind (six pairs) | 12 |
| Each run of 3 or more consecutive cards | 1 per card |
| Flush: all 4 hand cards the same suit | 4 |
| Flush including the starter | 5 |
| His nobs: the Jack of the same suit as the starter | 1 |
The crib only scores a flush if all five cards (crib plus starter) are the same suit. Want this on one page? Print the cribbage scoring cheat sheet.
- Fifteens: 5♥︎+J♠︎, 5♣︎+J♠︎, 5♥︎+6♦︎+4♠︎, 5♣︎+6♦︎+4♠︎ — 4 × 2 = 8
- Pair of 5s — 2
- Runs: 4-5-6 using each 5 (a double run) — 2 × 3 = 6
Total: 16
- Fifteen: 3♣︎+8♠︎+4♦︎ — 2
- His nobs: the J♦︎ matches the starter’s suit — 1
Total: 3
Want to check a hand of your own? Use the free cribbage calculator.
Who counts first in crib?
The non-dealer (the “pone”) always counts first. The order is fixed:
- Non-dealer’s hand
- Dealer’s hand
- Dealer’s crib
This matters at the end of a close game. The game stops the moment someone reaches 121, so if both players have enough in their hands to go out, the non-dealer wins because they count first. It is the small advantage that makes up for the dealer owning the crib.
Runs in cribbage
A run (or sequence) is three or more cards of consecutive rank, such as 4-5-6. Suits don’t matter, and the Ace is always low. How runs score depends on whether you are pegging or counting your hand.
Runs when counting your hand
Score 1 point per card in the longest run. If a pair sits inside the run, each version of the run counts separately:
| Hand pattern | Example | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Run of 3 | 4-5-6 | 3 |
| Run of 4 | 4-5-6-7 | 4 |
| Run of 5 | 3-4-5-6-7 | 5 |
| Double run of 3 (two runs + a pair) | 4-5-5-6 | 8 |
| Double run of 4 | 4-5-6-6-7 | 10 |
| Triple run (three runs + three of a kind) | 4-5-5-5-6 | 15 |
| Double double run (four runs + two pairs) | 4-4-5-5-6 | 16 |
These totals are for the runs and pairs only — add any fifteens on top.
Runs during pegging
- The last three or more cards played form a run in any order. Played 5, then 3, then 4? That is a run of three for 3 points.
- Runs can grow: if the next card is a 6 (or a 2), it makes a run of four for 4 points.
- A card that doesn’t fit breaks the run. After 3-5-9, playing a 4 scores nothing, because 9 sits in between.
- A pair breaks a run too: 4-5-5 is a pair for 2, not a run.
- Runs never carry over a go or a 31 reset.
Winning, skunks and muggins
- Winning: the game ends the moment a player reaches 121, even in the middle of pegging or the show.
- Skunk: if the loser has fewer than 91 points, they are “skunked” and the winner usually scores two games. Under 61 is a double skunk.
Muggins
Muggins (sometimes called cutthroat) is an optional house rule. If a player under-counts their hand or crib, the opponent says “muggins” and pegs the missed points for themselves. It rewards careful counting and is common in pubs and clubs, but it is not used in casual or tournament play unless agreed first. Our online game counts everything automatically, so nothing is ever missed.
UK and English cribbage rules
Most people in the UK now play exactly the six-card game described above, so the rules are the same in Britain, Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand. Some pubs and older players still play the traditional five-card cribbage, which differs in a few ways:
- Each player is dealt 5 cards and throws 2 to the crib, keeping 3.
- To offset the dealer’s advantage, the non-dealer pegs 3 points at the start of the first hand.
- Pegging goes to 31 once — after a go or 31, the remaining cards are not played.
- A hand flush is 3 cards (3 points, or 4 with the starter).
- The game is played to 61, once round the board.
UK players more often play muggins, and you will hear “crib” used for the whole game as well as the dealer’s extra hand.
Rules for 3 and 4 players
- Three players: deal five cards each and one card straight to the crib. Each player throws one card into the crib. Play goes clockwise from the dealer’s left, and the first to 121 wins.
- Four players: play in two partnerships sitting opposite each other. Deal five cards each; everyone throws one card to the crib. Partners add their scores together.
Questions
What are the official rules of cribbage?
The rules on this page are the standard six-card, two-player game to 121 points, as set out by the American Cribbage Congress and played in tournaments and clubs across North America. Most players in the UK play the same game today; the older five-card version is explained in the UK section above.
Is cribbage hard to learn?
No. The rules are short and most people play confidently after one or two games. You only need to recognise fifteens, pairs and runs. Playing the computer at Beginner level, which counts every hand for you, is the quickest way to learn.
Who counts first in crib?
The non-dealer (the pone) counts first, then the dealer counts their hand, then the dealer counts the crib. Because the pone counts first, they win if they reach 121 during the show, even if the dealer would also have got there.
Who goes first in cribbage?
Each player cuts the deck and the lower card deals first (Aces are low); the deal then alternates every hand. The non-dealer goes first in the play, laying the first card, and also counts their hand first in the show.
Do runs have to be in order when pegging?
No. During the play, the last three or more cards played count as a run in any order. For example, 5 then 3 then 4 is a run of three. The run is broken if a card that does not fit, or a pair, is played in between.
What happens if you cannot play during pegging?
Say “Go”. Your opponent continues playing any cards that keep the count at 31 or under, then pegs 1 point for the go (or 2 if they hit exactly 31). The count then resets to zero.
Do you get a point for the last card in cribbage?
Yes. Whoever plays the very last card of the play pegs 1 point for “last card”, or 2 if it makes exactly 31. You never score both the go and 31 on the same card.
What is muggins in cribbage?
Muggins is an optional rule: if a player misses points when counting their hand or crib, the opponent can call “muggins” and peg those points for themselves. Agree before the game whether you are playing it.
How many points do you need to win cribbage?
The first player to reach 121 points wins. Short games, and the traditional five-card game, are played to 61.
Ready to play?Free cribbage in your browser — start at Beginner and work up to Advanced.
Play cribbage now