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How to Play Cribbage

Peg your way to 121 — every combination counts.

👥 2 players · Hard difficulty

Cribbage is a 17th-century English game famous for its pegging board and depth of scoring. It features two distinct phases — pegging (playing cards alternately) and counting (scoring hand combinations).

🎮 Ways to Play Cribbage

Create a Cribbage Table

Create your own Cribbage table in seconds — choose the seats, share the invite code, and fill empty spots with AI opponents.

Join a Cribbage Table by Invite

Enter a friend's invite code and take your seat at their Cribbage table — no strangers, just your crew.

Play Cribbage Against the Computer

Practice Cribbage against smart AI opponents with multiple difficulty levels — the perfect way to learn the game or test new strategies.

Play Cribbage Offline

No connection? No problem. Play Cribbage offline against computer opponents, anywhere you are.

🎯 Objective

Be the first to reach exactly 121 points on the cribbage board.

🃏 Cribbage Setup & Rules

Use a standard 52-card deck. Aces are always low. Deal 6 cards each.
Each player discards 2 cards to the "crib" (dealer's bonus hand).
Cut the deck; flip top card as the "starter." Dealer pegs 2 pts if it's a Jack ("His Heels").

▶ How to Play Cribbage

PEGGING: Alternate playing one card; announce running total (never exceed 31). Score for 15s, 31s, pairs, triples, quads, and runs during play.
"Go" (cannot play without exceeding 31): opponent pegs 1 pt; reset to 0.
COUNTING: Non-dealer counts hand first (with starter), then dealer counts hand, then dealer counts crib.
Score combinations: 15s = 2 pts, pairs = 2 pts, runs = 1 pt/card, flush = 4–5 pts, Nobs (J matching starter suit) = 1 pt.

🎬 Watch: How to Play Cribbage

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📖 Detailed Guide

Setting up the game

Cribbage is heads-up in the app: you versus one opponent, racing pegs to 121 points on the board.
Six cards are dealt to each player. The board and both players' peg tracks are shown on the table throughout.
Scores peg IMMEDIATELY as they happen — the first peg to touch 121 wins on the spot, even mid-hand.

The crib and the starter

Both players choose 2 of their 6 cards to throw into the "crib" — a third hand that scores for the DEALER at the end of the hand.
When you're dealer, feed the crib with pairs and cards that make 15s (especially 5s). When you're not, throw it your most useless, disconnected cards.
The deck is then cut and the top card flipped as the "starter" — it counts as a fifth card in every hand at counting time. A Jack starter pegs the dealer 2 immediately ("His Heels").

The play (pegging)

Players alternate laying one card face-up, announcing the running total, which may never exceed 31.
Peg as you play: making the total exactly 15 = 2 points; a pair with the previous card = 2 (triple = 6, quad = 12); completing a run of 3+ in any order = 1 per card.
If you can't play without passing 31, say "Go" — your opponent pegs 1, plays any cards they still can, and the count resets to 0.
Playing the last card of the whole pegging phase scores 1 ("last card"), or 2 if it lands exactly on 31.

Counting hands

Hands are counted in strict order: non-dealer first, then dealer's hand, then the crib — order matters in tight endgames near 121.
Count every combination with the starter included: each 15 = 2, each pair = 2, runs = 1 per card, a 4-card flush = 4 (5 with starter), and the Jack matching the starter's suit = 1 ("His Nobs").
Combinations stack: 7-8-8-9 holds two 15s, a pair, and two runs of three — 16 points before the starter helps.
The app's round summary breaks down every hand's count, so you can check what you missed.