Printable Cribbage rules

Cribbage in one page

2 players · 1 deck · a pegboard

Each player is dealt 6 cards and puts 2 face down into the dealer's crib. Players then take turns laying cards and scoring for fifteens, pairs, runs, and 31 without going over 31, then each hand (and the crib) is counted with a shared starter card. The first player to peg 121 points wins.

In brief

• Deal 6 each, 2 each to the dealer's crib
• Non-dealer cuts, dealer turns starter; jack starter = dealer pegs 2
• Play: 15 = 2, 31 = 2, pair 2, three of a kind 6, four of a kind 12
• Play: runs 1 per card, go or last card 1
• Count order: non-dealer, dealer, crib
• Show: each 15 = 2, each pair 2, runs 1 per card
• Flush: 4 in hand = 4, with starter = 5 (crib needs all 5)
• Nobs: jack of starter's suit in hand = 1
• First to 121 wins instantly; max hand 29
• Skunk: loser under 91

Setup

1. Place the cribbage board between the two players. Each player puts two pegs in the starting holes. You move your back peg ahead of your front peg each time you score, so the gap between them always shows your last score.
2. Cut for deal. The player who cuts the lower card deals first (aces are low). After that, the deal alternates every hand.
3. The dealer shuffles and deals 6 cards to each player, one at a time, face down.
4. Each player looks at their hand and places 2 cards face down to form the crib. The crib belongs to the dealer and is counted at the end of the hand, so the dealer throws cards that help it and the non-dealer throws cards that won't.
5. The non-dealer cuts the remaining deck, and the dealer turns up the top card of the lower half. This is the starter. If the starter is a jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points, called 'two for his heels.'

On your turn

1. The non-dealer plays first by laying one card face up in front of them and announcing its value. Face cards count 10, aces count 1, and every other card counts its number.
2. Players alternate laying one card at a time, each announcing the running total. The total may never go over 31. You score points during this play for making 15, making 31, pairs, and runs.
3. If you cannot play a card without going over 31, say 'go.' Your opponent keeps playing any cards they can that stay at or under 31. Whoever played the last card scores 1 for the go, or 2 if they hit exactly 31.
4. After a go or a 31, the count resets to zero and the player who did not play the last card starts the new count. Keep going until both players have played all 4 cards. Whoever plays the very last card of the hand scores 1 for last card (unless it made 31, which already scores 2).
5. Now count hands, in this order: non-dealer's hand first, then dealer's hand, then the dealer counts the crib. Each counts their 4 cards plus the starter, scoring fifteens, pairs, runs, flushes, and nobs.

Scoring

Winning

The first player to reach 121 points wins, and the game ends the instant that happens, even during pegging or partway through the count. Because the non-dealer counts first, they sometimes win before the dealer's hand and crib are counted. There are no ties in cribbage. Many players also track a skunk: if the loser finishes under 91 points, the winner scores a double game, and some tables play a double skunk when the loser has fewer than 61.