Cribbage

Objective

The objective of Cribbage is to be the first player to score 121 points by accumulating points through card combinations during gameplay and the show phase.

Setup

1. Use a standard 52-card deck.
2. Each player requires a Cribbage board with scoring pegs.
3. Determine the first dealer through mutual agreement (e.g., cutting the deck).
4. The dealer shuffles the deck completely.
5. Deal six cards face down to each player, one at a time.
6. Each player selects two cards to discard face down to the crib (a separate hand belonging to the dealer).
7. The non-dealer cuts the deck.
8. The dealer reveals the top card of the lower portion as the starter card. This card remains face-up for the duration of the hand.
9. If the starter card is a jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points ("his heels").

Gameplay

Gameplay consists of two primary phases: the play and the show.

Play Phase

• Card Values:
  • Ace = 1
  • Number cards = face value
  • Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) = 10
• The non-dealer begins by playing a card face-up and announcing its value.
• Players alternate turns, playing cards and announcing the cumulative total.
• The cumulative total must not exceed 31. If a player cannot play without exceeding 31, they say "Go."
• The player who says "Go" scores 1 point. The opponent then plays any remaining cards they can without exceeding 31, scoring 1 point for each card played.
• If a player plays a card that brings the total exactly to 31, they score 2 points.
• Scoring during play includes:
  • Pairs:
    • Two of a kind: 2 points
    • Three of a kind: 6 points
    • Four of a kind: 12 points
  • Runs:
    • Three consecutive cards (regardless of order): 3 points
    • Four consecutive cards: 4 points
    • Five consecutive cards: 5 points
  • Fifteens: Any combination of cards that sum to 15: 2 points
  • Flush: If all four cards in a player's hand are the same suit (including the starter card), score 1 point per card.

Show Phase

• After the play phase, players count the points in their hands (and the crib for the dealer).
• Points are scored for combinations of cards in hand plus the starter card:
  • Fifteens: Any combination of cards that sum to 15: 2 points
  • Pairs: As in the play phase
  • Runs: Three or more consecutive cards: 1 point per card in the run
  • Flush: If all four cards in hand are the same suit (including the starter card), score 1 point per card.
  • Knobs: If the starter card is a Jack of the same suit as the Jack in hand, score 1 point.
• The dealer then counts the points in the crib using the same scoring rules.

Winning the Game