Our beloved coffee table card game is now online for free. You can play cribbage anytime right here on Cribbage.com, whether you have a game partner or not. Play against the computer, start a match with a friend, or tackle a new cribbage puzzle each day. It’s the same classic game, ready in your browser whenever you are.
How to Play Cribbage
Cribbage is a fairly simple card game. Games are determined by both luck and strategy. Broken into short phases with a constant back and forth between players, it can be a quick game. Whether or not you’ve played before, you’ll find yourself hooked.
Objective
The ultimate objective of cribbage is to score points to move your peg around the board first. Points are earned in phases: first in the pegging phase and then in the counting phase when points in the hands and crib are tallied. There are also a few small points to pick up in-between hands if you’re lucky. Points are usually tracked along a long board with holes and the pegs move to keep score. Whoever scores 121 points first, wins the game.
The Deal and the Crib
To start the game, each player cuts the deck. Whichever player cuts the lower card gets to deal first. The dealer gets the crib, so this can be a small advantage to start the game with the crib. The dealer gives each player six cards. You’ll choose two to place face-down in the crib for the dealer. How you choose the two cards to place in the crib will vary when you are receiving the crib yourself or when you are giving the cards to the other player to count as their points.
The Pegging Phase
The pegging phase begins with the non-dealing player (sometimes called the pone) placing a card face up in the playing area. If you are playing a three- or four-person game, the person sitting immediately left of the dealer is the first to play. Players continue in a clockwise order. Players take turns putting cards down, and adding to a running count of the sums up to 31.
During pegging, players earn two points when they put a card down that brings the sum of the played cards to 15 or 31, and if they make a pair or a run. In the pegging phase, runs earn points regardless of the suit and must be three or more cards that form a consecutive run, no matter which order they are played in. So for example, if you play a 4, your opponent plays a 5, then you play a 3, this is still a run for which you earn 3 points. If your opponent has either a 2 or a 6 they can play it and earn 4 points for a 4 card run. In the pegging phase, all face cards have a value of 10, and an ace has a value of 1 and is always considered low. The running count during the pegging session cannot go above 31. Whichever player gets the closest to 31 without going over earns 1 point. If a player hits 31, they get two points.
Pegging Example
Let’s look at an example. Let’s say Player A plays a jack, then Player B plays a 5, bringing the count to 15 and earning two points for Player B. Player A then plays a queen, bringing the count to 25. Then Player B plays a 6, bringing the count to 31 and earning two points. Player A then starts the next round of pegging. So Player A plays an 8 and Player B plays a 10 (running count 18). Then Player A plays a 9, now the running count is 27. If Player B has a small enough card in his hand (a 4 or less) he must play it. If he does not have a small enough card, he says ‘go’. Then, if Player A has a 4 or less in her hand, she must play it. If not, she gets the ‘go’ and pegs one point. Players must continue to play cards in their hand if they have cards that won’t push the count over 31. So in this case, if Player A had three aces in her hand, she would then have to play them all. But, if she does play them all, she would earn 6 points (for playing 3 of a kind in a row) and 1 point for the ‘go’.
The Show (Counting Hands and the Crib)
When all cards are played, each player counts the points in his or her hand to add to their position on the board. The non-dealer goes first, then the dealer. After the dealer counts his or her hand, the dealer counts the crib and adds the points from the crib to his or her points. In a three or four person game, the person to the left of the dealer counts first, then counting continues in a clockwise order.
Calling Muggins in a Cribbage Game
If you’re playing with a competitive crowd, you can play with “muggins”. During any phases, if a player forgets to count points, an opponent can say “muggins” and claim the missed points for themselves.
What is a Skunk Game in Cribbage?
The first to reach 121 points wins. This is illustrated by the peg reaching the final hole on the board. If the winner reaches the end of the pegging with a far enough lead, this is called a ‘skunk’ or ‘skunked game’. The skunk line is at the 90 peg mark on the board. The 90 mark peg is the end of the third street, or three quarters of the way through the game. If players are playing in a best-of-3 style series of games, some players consider a skunk game to count as two wins.
The Story of Cribbage
The Origin of Cribbage
Cribbage evolved in 17th-century England from a popular game called ‘noddy’. The adaptations of noddy to create the game of cribbage that we recognize today are largely attributed to English poet Sir John Suckling. The first set of published rules appeared in 1662, recorded by anthologist John Cotgrave.
Cribbage Goes Abroad
From England, sailors brought cribbage to every port they landed. As a quick and social game, cribbage caught on quickly. It spread to the American West where cribbage was very popular with miners and prospectors.
Boards Through Time
The board is as iconic as the game itself. Early versions of cribbage boards were hand-carved from wood, often featuring bone or brass pegs. Some roads were simple while others were ornate works of art. Over the centuries, cribbage boards have become heirlooms, passed down like fishing rods or chess sets. And now, with digital boards, the tradition continues, with pixels instead of pegs.
Cribbage in the Digital Age
The same competitive spirit that fueled the game 400 years ago now lives online. The rules haven’t changed, only the table. On Cribbage.com, you can jump into a match in seconds, test your wits and luck against real players or AI, and keep the old traditions alive in a modern way.
Yes. Every mode, puzzle, and match is free to play. No hidden fees, no logins, no stress. Just the game you love, ready whenever you are.
Yes. Create a private room and share the link. You’ll be playing together in seconds.
Our AI is tuned to play like a thoughtful human, challenging but fair. It learns from your moves, so beginners can grow and experts still have to stay sharp.
Why Cribbage Endures
Cribbage has survived four centuries because it’s more than a card game, it’s a conversation. Every play, a small decision between safety and boldness. You can play for five minutes or five hours and never see the exact sequence twice. An experienced player has skill, but a beginner might have enough luck to reach the end first.
And now, thanks to Cribbage.com, the spirit of the game lives wherever you are, no board needed, no opponent required, just you, the cards, and the chase to 121.
Cribbage FAQ
No, double and triple runs do not count during the pegging phase. Double and triple runs are only counted during the show, or hand counting, phase.
The biggest possible hand in cribbage is worth 29 points. It’s a very specific composition. The player needs to hold a hand of 5-5-5-J. The cut card needs to be the remaining 5, which also needs to match the suit of the Jack in the player’s hand. This gives the player, 4 sets of ‘fifteen-two’s’ with the Jack and 5’s (8 points), 4 sets of ‘fifteen-two’s’ with the different combinations of three 5’s (8 points), four of a kind (12 points), and Nobs from the Jack matching the suit of the cut card (1 point).