Play Cribbage for free
Cribbage is a classic card game for two players, scored by moving pegs along a board. Here on Kitchen Table Cards you can play it free in your browser against Rosa, a friendly computer player. The cards are big, the board keeps score for you, and every hand is counted line by line so you never miss a point.
How to play · The pegging · Counting a hand · Tips · Questions
How to play Cribbage
The first player to reach 121 points wins, and the game ends the moment they do. Each deal has four parts:
- The deal: each player gets six cards. The players take turns being the dealer.
- The crib: both players put two cards face down in the crib, an extra hand that belongs to the dealer. Then the top card of the deck is turned up as the starter. If it is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 ("his heels").
- The pegging: the players take turns laying cards and scoring as they go (see below).
- The show: each hand is counted together with the starter: first the non-dealer's hand, then the dealer's hand, then the dealer's crib.
How to play on this site
| Choosing crib cards | Click two cards in your hand, then click the crib. Or drag the cards onto the crib one at a time. Click a card in the crib to take it back before the second one goes in. |
|---|---|
| The pegging | When it is your turn, click a card to play it, or drag it to the middle of the table. Cards that would take the count past 31 are shaded. |
| The show | Each hand is counted for you. Press the button under the count to go on to the next hand. |
| The peg board | Your pegs are red, Rosa's are blue. The pale peg shows where you were before your last points, as on a real board. |
| Hint | Suggests which two cards to give to the crib, or which card to play next, and why. |
The pegging
The non-dealer goes first. The players take turns laying one card face up and saying the running total, the count. Picture cards count 10 and Aces count 1. The count may never go past 31. You score for:
- Fifteen: making the count exactly 15 scores 2.
- Thirty-one: making the count exactly 31 scores 2.
- Pairs: playing the same rank as the card before scores 2. Three in a row score 6, four score 12.
- Runs: when the last three or more cards played make a run, in any order, you score 1 per card. For example 4, 6, 5 scores 3.
- Go: if you can't play without going past 31, you say "go" and the other player carries on. The last player to lay a card scores 1, then the count starts again from 0.
- Last card: playing the very last card of the pegging scores 1.
Counting a Cribbage hand
In the show, each hand of four cards is counted together with the starter:
| What | Points |
|---|---|
| Each combination of cards adding up to 15 | 2 |
| Each pair | 2 (three of a kind: 6, four of a kind: 12) |
| Each run of three or more | 1 per card |
| Flush: all four cards in hand of one suit | 4 (5 if the starter matches; a crib needs all five) |
| His nobs: the Jack of the same suit as the starter | 1 |
Players count out loud: "fifteen two, fifteen four, and a pair is six". A hand that scores nothing is jokingly called "nineteen", because no hand can score exactly 19.
Tips for winning at Cribbage
- Keep cards that work together. Fives, pairs, runs and cards that make 15 are worth keeping.
- Think about whose crib it is. Give your own crib good cards like Fives and pairs. When it is Rosa's crib, give her cards far apart, such as a King and a Two.
- Don't lead a Five. Any picture card or Ten makes 15. A card under 5 is a safer start.
- Watch counts of 5 and 21. A Ten-card from the other player makes them 15 or 31.
- Save low cards for late in a count. They let you squeeze in near 31 and win the go.
Cribbage questions and answers
Is this Cribbage game free?
Yes. Cribbage on Kitchen Table Cards is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, no sign-up and nothing to buy.
Who am I playing against?
You play two-player Cribbage against Rosa, a friendly computer player. She chooses her crib cards and plays her cards in the pegging the way a careful player would.
Do I have to count my own hand?
No. Every hand and crib is counted for you in the show, line by line: each fifteen, pair, run, flush and nobs, so you can see exactly where the points come from. It is a good way to learn to count a Cribbage hand.
What is the highest hand in Cribbage?
The best possible hand is 29: three Fives and the Jack in hand, with the fourth Five of the same suit as the Jack turned up as the starter. It is very rare.
What does "go" mean in Cribbage?
In the pegging, the count may not go past 31. If you have no card that fits, you say "go" and the other player carries on alone. Whoever plays the last card before the count starts again scores 1 for the go, or 2 for exactly 31. This game says go for you automatically.
What is a skunk?
If you win before the other player reaches 91 points, they have been skunked. In a tournament a skunk counts as two games.
Can I play a shorter game?
Yes. Under Settings you can choose a game to 61 points instead of 121. A short game takes about half as long.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. Your current game is saved automatically on your device. If you close the page and come back later, you can carry on where you left off.
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