Cribbage Penalties and Renege Rules

Most cribbage games among friends run on trust. But when disputes arise — or when you’re playing competitively — knowing the official penalty rules matters. This page covers the main violations and their remedies under standard ACC-aligned rules.

The Renege

What Is a Renege?

A renege is the most serious penalty in cribbage. It occurs when a player plays an illegal card during the pegging phase. The most common form: playing a card that would push the count over 31 when the player still holds a legal card that could be played.

Example: The count is at 28. Player A holds a 2 and a 5. They play the 5 (28+5=33 — illegal), instead of the 2 (28+2=30 — legal). Playing the 5 when the 2 was available is a renege.

Other renege situations:

• Playing out of turn
• Playing a card that was already played (duplicate error in some game contexts)
• Failing to say “Go” when unable to play legally, then playing anyway

Penalty for Renege

Under official rules:

1. The opponent pegs 2 points immediately
2. The illegally played card is returned to the offending player’s hand
3. Play resumes correctly — the player must now play a legal card (or say “Go” if none exists)

In tournament play, a second renege by the same player in the same game may carry a heavier penalty at the director’s discretion.

Discovering a Renege Late

If a renege is only discovered after additional cards have been played, it becomes harder to correct. The standard approach:

• If discovered before the next player’s turn: correct it
• If discovered after further play: the 2-point penalty still applies, but correcting the card sequence may not be possible

Overpegging

What Is Overpegging?

Moving your peg more holes than your score justifies — whether accidental (miscounting) or deliberate.

Penalty for Overpegging

• Casual play: Move the peg back to the correct position. No further penalty.
• Tournament play: Move the peg back to the correct position. Opponent may also peg the difference as a penalty (at director’s discretion or by pre-agreed house rules).

The two-peg system exists precisely to make overpegging visible — the gap between your pegs always shows your last score increment.

Miscounting the Hand (Muggins)

The Basic Rule

When you count your hand or crib during the show, you must count accurately. If you miss points, those points are lost unless your opponent claims them.

Under muggins rules (standard in tournament play, optional casually):

• If you announce a score lower than your hand actually contains, your opponent shouts “Muggins!” and takes the missed points for themselves
• The burden is on each player to count their own hand correctly

Common Muggins Targets

Players most commonly miss:

• Three-card fifteens (A+5+9, 2+4+9, 3+3+9…)
• Double and triple runs (seeing the run but missing the pair multiplier)
• Nobs (forgetting to check if a Jack in hand matches starter suit)
• Flush (four cards in hand same suit)

Overcounting (Claiming Too Many Points)

If you claim more points than your hand scores, the excess peg is moved back. Your opponent does not get to claim the overcounted points — they simply return to where they belong on the board.

Misdeal

What Constitutes a Misdeal?

• Dealing the wrong number of cards to a player
• Exposing cards during the deal
• Dealing to the wrong player first (non-dealer should receive cards first)
• Cards accidentally revealed during the cut

Remedy

The standard remedy for a misdeal is a redeal by the same dealer. The same player deals again with a fresh shuffle and cut. There is no change in who holds the deal.

If the starter card is accidentally exposed during the turn-up (by the wrong player or incorrectly), it is treated as a misdeal of the turn-up — the deck is recut and a new starter turned.

Starter Card (Nibs/His Heels) — Timing

A common procedural error: the dealer forgets to peg nibs (2 points for a Jack as the starter card, called “His Heels” or “Nibs”).

The nibs peg must be claimed before the pegging phase begins. If the dealer forgets and play begins, the claim is lost. This is not technically a penalty on the opponent — it’s simply a missed opportunity for the dealer.

The Cut

Failure to Cut

Before dealing, the non-dealer has the right to cut the deck. If the dealer deals without offering the cut:

• It is a misdeal; the deck must be cut before any cards are looked at
• Cards should be returned if possible; redeal

Cutting Too Few Cards

The cut must leave at least 4 cards in each packet. Cutting too few (revealing near the bottom of the deck) requires a redeal.

Pegging Disputes

Going Over 31

If a player plays a card taking the count over 31 and neither player catches it immediately:

• Both players are responsible for tracking the count
• When caught: count is corrected, the illegal card returned, renege penalty applies

Go Disputes

If a player says “Go” when they actually hold a legal card:

• The card must be played (it’s a false Go)
• No penalty in casual play; in tournament play, opponent pegs 1 point for the false claim

Casual vs. Tournament Play

For full official tournament rules, the American Cribbage Congress publishes the complete rulebook used in sanctioned play.

The Spirit of the Rules

Cribbage has a strong culture of self-policing and gentlemanly play. Most experienced players will point out missed points to an opponent even if muggins is not in effect — and will voluntarily move a peg back if they overcount. The penalty rules exist for when disputes cannot be resolved any other way.

See also: Cribbage Etiquette for the unwritten conventions that keep the game enjoyable at all levels.