Cribbage Solitaire: Playing Cribbage Alone

No opponent? No problem. Whether you’re looking to practice your skills, kill time, or just love the game, there are several great ways to play cribbage by yourself.

Option 1: Play Against AI

The easiest way to play cribbage alone is with a computer opponent.

Online (Free)

Play on CribbageBox — Our built-in AI opponent plays realistic cribbage against you, with automatic scoring so you can focus on strategy.

Mobile Apps

• Cribbage Pro (iOS/Android) — Multiple difficulty levels, statistics tracking
• Cribbage Classic — Clean interface, offline play
• Cribbage JD — Strong AI, tournament simulation

→ See our complete app reviews

Desktop

• BoardGameArena — Browser-based, can play solo or online
• Cribbage (Windows Store) — Simple offline play

AI Benefits:

• Instant games anytime
• Automatic scoring (no missed points)
• Track statistics over time
• Adjustable difficulty

Option 2: Traditional Cribbage Solitaire

Play both hands yourself and try to beat a target score.

Basic Solitaire Rules

1. Shuffle and deal 6 cards to two “hands”
2. Choose discards for each hand to the crib
3. Cut the starter card
4. Play the pegging phase optimally for both sides
5. Count both hands and the crib
6. Track combined score

Goal Options

Beat the Average:

• Average hand = ~8 points
• Average crib = ~5 points
• Average pegging = ~5 points combined
• Target: 26 points per round (both hands + crib + pegging)

Streak Mode:

• Play 9 hands (simulating a game)
• Try to reach 121+ combined
• Track your best streaks

Par System:

• First dealer round: par = 16
• Pone round: par = 10
• Alternate and track cumulative vs. par

Option 3: Cribbage Squares

A clever solitaire puzzle variant perfect for solo play.

Setup

• Shuffle a standard deck
• You’ll create a 4×4 grid of 16 cards
• Score each row and column as a cribbage hand

How to Play

1. Turn over the top card of the deck
2. Place it anywhere in the 4×4 grid
3. Repeat until all 16 spaces are filled
4. Score each of the 4 rows (4 hands of 4 cards)
5. Score each of the 4 columns (4 hands of 4 cards)
6. Total = sum of all 8 hands

Scoring Notes

• No starter card (hands are pure 4-card hands)
• 4-card flushes count for 4 points
• Nobs doesn’t apply (no starter)

Target Scores

Strategy Tips

• Save 5s for rows/columns with 10-value cards
• Build toward fifteens early (7+8, 6+9)
• Place pairs and runs adjacently when possible
• The last few placements are most critical

Option 4: Hand Counting Practice

Pure scoring practice without full games.

Method 1: Deal and Count

1. Deal 5 random cards (4-card hand + starter)
2. Count the hand as fast as possible
3. Check with a calculator
4. Track accuracy and speed

Target: Count any hand accurately in under 10 seconds.

Method 2: Flash Hands

Create flash cards with 5-card combinations. Practice until you recognize scores instantly:

Method 3: Discard Practice

1. Deal yourself 6 cards
2. Decide which 4 to keep (and why)
3. Check against discard strategy
4. Consider: Am I dealer or pone?

Option 5: Analysis Mode

Study cribbage decisions without time pressure.

Discard Analysis

1. Deal 6 cards
2. Calculate all 15 possible keeps and their expected values
3. Consider starter card probabilities
4. Account for crib value (positive as dealer, negative as pone)

Example: You’re dealt 3-4-5-6-J-K as dealer

This deep analysis isn’t practical during games but is excellent for learning.

Pegging Scenarios

Set up specific board positions and practice optimal decisions:

• “I’m at 115, opponent at 118. What’s my lead priority?”
• “Opponent leads 4, I have 4-6-7-10. Should I pair?”
• “Count is 21, I have 5 and 10. Which do I play?”

Benefits of Solo Practice

1. No time pressure — Take as long as you need to count hands
2. Study decisions — Analyze why certain discards are better
3. Build pattern recognition — See thousands of hands
4. Prepare for tournaments — Practice counting accuracy
5. Convenient — Play anytime, anywhere

Recommended Practice Routine

Daily (10-15 minutes)

• Play 2-3 games against AI
• Focus on one skill (counting, discards, or pegging)

Weekly (30-60 minutes)

• Play Cribbage Squares for puzzle thinking
• Review hands you weren’t sure about
• Read one strategy article

Before Tournaments

• Play rapid games to build counting speed
• Practice with muggins enabled
• Simulate game pressure with a timer

Start Practicing Now

Solo practice won’t replace playing against humans, but it’s an excellent way to sharpen your fundamentals and enjoy cribbage anytime.