How to Play Cribbage: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Cribbage is a classic card game that has entertained players for over 400 years. It’s a game of strategy, mathematics, and just enough luck to keep things exciting — and it’s easier to learn than you might think.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to play your first game of cribbage, from setup to your final peg.

What You Need to Play

• A standard 52-card deck (no jokers)
• A cribbage board for keeping score (or pen and paper)
• 2 players (cribbage can also be adapted for 3 or 4)

Tip: When playing on CribbageBox, you don’t need any physical equipment — just visit our Play page and start a game instantly.

The Objective

The goal of cribbage is simple: be the first player to reach 121 points. Points are earned through card combinations during two phases of play, and the score is tracked by moving pegs along a cribbage board.

Card Values

Before diving into gameplay, learn the card values:

These values are used when adding up totals during the play phase and when counting combinations.

Step 1: Determine the Dealer

Each player cuts the deck (draws a card). The player with the lower card deals first. In subsequent rounds, the deal alternates between players.

The dealer has a slight advantage because they score the crib (explained below), so alternating is important for fairness.

Step 2: Deal the Cards

The dealer deals 6 cards to each player, one at a time, alternating between players. The remaining cards are set aside as the draw pile.

Step 3: Discard to the Crib

Each player looks at their 6 cards and chooses 2 cards to discard face-down into the crib. The crib is a separate pile of 4 cards that the dealer will score at the end of the round.

This is your first strategic decision: you want to keep the best 4 cards in your hand while being thoughtful about what you give to the crib.

Key considerations:

• If you’re the dealer, you can put good cards in the crib since you’ll score it
• If you’re not the dealer (the “pone”), try to avoid giving the dealer valuable combinations
• Keep cards that work well together (cards that make 15s, pairs, and runs)

Step 4: Cut the Starter Card

After both players discard to the crib, the non-dealer (pone) cuts the remaining deck. The dealer then flips over the top card of the bottom half — this is the starter card (also called the “cut card” or “turn-up”).

Special rule: If the starter card is a Jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points — this is called “his heels” or “nibs.”

The starter card is used by both players (and the crib) when counting hands later.

Step 5: The Play (Pegging)

This is the first scoring phase. Players take turns playing cards from their hand, building up a running total.

How the Play Works

1. The non-dealer plays first, placing a card face-up and announcing its value
2. The dealer plays next, adding a card and announcing the running total
3. Players continue alternating, adding to the running total

The Rules of the Play

• The running total cannot exceed 31
• If you can’t play a card without going over 31, say “Go”
• When one player says “Go,” the other player continues playing cards until they also can’t play without exceeding 31
• The player who plays the last card before reaching 31 (or hitting “Go”) scores 1 point
• If you make the count exactly 31, you score 2 points
• After reaching 31 (or both players saying “Go”), the count resets to 0 and play continues with remaining cards

Scoring During the Play

You can score points during the play with these combinations:

Important about runs during play: The cards don’t need to be played in order. If the sequence of cards played is 3, 5, 4 — that’s a run of three (3-4-5) worth 3 points.

Step 6: Counting Hands (The Show)

After all cards are played, each player picks up their four cards and counts their hand. The starter card is used as a fifth card for everyone.

Counting order matters:

1. Non-dealer (pone) counts first
2. Dealer counts second
3. Dealer counts the crib last

This order is significant because if the non-dealer reaches 121 points while counting, they win — even if the dealer would have scored more.

Scoring Combinations in the Hand

Key rules for counting:

• Each card can be used in multiple combinations
• Every possible combination counts (this is what makes scoring interesting!)
• Count systematically to avoid missing points

Want to learn scoring in detail? See our Complete Cribbage Scoring Guide.

Step 7: Scoring the Crib

After both hands are counted, the dealer turns over the crib and scores it using the same combinations as a regular hand, with the starter card included.

Crib-specific rule: A flush in the crib only counts if all five cards (the four crib cards plus the starter) are the same suit. A four-card flush doesn’t count in the crib.

Step 8: Moving the Pegs

As points are scored throughout the game, players move their pegs forward on the cribbage board.

Each player has two pegs. When you score, you move the rear peg ahead of the front peg by the number of points scored. This way, both your current score and your previous score are always visible.

Step 9: Winning

Continue dealing, playing, and counting hands. The first player to reach 121 points wins.

Important: You can win at any point — during the play, while counting your hand, or while counting the crib. The game ends immediately when someone reaches 121.

Skunks

If you win by a large margin, special terms apply:

• Skunk: Winning by 31+ points (opponent doesn’t reach 91)
• Double Skunk: Winning by 61+ points (opponent doesn’t reach 61)

In many casual games and tournaments, a skunk counts as winning two games.

Example Round

Let’s walk through a sample round:

Your hand: 4♠, 5♥, 6♦, 6♣ (you discarded 2♠ and K♥ to the crib)

Starter card: 5♠

Counting your hand (with starter 5♠):

• Fifteens: 5♥ + 4♠ + 6♦ = 15 (2 pts), 5♥ + 4♠ + 6♣ = 15 (2 pts), 5♠ + 4♠ + 6♦ = 15 (2 pts), 5♠ + 4♠ + 6♣ = 15 (2 pts) = 8 points
• Pairs: 5♥ + 5♠ = pair (2 pts), 6♦ + 6♣ = pair (2 pts) = 4 points
• Runs: 4-5-6 appears in four different ways with the two 5s and two 6s (double-double run) = 12 points
• Total: 24 points!

That’s an outstanding hand!

Quick Tips for Your First Games

1. Start by counting fifteens — they’re the most common scoring combination
2. Don’t forget the starter card when counting your hand
3. Keep connected cards (cards close in rank) for better run potential
4. 5s are valuable — they combine with face cards for 15s
5. Be careful what you put in your opponent’s crib — avoid giving them pairs and fifteens
6. Practice counting hands with our Score Calculator

What’s Next?

Now that you know the basics, take your game further:

• Cribbage Rules — Quick reference for all the rules
• Scoring Guide — Master every scoring combination
• Beginner Strategy — Make smarter decisions from day one
• Play Online — Practice against the computer for free