Lowball Cribbage Rules: How to Play the Reverse Version

Q: "What is lowball cribbage?"

"Lowball cribbage (also called low-ball or reverse cribbage) inverts the goal of standard cribbage: the first player to reach 121 points loses. Scoring combinations are counted identically, but because high scores are bad, players try to hold weak hands, balk the crib aggressively (now both players want a weak crib), and avoid scoring during pegging."

Q: "Is lowball cribbage harder than regular cribbage?"

"Lowball is cognitively disorienting for experienced players because every instinct is reversed. Beginners may find it easier since optimal play is simpler — just avoid good cards. The strategic challenge lies in the pegging phase, where you must carefully avoid creating combinations while still playing legally."

Q: "Do you peg differently in lowball cribbage?"

"Yes. In lowball, you want to avoid scoring during pegging. This means avoiding leads that create fifteens, avoiding playing into pairs or runs, and sometimes intentionally playing high cards to push the count away from dangerous totals. The Go earns 1 point — which in lowball is bad — so you try to force your opponent to call Go instead."

Lowball cribbage flips the goal — score as low as possible and avoid reaching 121. Rules, scoring differences, strategy tips, and how it compares to standard cribbage.

Updated: April 23, 2026 · 5 min read

By Garrett Pegg · Reviewed against ACC standards

Lowball Cribbage Rules

Lowball cribbage is everything you know about cribbage — backwards. The first player to reach 121 points loses. The goal is to score as little as possible while forcing your opponent to accumulate points.

It’s a jarring experience for regular cribbage players, and a fun one.

Basic Rules

Almost everything in lowball is identical to standard cribbage:

Same deck, same deal: 6 cards each, discard 2 to the crib, turn a starter
Same combinations count: Fifteens (2 pts), pairs (2 pts), runs (1 pt/card), flush (4–5 pts), nobs (1 pt)
Same board: Track from 0 to 121

The one change: High score loses. The first player to peg to or past 121 loses the game.

Skunk and Double Skunk (Inverted)

If the winner (lower score) finishes before the loser has passed 91, the loser is skunked (loses double)
If the winner finishes before the loser has passed 61, it’s a double skunk

Interpretation: In lowball, “winning early” means your opponent hits 121 fast while you’ve barely moved.

Discard Strategy (Inverted)

In standard cribbage, you protect your hand and try to balk the enemy crib. In lowball, you want to minimize your own hand score and — here’s the twist — you also want the crib to score low (since the dealer scores the crib, you want to avoid giving yourself or the dealer points).

As Dealer (Lowball)

You don’t want your crib to score. So you intentionally send weak, disconnected cards to your own crib:

Two unconnected high cards that can’t combine (K-3, Q-2, J-A)
Avoid sending 5s, pairs, or connected cards to your own crib

Keep the weakest 4-card hand possible — cards with no fifteens, no pairs, no runs.

As Pone (Lowball)

You want to hurt the dealer’s crib — so you give the dealer good cards:

Send a 5 — it will combine with the dealer’s other crib cards
Send a pair
Send connected cards (6-7, 7-8)

Simultaneously keep your own weakest hold (disconnected high cards that score nothing).

The fascinating reversal: Pone now wants to feed the enemy crib, and the dealer is hoping for terrible crib cards. All discard instincts flip.

Pegging Strategy (Inverted)

In standard cribbage, you create opportunities to score during pegging. In lowball, you avoid them.

Lowball Pegging Goals

Avoid creating fifteens: Don’t play a card that makes the count exactly 15 or 31 — doing so earns you points you don’t want
Avoid pairing: Don’t play a card matching the rank of the last card played
Avoid extending runs: If the count has created a run, don’t add to it
Force your opponent to score: Play cards that create opportunities only your opponent can capitalize on

Leading in Lowball

In standard cribbage, never lead a 5 (opponent scores 15). In lowball, leading a 5 might be fine — if your opponent plays a 10-value card for 15, they score the points, not you.

Risky leads in lowball:

4 (normally the safest lead) — in lowball, if opponent plays a J for 14 then you play an A for 15, you score
7 or 8 — 7+8=15: if you lead 7 and opponent plays 8, opponent scores. But if you play 8 after the 7, you score.

The key: think about whether you or your opponent will be playing the scoring card, not just whether a fifteen exists.

The Go in Lowball

In standard cribbage, earning a “Go” is worth 1 point. In lowball, a Go earns 1 point you don’t want. So:

Try to play out your cards to force your opponent to call Go
Avoid positions where you’ll be stuck calling Go yourself
This sometimes means playing higher cards earlier to exhaust your hand faster

Scoring the Show (Lowball)

The show (counting hands and crib) works identically to standard cribbage in terms of what combinations score. The only difference: every point you count hurts you.

Count aloud the same way — fifteens, pairs, runs, flush, nobs. Peg those points reluctantly. Your goal was a zero-point hand. A 20-point hand is a disaster.

Muggins applies in reverse: if you miss points in your hand and your opponent spots them, they can force you to peg the missed points (you’re penalized for not counting your full score). In lowball with muggins, you can’t escape scoring — you must count everything accurately.

Strategy Tips

Keep high disconnected cards — K, Q, J without matching suits or ranks score nothing
Give paired cards to the enemy crib — as pone, giving opponent two 7s hands them a guaranteed 2-point crib
Think about the count before leading — visualize what your opponent might play back
Watch for unintentional runs — if the play sequence is building a run, stop contributing to it
Board position still matters — if you’re losing (closer to 121), play more aggressively to force your opponent to score

Is Lowball Fair?

One potential imbalance: the dealer still has the crib. In standard cribbage, the crib is an advantage. In lowball, the crib is a disadvantage (more points to absorb). This means dealing first is slightly worse in lowball — the opposite of standard cribbage.

Some players compensate by giving the first-game dealer a small head start (pegging to 5 before the first deal), though this isn’t standardized.

Variants of Lowball

Par-lowball: Both players start at 121 and peg down toward 0. First to 0 wins. Same scoring, different board direction.
Lowball with no crib: The crib is eliminated — each player just scores their 4-card hand + the starter. Simpler version for quick games.

For other cribbage variants, see Cribbage Variations and Submarine Cribbage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is lowball cribbage?

Lowball cribbage (also called low-ball or reverse cribbage) inverts the goal of standard cribbage: the first player to reach 121 points loses. Scoring combinations are counted identically, but because high scores are bad, players try to hold weak hands, balk the crib aggressively (now both players want a weak crib), and avoid scoring during pegging.

Is lowball cribbage harder than regular cribbage?

Lowball is cognitively disorienting for experienced players because every instinct is reversed. Beginners may find it easier since optimal play is simpler — just avoid good cards. The strategic challenge lies in the pegging phase, where you must carefully avoid creating combinations while still playing legally.

Do you peg differently in lowball cribbage?

Yes. In lowball, you want to avoid scoring during pegging. This means avoiding leads that create fifteens, avoiding playing into pairs or runs, and sometimes intentionally playing high cards to push the count away from dangerous totals. The Go earns 1 point — which in lowball is bad — so you try to force your opponent to call Go instead.