Cribbage
A traditional card game combining luck and skill, played on a distinctive board with pegging tracks. Players form hands, play cards in sequence, and score points for various combinations.
What You'll Need
About This Game
A traditional card game combining luck and skill, played on a distinctive board with pegging tracks. Players form hands, play cards in sequence, and score points for various combinations.
How to Play
- Deal 6 cards to each player (5 in some variants)
- Each player discards 2 cards to the 'crib' (belongs to dealer)
- Cut deck for 'starter' card
- Play phase: alternate playing cards, counting to 31
- Score points during play: pairs, runs, 15s, 31, go
- Show phase: score hands (15s, pairs, runs, flushes, nobs)
- Dealer also scores the crib
- First to 121 points wins (or 61 in short game)
- 'Skunking' opponent (winning by 30+ points) counts as double victory
Where to Buy
History & Background
Cribbage was invented by the English poet Sir John Suckling in the early 17th century (around 1630). Suckling was a wealthy nobleman, known gambler, and reportedly the best card player of his time. He based Cribbage on an older game called "Noddy."
The game became extremely popular in England and was brought to America by English colonists. It was one of the few card games legally permitted in English pubs, a tradition that continues today.
The distinctive cribbage board for scoring likely evolved from earlier tally-keeping methods. The standard 121-point game (originally 61 points on a short board) remains unchanged since the 1600s.
Cribbage holds special status in the American submarine force - it's the official pastime aboard US Navy submarines, a tradition started during World War II. The oldest known cribbage board is kept aboard the oldest submarine in the fleet.