CribbagePractice
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Throw two to the crib, peg to thirty-one, and count the hand.

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Practice against the computer

FREE ONLINE CARD GAME

Play Cribbage Online

Fifteen-two, fifteen-four.
First to 121.

Play two-player Cribbage free with no account or download. Choose Easy, Standard or Expert, follow the running count and pegboard, and review each hand and crib. Optional discard analysis and manual counting with muggins help you practise.

Classic Cribbage · 2 seats · First to 121

Updated

New to Cribbage? Learn the rules

KEEP FOUR. GIVE TWO.

Cribbage rules

Two players race along a pegboard. Points come from the play, your hand and the dealer's crib.

Play a practice hand ↑
01

Throw, cut and peg

Deal six each, alternating cards. Choose two for the crib; both throws stay private. The dealer owns the crib and alternates after every hand. The first dealer is random. Once both throws are in, the non-dealer cuts the shuffled stock to show the starter. A jack immediately gives the dealer 2 for His Heels.

The non-dealer leads. Add each card to the running count: ace 1, number cards their value, and jack/queen/king 10. Stay at 31 or below. Fifteen and 31 each score 2. Consecutive equal ranks score a pair 2, three 6 or four 12. The longest run ending at the new card scores its length; the cards may arrive in any order. Aces are low and suits do not matter for pegging.

Nine of clubs begins the countSix of diamonds makes fifteenTen of spades makes twenty-fiveSix of hearts makes thirty-one

Keep the count at 31 or below.

02

Say Go, then count the show

Say Go only if none of your remaining cards fits. Your opponent continues while cards fit. When neither can play, the last player scores 1, the count resets and the other player leads, skipping an empty hand. A 31 scores 2 instead of that 1. Go does not break a run or pair while the same count continues; a reset does. The last card of the hand earns 1 unless it makes 31.

Once all eight cards have been played, count the non-dealer's hand first, then the dealer's hand, then the crib. Each four-card hand uses the starter as its fifth card. Automatic counting shows a breakdown; Continue lets you read it. Manual counting asks for your total first. Our friendly muggins option lets the opponent take missed show points; overcounts are corrected without penalty. Pegging remains automatic.

Three of clubs in the twelve-point handThree of diamonds supplies the pair and second runFour of hearts in both runsFive of spades in the fifteens and runsTen of clubs starter makes a fifteen with the five

3♣ 3♦ 4♥ 5♠, starter 10♣: count each combination once.

03

Move the rear peg past the front

Each player has two pegs. One shows the current total; the other marks the previous total. For a new score, move the rear peg ahead by that many points. The board groups holes in fives; the text underneath names both players' totals so you do not have to rely on colour or count tiny holes.

Reach 121, or 61 with the short-game option, and win immediately. A win on His Heels or during pegging stops the remaining counts. During the show, the non-dealer can peg out before the dealer gets a hand or crib. Scores stop at the target.

Current 20, new score 8: front total 28, previous total 20.

COUNT EVERY COMBINATION

Cribbage scoring

In the show, each combination totalling 15 earns 2 and every distinct equal-rank pair earns 2. Count the longest runs and their duplicates; a longer run replaces its shorter contained runs. Four hand cards of one suit score 4, or 5 if the starter matches. A crib flush needs all five. A jack in the hand or crib matching the starter's suit earns His Nobs for 1. The starter itself cannot earn nobs.

The maximum is 29: three fives plus a jack, with the fourth five as starter in that jack's suit. Eight fifteens score 16, six pairs 12, and nobs 1. A zero-point hand is sometimes called nineteen;19 is not a real hand total.

At 121, a loser below 91 is skunked; below 61 is double-skunked. At our 61-point table the lines are 46 and 31. The result records the label, while statistics count one game win. These friendly settings do not implement every tournament penalty or match-points convention.

15 or 31
2 during pegging
Pair / three / four
2 / 6 / 12 consecutive ranks in pegging
Last / Go
1 except 31
Crib flush
5 all five suits match
His Nobs / Heels
1 / 2 show jack / starter jack

YOUR CRIB OR THEIRS?

Cribbage strategy

Compare the keep and the throw

Keep fifteens, pairs and connected ranks together. Your own crib rewards useful throws; an opponent's crib is a cost. A five or pair is often expensive to give away, but the whole six-card hand matters: an absolute ban can spoil a much stronger keep. Practice Options offers a discard analysis of all 15 throws, with expected hand, crib and net points. The crib model assumes unknown opposing throws are uniform; it does not know the actual cards.

Think about the reply

Take good pegging points while watching what the next card could do. Leading a five invites a ten-value reply for fifteen. Leaving 21 can invite 31. Small cards can win a Go or finish a later count, while a pair can threaten three of a kind. A public Go tells you the opponent's remaining cards could not fit that count, not what suits they hold.

Choose a practice level

Easy throws randomly and plays the first legal card. Standard evaluates every keep over possible starters and adds a simple crib adjustment, then pegs for points and safer counts. Expert uses exact hand/crib expectation under its uniform throw model and compares possible unseen pegging hands with complete legal continuations. It respects public Go information. All levels count correctly and use the same cards and scoring; background failure falls back to Standard.

Read the points before moving on

Manual counting is useful practice. Count fifteens, then pairs, then longest runs, flush and nobs. Our muggins applies only to missed hand/crib show points; pegging and heels stay automatic. It is a friendly learning table, not a tournament penalty simulator.

QUICK ANSWERS

Cribbage FAQ

Can I play free without an account?

Yes. Practice runs here against the computer with no account or download, and your match is saved in this browser for reload.

How does the crib work?

Each player sends two cards from six, face down. The dealer owns those four cards and counts them after the two hands, using the same starter. Other crib faces stay hidden until its show.

What does Go mean?

No held card fits under 32. The opponent may keep playing; when neither can, the last player gets 1 and the count resets. A 31 gets 2 with no extra last point. Empty hands are skipped.

How is pegging scored?

Fifteen or 31 earns 2, consecutive pairs 2, three 6 and four 12. An unbroken run of three or more scores its length, in any play order. Last card earns 1 unless it makes 31. Suits do not score during pegging.

How do you count a hand or crib?

Use four cards plus the starter. Each fifteen and pair earns 2; longest runs count with multiplicity. A hand flush scores 4 or 5, a crib flush 5 only. The jack matching the starter's suit scores 1 for His Nobs.

What is a skunk?

At 121, losing below 91 is a skunk and below 61 a double skunk. Our 61-point game uses 46/ 31. Both are recorded, and either counts as one game won in these statistics.

How does muggins work here?

Manual show counting asks for your total. An undercount offers the opponent the missed points, or a decline; overcounts correct to the actual without penalty. Pegging and heels remain automatic in this friendly variant.

Can three or four people play here?

This table supports two players. Three-player and partnership Cribbage exist, but are not selectable modes here.

How long is a game?

It takes several deals, depending on the hands and your counting pace. Choose 61 for a shorter target and adjust computer speed in Options. There is no turn timer in practice.

What should beginners throw?

Compare the whole keep with what you give the crib. A five or pair can be costly to an opponent, but sometimes a much stronger keep justifies it. Turn on the optional discard analysis to compare all 15 choices; its uniform model is an estimate.

What is the highest Cribbage hand?

29: three fives and a jack in the hand, with the fourth five as the starter matching the jack's suit. That is 16 in fifteens,12 in pairs and 1 for nobs.

Can the computer see my cards or play with friends?

Computers receive only their own cards and public play. Expert models possible unseen hands instead of reading yours. To play with friends, open a HopLobby lobby and send one link: our party games run in the browser too.

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TWO PLAYERS · FIFTEEN FOR TWO

Cribbage at this table

Six cards each; choose two for the dealer's crib. The non-dealer cuts. A jack starter gives the dealer two for His Heels, then the non-dealer leads.

Play one card at a time, keeping the count at 31 or below. Aces count 1, faces 10. Fifteen or 31 scores 2; consecutive pairs score 2, three 6, four 12; an unbroken run scores its length in any order. Say Go only when nothing fits. The other player may keep playing; when neither can, last play scores 1 and the count resets. Thirty-one earns 2 without an extra last point.

Count non-dealer's hand, dealer's hand, then crib with the starter. Each fifteen and pair scores 2; longest runs count with multiplicity. Four matching hand suits score 4, or 5 with the starter; crib flushes need all five. The jack matching the starter's suit scores 1 for His Nobs.

First to 121 or 61 wins immediately. Pegging and heels are automatic; manual/muggins applies only to hand and crib here. Overcounts are corrected without penalty. In muggins an undercount opens an opponent claim/decline turn. Skunks are recorded as one game win.

Read the full rules ↓