Learn Cribbage
Free guides written for players, from your first hand to the finer points of the discard. No account needed to read any of them.
How Cribbage Den Works
- Race to 121. Cribbage is won by the first player to peg 121 points. You score during the play, as cards are laid down toward 31, and again in the show, when each hand and the dealer’s crib are counted.
- The table does the bookkeeping. Cards are dealt, the board is pegged and every hand is counted for you, with the reason for each point shown, so you can learn the scoring while you play.
- Play the computer with no account. In a desktop browser, a game against the computer needs no sign-up: choose Play Free as Guest. A free account adds games online with friends and family. On a phone or tablet, the free Cribbage Den app plays the same game.
Play Cribbage Online
Play as Guest
Jump into a game against the computer — no account needed.
How to Play Cribbage
Game Overview
Cribbage is a classic card game for 2-4 players that combines skill, strategy, and a bit of luck. The goal is to be the first player or team to score 121 points on the cribbage board.
Game Setup
- Each player is dealt 6 cards (or 5 in 3-player or 4-player games)
- Players discard to the "crib" - a bonus hand for the dealer
- The remaining deck is cut to reveal the "starter" card
The Play
- Players alternate playing cards, keeping a running total
- The total cannot exceed 31
- Score points for combinations like pairs, runs, and reaching 15 or 31
- Say "Go" when you can't play without exceeding 31
Scoring
- Pairs: 2 points
- Runs (3+ consecutive cards): 1 point per card
- Fifteen: 2 points (cards totaling 15)
- Flush: 1 point per card of same suit in hand
- Right Jack: 1 point for Jack matching starter suit
Winning
- First player or team to reach 121 points wins
- Points are tracked on the cribbage board using pegs
- Score during play, then count hands, then the crib
The Cribbage Board
The cribbage board has holes arranged in groups of 5, making it easy to count scores. Use two pegs per player to track your current and previous scores.
More Cribbage Guides
The summary above will get you playing, and the guides at the top of this page cover the rules, scoring and strategy in full. These go further: the numbers behind every keep and every crib throw, the two-player game, counting fast, the mistakes that cost the most, the board, the language of the game, and four hundred years of its history.
Cribbage Club
The classic game is free for everyone. Join the Club for unlimited online play, video chat, and custom avatars, and support the Den.
Your membership and billing. Games against the computer are free for everyone. Plans, prices and terms are on the Cribbage Club page.
Free
- 5 online multiplayer games a week
- Unlimited games vs. the computer
- Full rules of play
- Stats for your games vs. the computer
Club Monthly
- Unlimited online multiplayer
- Video and Chat at the table
- Custom avatars
- Online stats, rank & leaderboard
- No ads, ever
- Works on web, iOS & Android
Club Yearly
- Everything in Club Monthly
- Under $1.67 a month
- Save 44% vs. monthly
Remove Ads
- No ads — even if ads arrive later
- Yours forever, one-time purchase
- Unlimited online play still needs Club
Your Game Statistics
Player
Online Games
Practice
How your stats work
Online record — Games you finished with at least one other real person. Winning these sets your Online Rank and your place on the leaderboard.
Practice record — Games where every other player was a computer. That includes games you started alone and filled with computer players. We keep them on your profile, but they never change your Online Rank or the leaderboard.
Tables with people and computers — If even one other player was a real person, the game counts as Online, even if computers filled some of the other seats.
Skunks and the board — On the board, a skunk — or beating more than one opponent — moves your game counter up by more than one, so you can win the match sooner. Your record counts games, not those steps. Every game you finish is one game played, and one win if you won it.
If someone leaves — Someone counts as a real opponent once you have played two full hands together. After that, the game stays an Online game for everyone who stays, and the result stands. If they leave sooner and nobody else is at the table, the game becomes a Practice game. If you leave a game that is still going, it counts as a loss.
If you get disconnected — If you drop out and come back, nothing happens. If you never come back, it counts as a loss. We forgive a couple of dropped connections each month, so a bad internet day will not hurt your record.
Very short games — A game that ends before the second deal is not saved at all.
Getting a rank — You need to finish 20 Online games before you get a rank and show up on the leaderboard.
Top 100 Players
Online games only. Practice games are not ranked.