How to play Cribbage

Learn the rules to the 2-player card game Cribbage quickly and concisely - This video has no distractions, just the rules. While there are many variations to Cribbage, this video covers the original base rules.

Don't own cool and unique playing cards?

(As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases)

0:00 – Objective
0:15 – Setup
0:48 – The Crib
1:03 – The Start Card
1:22 – Pegs
1:58 – Start
2:27 – Pip Values
2:42 – Example of Play
3:28 – Out of Cards
3:43 – Scoring Points
4:43 – The Show
5:10 – Points
6:02 – End of Play
6:30 – To Win

RULES:
The object of this 2-player card game is to be the first player to score 121 or more points over several deals. Setup. Place out the pegboard for keeping score. Place 2 pegs of each color into the 0 or resting spots on the board. Using a standard 52 card deck of playing cards with King high and ace low, each player cuts the deck and the player with the lowest card is the first dealer. The dealer shuffles the deck, the non-dealer cuts, then the dealer deals 6 cards, one at a time, to each player. The dealer places the deck face down on the table. Players pick up and look at their own cards but keep them hidden from their opponents.

Each player chooses two cards to discard face down to form the crib. These four cards are set aside until the end of the hand. The crib will count for the dealer. The non-dealer then cuts the deck, allowing the dealer to take the top card from the remaining, then puts the cut back on top and the dealer then flips the pulled card faceup on top of the deck. This is called the start card. If the start card is a jack. Then the dealer immediately pegs 2 holes.

“Pegs” or “Pegging” means to score. Each player has 2 pegs, 1 peg represents their current score while the other represents their old score. Each hole represents 1 point. To score, move your farthest back peg in front of your current score peg by the number of points scored. Traditionally pegs travel down the outside of the board then travel back on the inside of the board, looping around twice to track 120 points.

Beginning with the non-dealer, the players take turns playing single cards. You play cards from your hand to a face-up pile in front of yourself, keeping them separate from the other player's cards. In this stage of the game the combined total pip value of the cards played by both players is counted, starting from zero and adding the value of each card as it is played. This total must not exceed 31. The pip values are:

Aces are worth 1
Numbered cards are worth their face value
And Face cards are worth 10

As each card is played, the player announces the running total - for example the non-dealer plays a king and says "10", the dealer plays an 8 and says "18", the non-dealer plays a jack and says "28", and so on.

A player who cannot play without exceeding 31 does not play a card but instead says “Go”, allowing his opponent to continue playing if possible. When no more cards can be played without going over 31, the count is restarted from zero.

The cards that have been played are turned face down and a new round starts with the player who said “Go”. Players use the remaining cards in the their hands. This process repeats until all the cards have been played. It is possible for one player to run out of cards before their opponent. In this case, the other player continues playing and scoring until all their cards have been played.

Players score points in the following ways:
If you are the player to say “Go”, you score 1 point.
Playing the last card in a round that doesn’t equal 31 gives you 1 point.
Playing a card to get the total exactly to 15 or 31 scores you 2 points.
Playing the same ranked card as the previously played card is called a pair and scores you 2 points. Playing a 3rd matching card in this way is called a “pair royal” and scores you 6 points. Playing a 4th matching card in this way is called a “double pair royal” and scores you 12 points.
Playing a card that creates or continues a run of 3 or more cards of consecutive rank gives you points equal to the number of cards in that run. The cards in the run do not have to be played in the exact consecutive order to count. But If another card is played interrupting the run before it is complete, then no points are scored.

Once all the cards have been played, each player, starting with the non-dealer, scores...

[DyrianLightbringer]

Cribbage is a complicated game that sounds like it was invented by two kids going "I played a 2, you played a 4, then I played a 3, so that's a run, and I score, " and the other kid going "well, my jack is the same suit as the flipped card, so I score, " and back and forth until they couldn't come up with any more ridiculous ways to score points, then eventually grew up and were like, "remember that stupid game we used to play as kids? well, I found the paper where I scribbled down all the ridiculous ways to score. want to play?"

[GeoDosch]

We watched several Learn to Play Cribbage videos, and this was by far the easiest to follow. Thank you!

[annettev]

I love playing & teaching friends how to play cribbage. I learned how to play as a teenager with my Dad. I taught my son & he taught his wife when they were dating. This video is helpful for me to share with anyone that wants to learn a great game.

[LawdJesusPlease]

“...pegging means ‘to score’”

Well, my wife agrees.

[handlesarestupid]

"Holes getting pegged"
"One for his knob"

I think I might need to try Cribbage....

[fnt]

As much as I love this game, I still think it's Calvinball in card form.

[rachdenholm]

Definitely a clear, concise step by step description that is easy to understand. Thank you.

[ajx]

Man this is the best channel for tutorials! I learned this game in jail! Fun game!

[pennyblanchard]

You made Cribbage a lot easier to understand ! Thank you!

[ginablume]

Thank you! Your tutorial was very clear and made the written ones with the game make much more sense!

[TheRebecca]

Since we only play once every few years, this was a helpful reminder. Thank you!

[nissimhadassahlerner]

VERY Clear instructions!! Thank you. Looking forward to playing now

[inulesedi]

You didn't explain muggins.

An optional rule but common for many veteran cribbage players is muggins. When scoring hands, whether the non dealer hand, dealer hand, or the crib, if the player scoring misses points after saying they are done scoring, the opponent can claim the missed points if they point out the error.

For instance if the non dealer is scoring a hand that is 996J and the start card is a 4 of diamonds and says, "15 for 2 15 for 2 and a pair for 2. That makes six points and no more" but they fail to notice that the jack is also diamonds, the dealer can claim the 1 point for his nob that the nondealer missed.

It makes the game a bit more cut throat and exciting.

[pidgin__]

I’ve been wanting to teach my friends cribbage, but now i don’t have to! Thank you so much for this clear and concise video :)

[jonahlange]

Helpful tutorial. Just got a cribbage board and the rules in it were a little confusing. This helped make things a lot more clear. Thanks!

[a.berdeen]

An excellent summary. Well done. Much better than others I've seen.

[maryruesch]

My whole family plays this, thanks for the instructions!!! :)

[gausselim]

Best video by far to follow. Great explanation! Thank you for your time and efforts here.

[thebladeitself]

beautifully succinct. 

one of the best "how to play cribbage" videos I've watched on youtube. Thank you for this video.

[noelleboehm]

Thank You. I always wanted to learn this Game. This Tutorial is very helpful. You do such a great job with all your game tutorials.