Cribbage

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Cribbage
A traditional wooden Cribbage board.
Players	2 - variations 3, 4 or 6
Setup time	<5 minutes
Playing time	15-30 minutes
Random chance	Medium
Skills required	Strategy

Cribbage, or crib, is a card game for two, three, four or six players that involves forming combinations of cards to accumulate points over a series of hands. Cribbage has several distinctive features, including the use of the cribbage board for scorekeeping, the eponymous crib, or box (a separate hand made up of discards from each player, counting for the dealer), the existence of two distinct scoring stages (the play and the show) and a scoring system that includes, among other things, points for forming groups of cards that total fifteen.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Playing the game 2.1 The deal and the formation of the crib 2.2 The starter 2.3 Card values 2.4 The play 2.5 The show 2.5.1 The crib 3 Cribbage board 4 Tactics 4.1 Forming the crib 4.2 The play 5 Variations 6 Statistics 7 See also 8 External links 9 References

[edit] Overview

According to John Aubrey^{[citation needed]}, crib was created by the English poet Sir John Suckling in the early 17th century as a derivation of the game "noddy". Crib has survived, with no major changes, as one of the most popular games in the English-speaking world.

The object of the game is to be the first person to score at least 121 points. Points are mainly scored for runs (groups of three or more sequential cards, regardless of suit); pairs, triples and quadruples (cards of same rank); flushes (all cards in your hand the same suit, can include the starter); combinations of cards that add up to 15; and a jack in your hand whose suit matches that of the starter. It is generally played by two people, but can be played by three (as individuals), four (as two two-person teams), or six (as three two-person teams).

[edit] Playing the game

The deal rotates with each hand. This is important because the crib gives the dealer an advantage (especially in five-card play). If at any point in a hand a player "pegs out" (reaches the winning score of 121), then the game ends and that player wins. A notable feature of cribbage is that as soon as a player pegs out, the game is over; this can happen during the play of cards or while the hands are being scored. Some cribbage boards are marked with an "S" in place of "90" because a losing player is said to be "skunked" if, when the game ends, that player has fewer than 90 points. A player who loses with fewer than 60 points is said to be "double skunked" or "lurched".

Optimal Expected Values for Cribbage Hands A thesis by Philip L. Martin</ref>

[edit] The deal and the formation of the crib

The dealer shuffles the deck and deals six cards (there are different requirements for variations of the game). The non-dealer has the right to cut the deck before the deal, though this can be ignored at the option of the cutting player. The non-dealer often declines as the deck is cut before the starter is revealed. Each player then discards two cards face-down to form the crib (there are different requirements for variations of the game), which will be used by the dealer. ^[1]

[edit] The starter

The player to the dealer's right [1] or left [2] (consistently use one or the other) cuts the deck and the dealer turns up the top card, called the "starter", and places it on top of the deck, face up. [3]. If the card is a Jack, the dealer scores two points for "his heels", also known as "his nibs". This latter term is occasionally confused [4] with "his nobs", which is more correctly used for a Jack of the same suit as the starter, scored during the show part of the game (see below).

[edit] Card values

Aces are always low and have a counting value of 1. Face cards always have a counting value of 10 but retain their customary rank for runs, thus 9,10,J,Q,K is a valid run of 5. Because an Ace is always a low card, it forms a run only in combination with a 2 and a 3, not with a Queen and a King. All other cards are worth their face value.

[edit] The play

Starting with the non-dealing player, each player plays a card in turn, stating the total value of the cards played resulting from the latest card played (ex. the non-dealer plays a 5 and says "5", the the dealer plays a 6 and says "11", etc.). The total can not exceed 31. If a player cannot play a card without bringing the total over 31, the player says "Go" and the other player(s) must play any cards that keep the total at 31 or less; the last player to play a card before the count is reset to zero pegs 1 point for the "go" (if some cards remain unplayed) or for "last card" (if no cards remain unplayed). If said player tallies exactly 31 points, another point for "31" is earned, making two points in total. The count then resets to 0, and the first player having unplayed cards to the left of the player who played last leads the next card.

During the play, players peg points as follows:

• 2 points for bringing the total to 15.
• 2 points if the card is of the same value as the previous card (i.e., completing a pair).
• 6 points for playing a third consecutive card of the same value without the count resetting to zero between any two consecutive cards. This is a "pair royale". Since there are three unique pairs, each earning 2 points, the total value is 6.
• 12 points for playing a fourth consecutive card of the same value, which is called a "double pair royale". The same rationale applies.
• 3 points for completing a run of three cards, 4 for completing a run of four cards, and so on. This is regardless of the order of play, as long as no non-run-making card or a "go" stands in the way, so if the cards played are 6,6,4,2, then the player who plays the 3 will score three for a run (4,2,3 i.e. 2,3,4). However, if the order is 4,K,7,9, "go", 10,J,5,3, then no points are awarded for the 9,10,J.
• 1 point for playing a card such that none of the other players can play without exceeding 31. This is a "point for go".
• 2 points for bringing the total to 31.
• 1 point for playing the last card, except in the preceding situation when the last card counts to 31, in which case 2 points are scored.
• 2 points to your opponent if you attempt to peg using your opponent's pegs. After the penalty, you may record the points you intended to using your own pegs. There is no penalty for accidentally dislodging pegs.
• Flushes do not score points during the play.

An example from a two-player game:

Player 1 plays a 10, saying "Ten".

Player 2 plays a 5, saying "Fifteen for two" and pegging two points (for the 15).

Player 1 plays a 5, saying "Twenty for two" and pegging two points (for the pair of 5s).

Player 2 plays a 5, saying "Twenty-five for six" and pegging six points (for the triple 5).

Player 1 plays a 6, saying "Thirty-one for two" and pegging two points for getting 31.

The count resets and play continues until all eight cards are played.

Another example:

Player 1 plays a 9, saying "Nine".

Player 2 plays a 7, saying, "Sixteen".

Player 1 plays an 8, saying, "Twenty-four for three" and pegging three points (run of 7,8,9).

Player 2 plays a 5, saying, "Twenty-nine".

Player 1 having no cards which would keep the total at 31 or less, says "Go".

Player 2 plays an Ace, saying "Thirty" and pegging one point (for the "go").

Player 1 plays a 9, saying "Nine" (the count has been reset after the "go").

Player 2 plays a 3, saying "Twelve".

Player 1 plays a 4, saying "Sixteen and one for last" and pegs one point (for the last card of the hand).

[edit] The show

After the play, each player in turn in the order of play and ending with the dealer, tallies the points in their hand, including the starter card, and "pegs" (counts) the amount. When it comes to the dealer, the hand is scored first, followed by the crib hand. In a standard, two-handed game, the hands are scored in order: non-dealer's hand, dealer's hand and dealer's crib last. In general, the hands are scored starting with the player to the dealer's left, then continuing clockwise to the dealer, whose hand is counted first and the crib last. The order in which this is done is important as a player who scores first may peg out and thus win the game even though another player's tally would exceed that score.

Points are scored as follows:

• 1 point—for Jack in hand with the same suit as the starter card. This is called by various names, including "his nobs" (most common), "his nob", or "right Jack".
• 2 points
  • for each combination of cards that total 15;
  • for each pair
    • three of a kind, sometimes called a "pair royal" or "prail", forms three pairs for 6 points;
    • four of a kind, being a "double royal" or "double prail", forms six pairs for 12 points.
• 1 point per card
  • for each card in a run;
  • for each card in a flush. A flush must be at least all cards in hand (not counting the cards placed in the crib) but may also include the starter card. The crib hand may only score a flush if the starter card is included.

Cards may be used in several different combinations in the same deal, thus a jack may score for his nobs, in a flush, a run, as a 15 (in combination with a 5) and as a pair. Common examples of this are combinations of runs and pairs:

• 10, J, Q, Q is a "double run of three" scoring 8 points. There is one 10-J-Q run of three using the first Q, a second 10-J-Q run of three using the second Q, and the Q-Q pair.
• 10, J, Q, K, K is a "double run of four" scoring 10 points. There is one 10-J-Q-K run of four using the first K, a second 10-J-Q-K run of four using the second K, and the K-K pair.
• 10, J, Q, Q, Q is a "triple run of three" scoring 15 points. There are three runs of three, each scoring three points and using one of the three Qs, and six points for the 3 Qs that form a three of a kind.
• 9, 10, J, Q, K is a run of five scoring five points. This cannot be further broken down into runs of three (9, 10, J; 10, J, Q; and J, Q, K) or of four (9, 10, J, Q and 10, J, Q, K); it is worth only the five points.
• 4, 5, 5, 5, 6 is another triple run of three, but with four fifteens, to score a total of 23 points. The fifteens are 4-5-6, 4-5-6, 4-5-6, and 5-5-5.

The score is traditionally stated aloud as shown, though players may simply declare the score, particularly with low-scoring hands. The highest possible score in six-card cribbage is 29, for a holding of 5, 5, 5, J with a starter of a 5 of the same suit as the Jack. This scores:

"fifteen sixteen" - for J-5 four times and 5-5-5 four times,

"and twelve" - for four 5s,

"and one for his nobs makes twenty-nine."

In the seven-card game the highest possible score is 46, which is scored by holding 4,4,5,5,6,6 (including starter), which is fifteen 16, 24 in runs and 6 in pairs. In the six-card game, any score totalling between 0 and 29 is possible, with the exception of 19, 25, 26 and 27. Players will sometimes refer to a hand scoring no points as having a score of 19, which can confuse new players.

[edit] The crib

After all players have counted their hands, the dealer tallies the points in the crib. This is counted in the same manner as the other hands, except that a flush is scored only if the starter card is also of the same suit.

[edit] Cribbage board

Visually, cribbage is known for its scoring board - a series of holes ("streets") on which the score is tallied with pegs. Scores can be kept on a piece of paper, but a cribbage board is almost always used, since scoring occurs throughout the game, not just at the conclusion of hands as in most other card games.

There are several designs of crib board:

• The classic design is a flat wooden board approximately 250/300 mm (10-12 in) by 70/80 mm (3-4 in) and 10/20 mm (0.4-0.8 in) deep. There are two sets of 60 holes (30 'out' and 30 'back') divided into 5 point sections, see picture here. A pegging-out hole in the middle at each end allows the board to be used in either direction. One player, or team, scores on one set of 60 holes and the other player, or team, scores on the second set. It is not suitable for three player games.
• A relatively old design is that of an equilateral triangle with two rows of forty holes on each side. These boards did not generally include extra pegging-out holes or holes to count games.
• A newer design has three or four rows of 120 holes with a pegging-out hole at the end and is often brightly coloured. It is best suited to games played to 121, though it can also be used for 61-point games.
• Another common variation is a board in the form of the number 29, with the pegging rows following the contour of the numbers "2" and "9". This design will usually include a background image of four fives and a jack offset. This is a reference to a "perfect hand" and the highest possible score for a single hand.

For all boards, there are two pegs for each player (except team crib where it is two pegs per team or partnership), so that if a player loses track in the count one peg still marks the previous score. The holes are divided into groups of 5.

[edit] Tactics

[edit] Forming the crib

There are certain cards and card combinations that are likely to be beneficial to a hand. A non-dealer will try to keep these cards. The dealer will try to keep any good scoring combinations together, either in hand or in the crib. It is usually desirous to keep pairs, runs and combinations totalling fifteen in one’s hand or in the crib. Other potentially useful cards include:

• Fives – As four out of every thirteen cards are worth 10, there is a good chance that a 5 in the crib will help form 15s. A five thrown into a crib almost guarantees a crib worth at least two points since there are few 5-card combination that includes a 5 but scores fewer than 2 points. (3,5,6,8)
• Sevens and eights - Not only totals 15, but has a chance of meeting a 6 or 9 to complete a run.
• Threes, sixes and nines - Likely to combine to 15.
• Consecutive cards (i.e. A-2, 7-8, J-Q) have the chance to meet the starter or other cards in the crib to form a run.

[edit] The play

Some of these tactics will only work in a two-player game (with more players it is harder to devise a strategy). The player who leads the play should consider the following:

• Do not lead a five; chances are the opponent has a ten or face card and can easily make 15 for two points.
• Playing a four or less guarantees that an opponent cannot make 15 on the next card played. The best that player can do is to complete a pair (which there is no defense against unless one holds at least two of a given card).
• Other than the above, if two cards total fifteen, play one; that way if an opponent takes the score to fifteen for two, the first player can complete the pair to get two points.
• If a hand has a 7 and a 9, or an 8 and a 9, play the 7 or 8. Chances are that the opponent will play for the 15, giving the first player a run of 3 with the 9.

In general:

• Play a card from a pair; if an opponent completes the pair for two, the first player can complete a triple for six (unless the triple would result in the running total to exceed 31, in which case this play is not possible).
• If a hand holds two cards which are two apart in sequence and the middle card in the sequence would total 15 (i.e. a 6 and an 8), playing one of those two cards may result in scoring a run if the opponent plays the card to make the 15 and the first player follows up to complete the run.
• Try to keep small cards, increasing the possibility of being able to play the last card for a point or 31 for two points; however, leading a card lower than five prevents the next player from immediately scoring a fifteen.
• Leading with a 6 or a 9 is generally considered a bad play, although there are situations when it can be advantageous.
• Avoid making the count 21 if at all possible. There are 16 cards in the deck (30.8% of deck) with a value of 10, so making the count 21 gives an opponent a good chance to bring the running tally to 31 and score two points.

[edit] Variations

• Six-card cribbage is the most common game, and is the version played exclusively in organized tournaments. In this version, each player is dealt six cards, leaving them with four cards once two are placed in the crib. Play is to 121 — two streets of 60 (up and down) and the pegging-out hole.
• For three players, five cards are dealt each and one to the crib. Each player places one card in the crib. Then play is as six card.
• Five-card cribbage (for two players) is the oldest version, and is sometimes known as "old game". Each player is dealt five cards, so the crib consists of four cards but each hand only three. Whoever is non-dealer first is given a three-point start and play is to 61. The pegging is also slightly different from six card.
• For four players, five cards are dealt each and each player places one in the crib. Play is as six card. In partner crib, players opposite each other form a partnership (as in bridge) and the scores are combined.
• Seven-card cribbage is rare. Seven cards are dealt each and one to the crib, so the hands have five cards. The points can be very complicated to calculate. Play is to 151 (two and a half times round a traditional board).
• Low-ball is a variant of six-card, in which the first person to score 121 points loses.
• Muggins is a variation in which a player who fails to count all the points in the play or the show may lose those unclaimed points to an opponent who declares "muggins". Whether or not to play muggins is determined before the start of the game.
• CrossCribb, a board game in which players try to form intersecting cribbage hands on a five-by-five grid.
• A 91-point version is also played in parts of North-West England, most notably around the city of Manchester. In-game points scoring is identical to the 121-point version of the game.

[edit] Statistics

• There are 12,994,800 scoring hands in cribbage ((52 choose 5) x 5 -- 5 cards then any of those 5 as the starter card).
• Approximately 7.8% of randomly drawn four-card hands score zero points before the starter card is factored in, and exclusive of in-play pegging points [5].
• The highest score is 29 (555J in hand with the starter 5 of the same suit as the Jack).
• The second highest score is 28 (any 10/J/Q/K+5555 in hand and starter excepting the above 29 hand) and the third highest is 24 (A7777, 33339, 36666, 44447, 44556, 44566, 45566, 67788, 77889).
• The odds of getting a 28 hand in a 2 player game are 1 in 15,028.
• The odds of getting a perfect 29 hand in a 2 player game are 1 in 216,580.
• The odds of getting a perfect 29 hand in a 3 or 4 player game are 1 in 649,740.
• The most points that can be pegged by playing one card is 15, by completing a double pair royale on the last card and making the count 15 (12 for double pair royale, 2 for the 15, and 1 for last card). Although this is rare, players declare it as "15 for 15". The only combination to have this happen is the play values of 10-10-10 Go 7-2-2-2-2.
• The highest score (excluding pegging) as a dealer is 53. The starter must be a 5, and one hand must have J555 while the other has 4466. The first being a 29 (With the right Jack) and the second being 24.
• The dealer in 2-player, 6-card cribbage will always peg at least one point during the play (the pegging round), unless the opponent wins the game before the pegging is finished.
• While 19 is generally recognized as "the impossible hand", meaning that there is no combination of 5 cards that will produce a score of 19 points, scores of 25, 26, 27, and greater than 29 are also impossible in-hand point totals. Sometimes if a player scores 0 points in their hand they will claim they have a "19 hand."

[edit] See also

• Pub games
• Card games

[edit] External links

• American Cribbage Congress website
  • Rules from the American Cribbage Congress
• Cribbage Corner
• Cribbage Forum
• Freeware Royal Cribbage Computer Game and Algorithm

[edit] References

1. ^ The Penguin Book of Card Games 1987 ISBN 1-85051-221-3

• Scarne, John (1965). Scarne on Card Games. Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-43603-9. 
• Wergin, Joe (1980). Win at Cribbage. Oldcastle Books. ISBN 0-948353-97-X.