How to Play Cribbage: A Beginner’s Guide
New to cribbage? This straightforward guide covers standard two-player, six-card cribbage played to 121 points.
1. Decide who deals
Players cut for the first deal; the player cutting the lower card deals first. Deal alternates each hand.
2. Deal six cards each
Each player receives six cards and discards two face down into a four-card crib. The crib belongs to the dealer and is counted after both players' hands.
3. Cut a starter card
The non-dealer cuts the remaining deck; the dealer turns up the starter card. If it is a jack, the dealer scores two points (often called “his heels”). The starter is used later when counting hands and crib, but not during pegging.
4. Play cards and peg points
The non-dealer leads. Players alternate laying down one card and announcing the running total, never exceeding 31. Face cards count 10, aces count 1, and number cards count their face value. Score for combinations formed during play, including 15, 31, pairs, and runs. If neither player can play without exceeding 31, the last player to play scores for the go or last card as applicable, and the count restarts.
5. Count hands, then the crib
Once all cards have been played, the non-dealer counts their four-card hand plus starter first, then the dealer counts their hand, and finally the dealer counts the crib. Count fifteens, pairs, runs, flushes and a jack matching the starter's suit (nobs).
6. Reach 121
Move your pegs forward as you score. The first player to reach 121 wins immediately, even during the play or counting of a hand.
Ready to learn the point values? See the cribbage scoring chart, or read ACC tournament rules for competitive play.
Rules reference: American Cribbage Congress Official Tournament Rules (2025 PDF), effective August 1, 2025. Northwoods is an independent resource, not an ACC-sanctioned or affiliated organization.
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Play your first game: a full walkthrough
- Set up: use a standard 52-card deck, two pegs per player, and a 121-point board. Aces are 1; face cards count 10.
- Choose the first dealer: cut the deck; the lower rank deals first under standard tournament play.
- Deal: six cards to each player, alternating one card at a time. Each player chooses two cards to discard face down to the dealer's crib.
- Turn the starter: the nondealer cuts the deck; reveal the starter. If it is a jack, the dealer immediately pegs two points (“his heels”).
- Pegging: nondealer plays first. Alternate playing cards, announcing the running total; never exceed 31. Score combinations as they happen. A player who cannot play says “go.”
- Show: after all cards are played, nondealer counts their four-card hand with the starter; then dealer counts their hand; then dealer counts the crib.
- Next deal: alternate dealer and repeat. The first player to reach 121 wins, including during pegging or counting.
Mini pegging example
Player A plays 7 (total 7). Player B plays 8 (total 15, B pegs 2). Player A plays 8 (total 23, A pegs 2 for a pair). Player B plays 8 (total 31, B pegs 6 for three of a kind plus 2 for reaching 31). The count then resets for the next sequence.
What beginners should remember
Fifteens and pairs score both in pegging and in counting hands, but they work differently: during pegging, score the running total or immediately preceding cards; during hand counting, look for every qualifying combination among all five cards. Your crib belongs to the dealer, not the person who discarded the cards.