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Sir John Suckling, a British
poet and knight, invented the card game of Cribbage about 1635,
reportedly as an evolution from the earlier game of "Noddy".
Cribbage has survived, with no major changes, as one of the most
popular games in the English-speaking world.
The more modern Six Card
Cribbage has now almost entirely replaced the original Five Card
Cribbage game. However the five card version does still survive in
parts of Great Britain, where Cribbage is one of the few games legally
permitted
to be played in a public house for small stakes. Seven Card
Cribbage is reportedly less common.
Cribbage by MeggieSoft Games is
the traditional game for two players, and supports the original Five
Card game in addition to the later Six and Seven Card derivations,
plus common rule variations.
The older game of Noddy is also fully supported.
Cribbage is a game of cunning in
which the two players must balance a number of different objectives
and remain alert in recognizing scoring combinations. It is a game
where experience counts - together with luck.
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Five
Card Cribbage |
Six
and Seven Card Cribbage |
| Deck |
52-card deck
comprising two standard decks (the Ace through King of each suit) |
| Deal |
Five,
six, or seven cards are dealt to
you and the same number to your opponent. Each
player then discards two cards from their hand to form the Crib.
The remaining stock cards are then cut and the exposed card is
placed face up on top of the stock. This is termed the "Starter".
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| Deal
Scoring |
Elder:
Non-dealer
scores three points.
His Heels: If the Starter is a Jack, the dealer scores two points. |
His
Heels:
If the Starter is a Jack, the dealer scores two points. |
| Play |
The
players (starting with the non-dealer) play cards in turn, until
all the cards have been played, or the points value of the played
cards is 31 (or less if neither player can play a card without
exceeding a points total of 31). The points value of each
card is its face value (ten for each of the Jack, Queen and
King). If one player cannot go without exceeding 31 points,
the other player continues to play while the cards played can
remain within the 31 point limit. |
| When
31 points have been reached (or a sufficiently low card cannot be
played), the play ends. |
When
31 points have been reached (or a sufficiently low card cannot be
played), play continues from a points total of zero. The
cards previously played are no longer candidates for scoring
during play. Play continues until both players' have played
all their cards. |
| Play
Scoring |
Points
are scored according to the combination(s) of the currently played
card and a number of consecutive previously played cards.
Fifteen:
All cards so far played total fifteen
face points. (2 points.)
Double
Pair Royal: Four cards of the same rank.
(12 points)
Pair
Royal: Three cards of the same rank, not part of a Double
Pair Royal.
(6 points)
Pair:
Two cards of the same rank, not part of a Pair
Royal.
(2 points)
Sequence: A group of consecutive card values, which need not
have been played in sequential order. (1 point per card)
Thirty-One: All
cards so far played total thirty-one face points. (2
points)
Go: In Six and Seven Card Cribbage, for playing the last card
before the thirty-one point limit is
reached, provided that this card did
not already score two points for reaching Thirty-One. (1 point)
Last: For playing the last card, provided that this card did
not already score two points for reaching Thirty-One. (1 point) |
| The
Show |
After
the end of the play phase, each player (non-dealer first) recovers their cards and
scores points for combinations of the cards in their hand, taken
together with the Start (upturned stock card). After scoring
for the cards in hand, the dealer
then takes the crib and scores points for combinations of
the cards in the crib, taken together with the Start. |
| Show
Scoring |
Points
are scored according to the following combinations:
Fifteen:
Any unique combination of cards which
totals fifteen face points. (2 points.)
Double Pair Royal: Four
cards of the same rank. (12
points)
Pair
Royal: Three cards of the same rank, not part of a Double
Pair Royal.
(6 points)
Pair:
Two cards of the same rank, not part of a Pair
Royal.
(2 points)
Sequence: Any
unique combination of cards
which represents a group of consecutive card values. (1
point per card)
Flush (Hand): All
cards in the hand are of the same suit. If the Start is also
of the same suit, it is included. (1 point per card)
Flush
(Crib): All cards in the
crib are of the same suit as the Start. (5 points)
Additional
points are scored for:
His Nob: When a player's hand (or crib) contains the Jack of the Start
suit. (1 point) |
| Optional
Variations |
Deal
one to Crib: One less card is dealt to each player and is
dealt to the crib instead. Each player then discards one
card. This increases the uncertainty of which cards are
in the crib.
Restricted Heels Scoring: A player cannot score "Two
for His Heels" if they need five or less points to win the
game.
Restricted Go/Last Scoring: A player cannot score "One
for Go" or "One for Last" if they need only one
point to win the game.
Muggins: If a player overlooks a scoring opportunity, the
other player may score the unclaimed points. This variation
is also known as "Cutthroat Cribbage". |
| Game |
Successive rounds are played until a player reaches
61 points. |
Successive rounds are played until a player reaches
121 points (Six Card Cribbage) or 181 points (Seven Card
Cribbage). |
| Noddy |
The
original game of Noddy differs from Five-Card Cribbage in the
following respects:
Deal:
Three cards are dealt to each
player. There is no crib.
Play: The
points in each player's hand are scored (but the cards are not
shown) before the cards are played out.
Game:
The game ends when one player has achieved a total of 31 points.
Sequence Scoring: A three card sequence scores only two
points.
Twenty-Five for Two: This
is an additional scoring combination in both the hand scoring and
play phases.
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Because Cribbage by MeggieSoft Games
supports all three Cribbage variants, plus Noddy, the rules and scoring
conventions can be mixed-and-matched. For
example, one could choose to play a Five Card game with a goal of 181
points, without the non-dealer bonus, and include Twenty-five for Two. Cribbage
utilizes the traditional MeggieSoft Games foundation user interface, common to all our
games. In addition, Cribbage permits either the Peg Board or the
Scoresheet method of scoring.
Click on thumbnail for
full-size screenshot preview of Cribbage
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