Each round of play is divided into two parts. First you play the cards you get against each other, and then you count up what you got afterwards.

In cribbage, there is a "crib". It’s an extra hand, which is given alternately to the 2 players. When you start each round you are given 6 cards. You must then "throw" two of those cards to the crib. Its then that you need to bear in mind WHO'S crib it is, because you don’t want to give your opponent nice cards.

So you need to study your cards and calculate the best hand you can get from it. You need to check my hint and tips bit at the end of this help file to get some ideas of the things you need to watch out for when choosing the cards you keep. When both players have thrown their 2 cards to the crib, the computer will give a "cut" card. This card is important at the end as it will be counted in point scoring you can muster from your hand.

Odd extra scoring fact Number 1: If the cut card happens to be a Jack, then the person with the crib will automatically get 2 points. They call this the "2 for his heels". So after both players have thrown their cards to the crib, and the computer (dealer) has given the cut card, play can start. What happens now is that the players play their 4 cards against each other. Starting with the person WITHOUT the crib, the players take turns to play single cards face up in front of them. In this stage of the game the total value of the cards played by both players must not exceed 31. The values of the cards are:
Ace = 1; 2 to 10 = face value; jack = 10; queen = 10; king = 10.

As each card is played, the running total is displayed. If a card is played which brings the total exactly to 31, the player pegs 2 claiming 31 for 2 points.

A player who cannot play without exceeding 31 does not play a card but will instead leave his/her opponent to continue if possible, pegging for any further combinations made. Bringing the total to exactly 31 pegs for 2 points, but if neither player can lay a card without going over 31, then the last player to lay a card pegs 1 point for it being the last one. This 1 point is not given if a player reaches 31 exactly, its an either/or thing. You want to get the 31 because of the extra point, the 1 point for just being the last card is a lower alternative.

So then they players start from 0 again... alternatively playing up to 31 again. Remember all through this you can score on runs and doubles and they DON’T have to be in the right order either.

So if you play a 6 and your opponent plays an 8 after, you are free to play a 7 to score 3 points. But be warned.. They may have a 9 up their sleeve, with would THEN score them 4 points. Think also, that if they have a 6 in their hand, they may WELL have the 9 because they add up to 15 points and they may have been saving that for the count up at the end. Scoring for pairs, triples, and 4-of-a-kinds only work when the cards follow each other. However, if 31 was reached and you went back to 0 then a 2nd card exactly like the one at the end of the last exchange WONT score you the double.

So you could have 8,8,8 played.. the final 8 scoring the player 6 points for the triple, but its impossible to have a 4th 8 because that would all add up to 32. You COULD have 7,7,7,7 though... it only adding up to 28.... and it happens more than you would think.

The count up

After all the cards have been played, you then do the count up at the end. The computer will show both players what they got, and will peg them along on the board accordingly. The person with the crib now gets to see the crib hand and will get any points from that too. It’s important to know that it’s the person WITHOUT the crib that the computer pegs first. This is important if you are both near the finish line, the person without the crib could sneak in a victory even if the opponent had a killer hand.

Odd extra scoring fact

If you happen to have a Jack of the same suit as the cut card you will score an extra one point called "his nobs".

Things to look for:
1. Try and get 15 combinations (5's are always good to have because there are 10,J,Q,K all at 10 point values)
2. Bear in mind aiming for 31 exactly in the exchange
3. Don’t throw 5's to your opponents crib unless your hand would REALLY benefit from doing it
4. Have fun!!!!!... This is a highly addictive little game, and while you might be totally confused by my rules, believe me you will suddenly click and find it all 2nd nature before long

Handy Tips and Tricks!!!!

You are playing a game of chance with cribbage...
1. Think about what cards you actually have in your hand. If you have say 667899 and keep 6699, the only cut cards that could help are a 3,6 or a 9 and you already have 2 6's and 2 9's.... that’s very limiting...so if you went for 6678 you are more l ikely to get something that could help.
2. Plan early for the 31.... If they play a 10 point card to start...you can plan for the 31 if you have a combo worth 11... Play a 3 on their 10..Then they play another 10 you can play an 8 for 31... This method is almost better than going for the 15 points with a 5... If they have 10 point cards they may well have 5's to cancel your early point scoring. This is called a "magic 11" by the old school cribbage players, but very very useful to know....
3. Cards to throw. I firmly believe that a 9 and a K of different suits are simply the best cards to throw. I’m still experimenting with that, but if you can get those thrown and it doesn’t ruin your own hand too much then go for it.
4. Also, players seem very reluctant to throw 5's into their own crib.... so often you find that throwing a 9,A or 8,2 or 7,3 in their crib is surprisingly safe too. Try and avoid throwing an 8 and a 7 .. I feel they are the worst 2 cards to throw... More so than a 5 and a Jack.....
5. If you have to play first (the opponent has the crib) and you have a 6 and a 9, throw the 6 first. If they play a 9 on top and you double it with your 9 then they can’t triple it with a further 9 because it would go over 31. If you had played the 9 first, then they played a 6 and you doubled the 6, they COULD attempt the triple with a further 6.
6. Doubling your opponent. You will find that player’s still learning to play will play the card they have 2 of at the beginning of their exchange. Bear this in mind when playing, and learn quickly at what stage they are at. If you suspect that that is how they are playing, simply never double them at the start, and always play your doubles at the end to catch them out. Players on "stage 2" work this out, and then always play their doubles at the end so similarly work this out, and always double them right away. Eventually though, most advanced players (almost all on our ladder are) KNOW that you know all this, and so vary when they play their doubles throughout the match to the point that you can NEVER know if the card they are playing is one of a pair or not.
7. If your opponent plays a card one above or below the one you played make sure your alarm bells start ringing.. They don’t do this for nothing. So say you play a 4 and they play a 5... DON’T blindly play a 3 if your other cards are like a Q or a K... they are playing to your card on purpose with a plan that you will fall for it
8. If it is VERY close at the end, and you know it will all be about pegging them simply lose your highest scoring cards. Hold onto those small low ones that you thought would be good for nothing you'll find they may win you the game
9. If they have the crib, then usually they have all the power during the exchange. If you have say 10,J,Q,K and they start playing with 8's and 9's... try and get rid of the 10 at the earliest safe opportunity. You may find the last card you play will be followed by a 10 of theirs, and you'll be glad you didn’t hold onto that one last.
10. If a player says "oooohh great cut" then secretly thank them!! You NOW know that yes, while they are likely to heavily score, you can almost guess their whole hand from the first card they lay.
11. If you have the basic choice of throwing a Queen or a King, ALWAYS throw the King... its half as likely to be involved in any run if it’s their crib... obviously play the queen rather than the king if it’s your crib
12. If you have say a choice of Q,Q,J to throw and its your crib to throw in, you MIGHT find it’s actually better to throw the Q and the J in rather than the 2 Q's...

Bear in mind that all these tips are very general; there are a lot of conditions where they might not apply... but have a think about them when you are playing and see what works for you....

If you have any problems or questions or need some advice just message me, Or ask some one.  I hope this file helps you learn the basics of cribbage... and I hope we'll see you playing on the tables very soon!!!!