Cribbage looks simple — count cards, peg, repeat — but the scoring decides who wins. This guide explains the exact rules from our online cribbage game: how every point appears (15s, pairs, runs, flushes, nobs, His Heels), how pegging works up to 31, and the strategy that gets you to 121 first.
Play it now: Online Cribbage vs Computer
How a Cribbage Hand Works
Each round is a deal, a discard, a cut, pegging, and a show — and the first player to 121 wins immediately.
- Deal: a full 52-card deck is shuffled and 6 cards are dealt to each player (12 cards total, dealt alternately).
- Discard: each player keeps 4 cards and discards 2. The 4 discards become the crib, owned by the dealer.
- Cut: after the discards, one cut card is drawn. If the cut is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 ("His Heels") before pegging even starts.
- Peg: players play cards in turn, adding to a running count that must stay at or below 31.
- Show: each player scores their 4-card hand plus the cut card — non-dealer first, then the dealer, then the dealer's crib.
- Win: whoever hits 121 first ends the game on the spot, even mid-show.
In our game, you deal round 1. The dealer then alternates every round. Card values are standard: A = 1, 2–10 = face value, J/Q/K = 10. Rank order runs A = 1 through K = 13.
Scoring: Every Way Points Appear
Every point in cribbage comes from one of these exact patterns:
| Pattern | Points |
|---|---|
| 15 — every 2+ card combination summing to 15 | 2 each ("15 for 2") |
| Pair — every pair of the same rank | 2 |
| Three of a kind (3 pairs) | 6 |
| Four of a kind (6 pairs) | 12 |
| Run — 3+ consecutive ranks | run length per copy |
| Flush — 4 same-suit cards in your hand | 4 |
| Flush + cut card same suit | 5 |
| Crib flush | only if all 5 match |
| Nobs — Jack in hand matching cut suit | 1 |
| His Heels — cut card is a Jack (dealer) | 2 |
| Pegging: hitting exactly 15 | 2 |
| Pegging: hitting exactly 31 | 2 (then count resets) |
| Pegging: pair / three / four at end of sequence | 2 / 6 / 12 |
| Pegging: run of 3+ at end of sequence | run length |
| Go — opponent cannot play, you can | 1 |
| Last card of the round (if count > 0) | 1 |
Worked example: hand 7♥ 7♠ 8♦ with cut 2♣ → two 15s (7♥ + 8, 7♠ + 8) = 4 from 15s, plus the pair of 7s = 2, for 6 before runs, flushes, or nobs are even checked.
His Heels example: you are the dealer and the cut card is a Jack → 2 points to you before pegging starts.
Two scoring details that trip people up: a 4-card flush in the crib only counts if all 5 cards (4 crib + cut) match, and nobs is only scored from a Jack that is actually in your 4-card hand.
Discard Strategy
Your discard decision is the biggest choice of every round, because it feeds the dealer's crib — including your own when you deal.
- Keep 15s first: any combination of kept cards that sums to 15 is worth 2. Two 7s and an 8 is a classic keep (two 15s = 4, plus the pair = 6).
- Keep pairs and runs: a pair in hand is a guaranteed 2 points regardless of the cut; a run of 3+ grows when the cut extends it.
- If you are non-dealer (pone), throw low, disconnected cards to the crib: you do not want to gift the dealer points. Avoid throwing 5s, face cards, or cards that make a likely 15 or run.
- If you are dealer, you can afford to feed the crib slightly: the crib is yours, so discards that combine with the cut are a bonus, not a loss.
- How the AI plays it: our computer opponent enumerates all 15 possible keeps (C(6,2)) and keeps the 4 cards with the best standalone score — 15s, pairs, runs, and a 4-card flush. It does not evaluate what it throws to the crib, so a tight pone discard beats it.
Pegging Strategy
Pegging is where games are actually won — it is fast, and every point pegged is a point the opponent cannot take.
- Take 15 and 31 whenever you can: 2 points each, and 31 resets the count so the next sequence starts fresh.
- Never leave the count at 5 or 21: both are one card away from your opponent's 15 or 31. The AI penalizes these exact counts when choosing its own card.
- Go does not reset the count: if you cannot play without exceeding 31, the opponent scores 1 and keeps playing — the count stays where it was. The count only resets when someone hits 31 or when neither player can play.
- Play low cards early, keep options open: holding a small card for the end of a sequence can steal a last-card point.
- After all 8 cards are played: if the count is above 0 (it did not just hit 31), the player of the last card scores 1.
Why You Can Peg Out Before the Crib
Cribbage ends the instant either score reaches 121 — checkWin() runs during pegging, show, and crib scoring alike, and the game stops immediately. That makes the order matter:
- The non-dealer shows first in the show phase, then the dealer's hand, then the dealer's crib.
- If the non-dealer's show pushes them to 121, the game is over before the dealer even scores their hand or crib.
- So as the trailing player, never assume a big crib will save you — an opponent's show can end the game first.
Play a few rounds and you will see the pattern: matches are decided by pegging speed and show order, not by who owns the crib.
FAQ
Q: Is Cribbage free to play online, and do I need a download?
A: No download and no sign-up — it runs right in your browser on desktop, tablet, and mobile, against a computer opponent.
Q: Why is the target 121?
A: 121 is the win target. The first player to reach it wins immediately — the game ends the moment either score hits 121, even mid-show.
Q: Does Go reset the count?
A: No. A Go scores 1 point for the opponent and the count stays where it is — the opponent keeps playing. The count resets only when a player hits 31 or when neither player can play.
Q: Does a 4-card flush count in the crib?
A: Only if all 5 cards match — the 4 crib cards plus the cut. In your hand, 4 matching suits score 4, and 5 with the cut score 5.
Q: What is His Heels?
A: When the cut card is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 before pegging starts. You will see it applied automatically.
Q: Can I only play against the computer?
A: This version is 1 vs the computer with the exact scoring above. For dice strategy, see our Yahtzee strategy guide, and for more card and board games, browse the strategy games hub.