Cribbage is a classic card game enjoyed by millions worldwide. If you’re looking to dive into the world of cribbage or sharpen your skills, playing Cribbage Free Online is the perfect starting point. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the rules of cribbage, ensuring you understand every aspect of this engaging game, and setting you up to confidently play cribbage free online.
Cribbage Objective
The primary goal in Cribbage is to be the first player to accumulate 121 points. Gameplay unfolds in three distinct phases: The Deal, The Play, and The Show. Each of these stages is crucial and offers opportunities to score points. Let’s break down each part to help you learn how to play cribbage free online effectively.
This guide focuses on the two-player version of Cribbage, the most common and readily available format when you play cribbage free online. While variations exist, understanding these core rules will equip you for most online cribbage platforms. For those interested in exploring further details or alternative rule sets, resources like Pagat.com and Cribbage Corner offer extensive information.
The Deal: Setting the Stage for Online Cribbage
The game begins with determining the dealer. In a physical game, players draw cards, and the player with the lower card deals first. When you play cribbage free online, this is handled automatically by the platform. In subsequent rounds, the deal alternates between players, ensuring fairness.
The dealer then distributes six cards to each player. A key element of cribbage is the crib, a separate hand that belongs to the dealer. Both players strategically discard two cards from their initial hand into the crib. Choosing which cards to discard is a critical decision, influencing your potential score in later stages and when you play cribbage free online, this strategic element remains vital.
After discarding, each player holds four cards, and the crib contains four cards. The remaining deck is set aside. The non-dealer, known as the pone, cuts the deck. The top card of the cut portion is revealed and becomes the starter or the cut card. This starter card is crucial for scoring in The Show phase. A special scenario occurs if the starter card is a Jack. In this case, the dealer immediately scores 2 points, a bonus called “Two for his heels”. Once the starter card is revealed, the game progresses to The Play.
The Play: Card Combinations in Action
The Play phase is where players use their hands to score points by creating card combinations. The pone initiates the play by placing a card face-up and announcing its value. Number cards are worth their face value, face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are worth 10, and Aces are worth 1. For example, if the pone plays a 6, they announce “Six.”
The dealer then plays a card, adding its value to the running total and announcing the new cumulative value. If the dealer plays a 5, they announce “Eleven” (6 + 5). This continues, with players alternating turns, adding cards and announcing the cumulative total, aiming to reach a total as close to 31 as possible without exceeding it.
If a player cannot play a card without pushing the total over 31, they declare “Go.” The other player then continues playing cards until they also cannot play without exceeding 31. The player who played the last card before a “Go” is declared scores 1 point if the total is under 31, or 2 points if the total is exactly 31. This is often referred to as “One for Go” or “Two for 31”. The count then resets to zero, and play resumes with the player who didn’t play the last card leading the next round of play with their remaining cards. The starter card is not used during The Play.
Scoring opportunities arise during The Play based on the cards played in sequence. These points are accumulated immediately as they occur, adding excitement to each card played when you play cribbage free online.
Scoring During The Play: Rack Up Points Online
- Fifteen: If playing a card makes the running total exactly 15, the player scores 2 points.
- Pair: Playing a card of the same rank as the immediately preceding card creates a pair, scoring 2 points.
- Pair Royal (Three of a Kind): Playing a third card of the same rank in sequence scores 6 points (2 for the initial pair and 4 for extending it).
- Double Pair Royal (Four of a Kind): Completing four cards of the same rank in sequence scores a significant 12 points.
- Run (Sequence): Creating a sequence of three or more cards in rank order scores 1 point per card in the sequence. Suits are irrelevant for runs, and the cards don’t need to be played in numerical order, just form a valid sequence. For example, if the cards played are 4, 6, 5, the last player scores 3 points for the run of 4, 5, 6.
- Last Card (Go): Playing the last card when neither player can continue without exceeding 31 scores 1 point (if the total is less than 31) or 2 points (for exactly 31).
It’s important to note that face cards, while all valued at 10, only form pairs, pair royals, or double pair royals with cards of the same rank. A Queen and a King do not make a pair. Aces are always low in sequences (A-2-3), and sequences cannot wrap around (Queen-King-Ace is not a valid sequence).
Multiple scoring combinations can occur from a single card play. For example, if the current cards are 9, 6 and you play a Jack, you score 2 points for making 15 (9+6+Jack=15) and potentially initiate a run if the preceding cards set up a sequence. Announce all points scored immediately when playing cribbage free online to ensure accurate tracking.
The Play continues until all cards from both players are used. Scores are updated instantly, and if a player reaches 121 points at any point during The Play, the game ends immediately.
The Show: Hand and Crib Scoring
After The Play, players count the points in their hands and the dealer counts the crib. The scoring order is always: pone’s hand, dealer’s hand, and then dealer’s crib. Scores are tallied immediately, and if a player reaches 121 points, the game concludes. This order ensures there are no ties, even if the dealer might have scored more points overall in a round when you play cribbage free online. The pone has the first chance to win in The Show.
The Show Scoring: Maximize Your Hand and Crib Points
The Show uses the starter card in combination with each player’s hand and the crib to create scoring opportunities. The scoring is similar to The Play, but with added possibilities.
- One for his Nob: Holding a Jack in your hand that is the same suit as the starter card scores 1 point.
- Fifteen: Any combination of cards in your hand (plus the starter card) that adds up to 15 scores 2 points. Cards can be reused in different combinations.
- Pair: Any pair of cards of the same rank in your hand (plus the starter card) scores 2 points.
- Pair Royal (Three of a Kind): Any three cards of the same rank scores 6 points.
- Double Pair Royal (Four of a Kind): All four cards of the same rank scores 12 points.
- Run (Sequence): A sequence of three or more cards in rank order scores 1 point per card.
- Flush (4-card hand): If all four cards in your hand are of the same suit, you score 4 points. This flush only counts for the hand itself, not the crib, and doesn’t count if the starter card is needed to complete the flush.
- Flush (5-card hand or crib): If all four cards in your hand and the starter card are of the same suit, you score 5 points. A 5-card flush can also occur in the crib if all crib cards and the starter are the same suit.
Skunks and Double Skunks: Dominating Online Cribbage
In traditional cribbage, winning by a significant margin is recognized with “skunks.” A skunk occurs when the loser scores less than 91 points, and a double skunk happens when the loser scores less than 61 points. While online platforms may not always track skunks in the same way as in-person games, achieving a skunk is a sign of a dominant performance when you play cribbage free online. Some platforms may display skunk images or track skunk statistics as a fun element.
Variations in Online Cribbage
While the core rules of cribbage remain consistent, slight variations can exist, especially in online adaptations. This guide covers the standard ruleset most commonly found when you play cribbage free online. Some variations, like the “stinkhole” rule (where points on the second-to-last hole of the cribbage board may not count), are less common in online versions to maintain streamlined gameplay. If you encounter rule variations when you play cribbage free online, platform-specific instructions will usually clarify any differences.
Ready to Play Cribbage Free Online?
Now that you’ve mastered the rules, you’re well-prepared to start playing cribbage free online. Numerous websites and apps offer platforms to play against computer opponents or other players globally. Embrace the challenge, practice your skills, and enjoy the strategic depth of cribbage in the online arena!
