Play Cribbage Online Free
Play free Cribbage against a computer opponent and race to 121 points. Choose your discards, peg points during play, and watch the game count your hand and crib automatically.
How to Play Cribbage
- Keep four cards. Each player receives six cards. Select two and choose Confirm Discards. Both players' discards form the dealer's four-card crib.
- Reveal the starter. This shared card counts with each hand and the crib later. If it is a jack, the dealer immediately scores two points, called heels.
- Play and peg. The non-dealer leads. Take turns playing one card without taking the running count above 31. Aces count as one, number cards at face value, and tens and face cards as ten.
- Say Go when blocked. You must play if a card fits. If none fits, choose Go. The other player continues while able, then the count resets. An exact 31 scores two; otherwise the last card scores one.
- Count the hands. After all eight cards are played, the non-dealer's hand scores first, then the dealer's hand and crib. Deal again with the other player as dealer. The first player to reach 121 wins immediately.
Cribbage Scoring Table
Pegging scores the cards just played. Hand scoring uses your four kept cards plus the starter. The same card can contribute to several scoring combinations.
| Fifteen | 2 points for reaching 15 in play, or for each hand combination adding up to 15. |
|---|---|
| Pair | 2 points. Three of a kind makes three pairs for 6; four of a kind makes six pairs for 12. |
| Run | 1 point per card in a run of at least three. Pegging uses the latest consecutive plays, which need not be played in rank order. |
| Thirty-one | 2 points during pegging, with no extra last-card point. |
| Go or last card | 1 point when the count ends below 31. |
| Flush | In a hand, four cards of one suit score 4, or 5 if the starter matches. A crib flush needs all five cards to match. |
| Nobs | 1 point for a jack in your hand that matches the starter suit. |
| Heels | 2 points to the dealer when the starter is a jack. |
A Cribbage Scoring Example
Keep 5 of clubs, 5 of diamonds, 6 of hearts and 7 of spades, with a king as the starter. Each five pairs with the king to make 15, scoring four points. The pair of fives adds two. Two separate 5-6-7 runs add six. The hand scores 12 points.
Cribbage Strategy for Beginners
Keep cards that score in more than one way: a pair beside connected ranks can create multiple runs. Check whose crib it is before discarding. Feeding a five or a pair to your own crib can help, but giving those cards to the opponent may help them instead. During pegging, watch for a reply that would let the opponent make 15 or 31.
Cribbage Questions
Can I play Cribbage against the computer?
Yes. This is a two-player game with one computer opponent. Use Hint for help with a discard or play; the peg board and score summary track points for you.
What is the difference between the hand and the crib?
Your hand contains the four cards you kept. The crib contains both players' discards and belongs to the dealer. Both use the same starter, but only a five-card flush scores in the crib.
Do I have to count my own points?
No. The game awards pegging points and counts the hands and crib automatically. Use the scoring table to understand why the pegs move.
More Card Games to Try
For another two-player game with sets and runs, try free online Rummy. For partnerships and tricks, try Whist or Double Deck Pinochle.