Cribbage FAQ

Cribbage is a 2-player card game played with a standard 52-card deck, built around a running score to 121 tracked on a pegging board. Each hand, players discard into a shared "crib" that belongs to the dealer, play cards against each other while scoring the running count, then count their hands and the crib for fifteens, pairs, runs, flushes, and other combinations.

Yes. cribbageonline.app is completely free and runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to buy, download, or install, and there are no interruptive video ads, premium tiers, or paywalls. Open the page and a hand is ready to deal.

No. The game is the website — a 100% browser-based build with no app store download and no sign-up. Your stats are saved locally in your browser, so there is no login to manage.

Cribbage is credited to the English poet Sir John Suckling in the early 1600s, developed from an earlier game called "Noddy." It has been played largely unchanged for four centuries and remains a standard pub, home, and tournament game, especially popular in the UK, Canada, and parts of the United States.

Deal six cards to each player. Both players discard two cards into the crib, leaving four each. Cut a starter card — a Jack scores the dealer 2 points. Players then alternate playing cards face up, scoring 15s, pairs, runs, and 31 as the count builds, saying "Go" when they cannot play without passing 31. Once all cards are played, count the non-dealer's hand, then the dealer's hand, then the crib against the starter. First to 121 points wins.

The crib is a fourth hand made from the two cards every player discards each round — four cards total. It is counted at the end of the hand exactly like a regular hand, using the same starter card, but the points always go to whoever is dealing that hand. The dealer role, and the crib, alternate every hand.

His nobs is 1 point scored during the show when a player's hand contains the Jack of the same suit as the starter card. It is separate from "his heels," which is the 2 points the dealer scores if the starter card itself is cut as a Jack.

Muggins is an optional rule where a player can claim any points their opponent missed while counting a hand. This version scores every hand automatically and exactly, so no points are ever missed and muggins does not apply.

A standard game of cribbage is played to 121 points. The moment a player's score reaches 121 — whether during the play or while a hand is being counted — the game ends immediately, even if points remain to be counted.

Tap two cards to select them for the crib, then tap "Send to crib" to confirm. During the play, tap any highlighted card in your hand to play it — cards you cannot legally play are dimmed. On the keyboard, number keys 1–6 pick a card, Enter confirms a crib discard, N starts a new game, and M toggles sound.

If none of your remaining cards can be played without passing 31, the game announces "Go" for you automatically — there is no button to click for a forced pass. Your opponent then keeps playing if they can, and whoever plays last in that run of cards scores a point unless the count already hit exactly 31.

A skunk is a win where the losing player has not yet reached 91 points when the winner hits 121 — a bigger, more decisive win than a standard game. Some scoreboards also track a "double skunk" for a loser stuck below 61, though this version only tracks the standard skunk in your stats.

It depends on whose crib it is. On your own deal, keep cards that work well together — pairs, cards that sum to 15, and close ranks — since they will score for you in the crib too. When your opponent is dealing, break up those same combinations instead, since a good discard there just hands them points.

Discard with crib ownership in mind, avoid leading a 5 during the play, and try not to leave the count at 5 or 21 where a single ten-value card scores your opponent 15. Counting the show accurately and tracking the running count carefully during the play matters more than any single trick.

Every 10, Jack, Queen, and King is worth 10 toward the count, so a 5 paired with any of those sixteen cards makes an instant 15. Discarding a 5 into your opponent's crib gives them very good odds of an easy score, which is why most cribbage strategy treats it as a last resort.

Your games played, games won, best winning score, skunks, and win streak are saved locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server and there is no account. A hand in progress is not saved if you close the tab.

Yes. The layout is built for touch: tap a card to select or play it. Your hand, the crib, the pegging track, and the running count all fit on one portrait screen, and dealing the next hand is instant with no page reload.

The built-in opponent evaluates discards by estimating the value of the hand it keeps against the crib it feeds, and plays each card during the play weighing immediate points against the risk of setting up an easy score for you. It plays solid, sensible cribbage without being unbeatable.

Open Stats from the game menu and use Reset progress, then confirm with the second tap. That clears games played, games won, best score, skunks, and streaks on this browser. It cannot be undone.

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