CRIBBAGE GAME RULES

Players: 4 (Teams of 2)
Goal: Be the first team to move your pegs around the board by scoring from card combinations. 

Start

• Cribbage board and 52-card deck of cards.

• The jokers are removed; the suits are equal in status. 

• Players cut for the first deal; the player cutting the lowest card (Ace is lowest) deals first.

Setup

• Deal 5 cards per player.

• Each player discards 1 card to the crib (extra hand for the dealer).

• Flip a starter card face up — if it’s a Jack, dealer scores 2 points (“nobs”).

Play

• Take turns laying cards, adding their values toward 31.

• Score as you go and peg immediately.

• Aces count as 1.

Scoring During Play

• Total 15 = 2 pts

• Total 31 = 2 pts (1 pt if after “Go”)

• Pair = 2 pts

• 3 of a kind = 6 pts

• 4 of a kind = 12 pts

• Run of 3+ = 1 pt per card

“Go” Rule:
If you can’t play without passing 31, say “Go.” Opponent scores 1 point and continues if possible. Reset count to 0 after reaching 31 or no plays remain.

Counting Hands

After all cards are played, score hands using the starter card as a fifth:

• Every 15 = 2 pts

• Pair / 3 / 4 of a kind = 2 / 6 / 12 pts

• Run of 3–5 = 3–5 pts

• Flush (4–5 same suit) = 4–5 pts (crib only if all 5 match)

• Jack of starter’s suit (“nobs”) = 1 pt

Dealer scores the crib last. 

Please note: We are NOT playing Muggins: A scoring variant where a player who misses points during the play or show loses them to an opponent who calls "muggins" or "cut throat."

Winning

• First team to the end wins

• Win by 30+ points = Skunk

Please note: In our league, a skunk is worth one extra point.

Playoff Seeding:

Based on total points. In the event of a tie, the team with the most weeks won will receive the higher seed.

Cribbage has always belonged around a table with a drink in hand and a little friendly trash talk. A doubles cribbage league leans right into that spirit—two-person teams, a little strategy, a little luck, and a lot of good company.

Grab a partner and settle in for a season of cards, pegs, and perfectly timed fifteens. Our Doubles Cribbage League is built for players of all levels, whether you’re a seasoned board-slammer or someone who just knows that “his heels” is always worth celebrating. Each week, you and your teammate will square off against another pair, working together to outplay, outscore, and out-peg the competition.

The format keeps things moving and the stakes fun. Expect a little rivalry, a lot of laughs, and the occasional dramatic comeback when someone counts a sneaky 24. Between rounds, you’ll have plenty of time to grab a pint, talk strategy, and maybe blame your partner for that last discard.

By the end of the season, one team will claim bragging rights, a few prizes, and the honor of being crowned cribbage champions. Everyone else still walks away with a few new friends and a better excuse to play “just one more game.”

So find your teammate, sharpen your pegging skills, and pull up a chair. The board is set.