Cribbage

How to play

Two players race around the board to 121 points (or 61 in a short game). Points come from three places: the pegging, your hand, and - when you deal - the crib.

The deal

Lowest cut deals first; after that the deal alternates. Each player gets six cards and throws two face down into the dealer's crib. The other player (the pone) cuts and the dealer turns up the starter. A jack turned up is his heels: 2 to the dealer.

Pegging

Starting with the pone, take turns laying a card and calling the running count, which may not pass 31.

• 15 or 31: 2 points.
• Pairs on the card before: 2 for a pair, 6 for three of a kind, 12 for four.
• Runs: three or more consecutive ranks among the last cards, in any order: 1 per card.
• Can't play without passing 31? That's a go: the other player plays on as far as they can and pegs 1 (none if they hit 31). Then the count starts again, led by the player who didn't play last.
• The last card of all pegs 1.

The show

Pone, then dealer, then the crib (for the dealer) are counted with the starter:

• Every combination adding to 15: 2 each.
• Every pair: 2. Runs of three or more: 1 per card, counted again for every way to make them.
• Flush: four in hand of one suit, 4 (5 with the starter). The crib needs all five.
• His nobs: the jack in hand of the starter's suit, 1.

Winning

The game ends the moment someone reaches the target, even mid-count. Win while the loser is short of 91 and it's a skunk; short of 61, a double skunk.

What's extra here

• Discard coach: after each deal, your throw against the best of all fifteen, in expected points, with the best throw shown.
• Hint: the throw or the card the Expert opponent would choose.
• Muggins (optional): count your own hand; what you miss, the computer takes.