Cribbage Board
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History
The English cribbage playing poet Sir John Suckling is widely credited with the invention of Cribbage, or 'Crib' as it is also known, in the early 17th Century. Since this time the game of crib has remained largely unchanged and is now one of the most popular games of its kind in the English speaking world. Cribbage is played by over 5 million people.
How to Play
Crib is a card game played on a cribbage board for two, three, four or six players where the aim is to accumulate cribbage points based on combinations of cards over a series of hands. Scores for each hand are scored on the board and are given according to the cards held (either a 'run', 'pair', 'triple', 'quadruple' or 'flush') and are recoded on a Cribbage board.
Cribbage Rules and Insructions
PLAYERS: Two. Adaptation can be made for three or four.
CARDS: A regular pack of 52. The cards rank: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. The suits play little part; the cards are used chiefly as numbers. Each face card represents 10, each ace 1; each other card its index value. Face cards and tens are called “tenth” cards.
THE DEAL: Each player receives six cards, dealt one at a time.
THE CRIB: From his hand each player selects two cards and the four cards are placed face down near the dealer.
THE STARTER: After the crib is laid away, the non-dealer cuts the rest of the pack and the dealer turns up the top card of the lower portion. This card is the starter. If it is a jack the dealer pegs (scores) 2 points.
THE CRIBBAGE BOARD: Scores accrue so rapidly that a special scoring device is used called a Cribbage board, having 4 rows of 30 holes each plus some extra game holes at one end. Each player uses 2 pegs that at the outset are placed in the game holes. Each item of score is marked by jumping the rearward peg ahead of the other by a corresponding number of holes. The pegs are marched away from the head of the board (the end with the game holes) along an outer row of holes and then back along an inner row. The game may be played “once around” for a total of 61 points, but far more common is “twice around” for a total of 121.
THE PLAY: In playing his cards, each player retains possession of them, merely exposing them face up in a pile in front of him. The non-dealer begins by playing any card, announcing its point value as “10” if he leads a face card or 10. Dealer then plays a card, announcing the total of the 2 cards as “17” if he plays a 7. Play continues alternately, the new total being announced each time, until the player in turn is unable to play without carrying the total over 31. He must then say, “Go”. The other pegs for the Go (as explained below); then the player that called the go must lead again for a new series of plays. The count begins again at zero and again the total must not be carried beyond 31. After Go is called, the other player must play additional cards if he can do so without exceeding 31. Thus the same player may play 2 or 3 times in succession. For making exactly 31 the player pegs 2; for a go at less than 31 he pegs 1. Playing the last card of all (of the eight in play) counts 1 for last or 2 if it makes 31.
SCORING IN PLAY: Other points may be scored besides the Go’s as follows:
FIFTEEN: For making the count fifteen peg 2.
PAIRS: For playing a card of the same rank as that just played peg 2. (Pairing goes by rank, e.g. a king with a king, not with a queen, though both have the point value of ten.) For playing the third card of a rank peg 6 and for playing the fourth peg 12.
RUNS: For playing a card that is in sequence of rank with two or more played just previously, peg the number of cards in the run (sequence). For example, if the cards played are 4, 6, 5, the last player pegs 3 for run plus 2 for 15. The cards need not be played in sequential order to score for run, so long as no foreign cards intervene. For example, if the cards played are 4, K, 6, 5, there is no run.
SHOWING: By showing is meant counting and scoring a hand. The hands are shown in strict order; non-dealer, dealer’s hand, crib. The starter is treated as a fifth card belonging to each of these 3 hands. The combinations that score are as follows:
FIFTEEN: For each combination of cards that total fifteen, score 2. Combination here is meant in the strict sense, thus, a hand (with starter) of 9, 8, 7, 7, 6 has 3 combinations of 15; 9 and 6, 8 with one 7, 8 with the other 7; and a hand of J, 5, 5, 5, 5 has no less than 8 combinations of 15, four of J and 5, four of three 5’s. (This hand when the J also scores as “his nobs”, makes 29, the largest possible score).
PAIRS: For a pair, score two, for three of a kind (called pair royal or “proil”), 6: for four of a kind (double pair royal), 12.
RUNS: For each combination that makes a run of 3 or more, peg the number of cards in the run. In a hand 9, 8, 7, 7, 6 there are 8 points for 2 runs of 4 using the 7’s in turn.
FLUSH: For 4 cards in hand (not crib and excluding starter) of the same suit, score 4, or 5 if the starter is also of the same suit. For crib and starter all of the same suit score 5. (There is no score for a four flush in the crib).
HIS NOBS: For a jack in hand in the same suit as the starter score 1. The jack scored as starter by dealer is called “his heels”. Proper etiquette is to count aloud, taking the categories in the order given above and indicating the source of the scores briefly. For example, K, K, 10, 5, 4 the player would say, “15 two, 15 four, 15 six and a pair makes 8.” The opponent must be given time to verify the score. It is proper to announce the scores for certain combinations in total, as pair royal and double pair royal (call 6 or 12; do not count the separate pairs). Other combinations count as follows for runs and pairs alone (exclusive of 15’s and other items): -
Double run as K, Q, Q, J scores 8.
Double run of four, as K, Q, Q, J, 10 scores 10.
Triple run as K, Q, Q, Q, J, scores 15.
Quadruple run as K, Q, Q, J, J, scores 16
MUGGINS: If a player overlooks a score to which he is entitled, either in playing or in showing, the opponent may call “Muggins” and take the score himself.
GAME: When a player pegs into the game hole that gives him 121 (or 61 points), he wins the game forthwith, nothing more is scored. If the loser has not passed the halfway mark (has not reached 61 in twice around or 31 in once around) he is “lurched” and loses a double game.
Cribbage game sets
Jaques' Mahogany Cribbage boards are superbly crafted. Both the board sets in the range are also inlaid and come complete with brass Traditional pegs and compartments for peg storage. The 56600 Cabinet Cribbage set is available as part of the range and features a handy compartment for storing two packs of Jaques playing cards (included in the set).
