date and time created 87/02/15 16:03:30 by lepreau

[unix-history] / usr / src / games / cribbage / cribbage.n

.\" Copyright (c) 1980 Regents of the University of California.
.\" All rights reserved.  The Berkeley software License Agreement
.\" specifies the terms and conditions for redistribution.
.\"
.\"	@(#)cribbage.n	5.1 (Berkeley) %G%
.\"
.so macro
.na
.PH "CRIBBAGE"
.sp 2
.ce
from
.sp
.ce
.ul
According to Hoyle
.sp 2
.PG
Cribbage is believed to have been invented by Sir John Suckling (1609-1642).
Probably it is an elaboration of an older game, Noddy.  The original game was
played with hands of five cards; the modern game gives each player six.  That
is virtually the only change from Suckling's directions.
.HP "Players."
Two.  There are variants for three and four players, described later.
.HP "Cards."
The pack of 52.  The cards in each suit rank: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8,
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.  The
.ul
counting values
are: K, Q, J, 10, each 10 (wherefore these are called
.ul
tenth cards);
ace, 1; each other card, its index value.
.HP "Cribbage Board".
Indispensable to scoring (unless you have a computer!, ed.) is the device
known as the
.ul
cribbage board.
This is a rectangular panel, long and narrow, in which are
four rows of 30 holes each.  (See illustration.)  At one end, or in the center,
are two or four additional holes, called
.ul
game holes.
The board is placed between the two players, and each keeps his own score on
the two rows of holes nearest himself.  Each is supplied with two
.ul
pegs.
Before the first hand, the pegs are placed in the game holes.  On
making his first score, the player advances one peg an appropriate number
of holes (one per point) away from the
.ul
game end
of the board.  The second score is recorded by placing the second peg an
appropriate distance ahead of the first.  For each subsequent score, the
rear peg is jumped ahead of the other, the distance between the two pegs
always showing the amount of this last score.
.PG
The traditional mode of scoring is down (away from the game end) the
outer row, and up the inner row.  "Once around" is a game of 61 points.
"Twice around" is a game of 121 points.
.HP "Preliminaries."
Cards are drawn; the lower deals first.  If cards of equal rank are drawn,
both players draw again.  Dealer has the right to shuffle last.  Nondealer
cuts, and must leave at least four cards in each packet.
.HP "Dealing."
Each player receives six cards, dealt one at a time face down, beginning
with the nondealer.  The turn to deal alternates.  The dealer has an
advantage.
.HP "Laying Away."
After seeing his hand, each player
.ul
lays away
two cards face down.  The four cards laid away, placed in one pile, form the
.ul
crib.
The crib counts for the dealer.  Nondealer therefore tries to lay away
.ul
balking cards --
cards that are least likely to create a score in the crib.
.HP "The Starter."
After both hands have laid away, nondealer lifts off a packet from the top
of the
.ul
stock
(the rest of the pack).  Again, each packet must contain at least four cards.
Dealer turns up the top card of the lower packer, which is then placed on
top of the stock when the packets are reunited.  The card thus turned up is
called
.ul
1 the starter.
If it is a jack, dealer immediately pegs 2, called
.ul
2 for his heels.
.HP "The Play."
Nondealer begins the play by laying a card from his hand face up on the
table, announcing its counting value.  Dealer then shows a card, announcing
the total count of the two cards.  Play continues in the same way, by
alternate exposure of cards, each player announcing the new total count.
The total may be carried only to 31, no further.  If a player adds a card
that brings the total exactly to 31, he pegs 2.  If a player is unable to
play another card without exceeding 31, he must say "Go," and his opponent
pegs 1, but before doing so, opponent must lay down any additional cards he
can without exceeding 31.  If such additional cards bring the total to
exactly 31, he pegs 2 instead of 1.
.PG
Whenever a
.ul
go 
occurs, the opponent of the player who played the last card must lead for a
new count starting at zero.  Playing the last card of all counts as a go.
(Since nondealer makes the opening lead, dealer is bound to peg at least
1 in play.)
.PG
Besides pegging for 31 and go, the player may also peg for certain
combinations made in play, as follows:
.sp 2
.ti +4
.ul
Fifteen.
.IP
Making the count total 15 pegs 2.
.EP
.sp 2
.ti +4
.ul
Pair.
.IP
Playing a card of same rank as that previously played pegs 2.  Playing
a third card of the same rank makes
.ul
pair royal
and pegs 6.  Playing the fourth card of the same rank makes
.ul
double pair royal
and pegs 12.
.PG
The tenth cards pair strictly by rank, a king with a king, a queen with a
queen, and so on.  (King and jack do not make a pair, although each has
the counting value 10.)
.EP
.sp 2
.ti +4
.ul
Run.
.IP
Playing a card which, with the two or more played immediately previously,
makes a sequence of three or more cards, pegs 1 for each card in the
.ul
run.
Runs depend on rank alone; the suits do not matter.  Nor does the score
for run depend upon playing the cards in strict sequence, so long as
the three or more last cards played can be arranged in a run.
.ul
Example:
7, 6, 8 played in that order score 3 for run; 5, 2, 4, 3 played in that order
score 4 for run.
.EP
.PG
Any of the foregoing combinations count, whether the cards are played
alternately or one player plays several times in succession in consequence
of a go.  But a combination does not score if it is interrupted by a go.
.HP "Showing."
After the play, the hands are
.ul
shown
(counted).  Nondealer shows first, then dealer's hand, then crib.
The starter is deemed to belong to each hand, so that each hand includes
five cards.  Combinations of scoring value are as follows:
.sp 2
.ti +4
.ul
Fifteen.
.IP
Each combinations of two or more cards that total fifteen scores 2.
.EP
.sp 2
.ti +4
.ul
Pair.
.IP
Each pair of cards of the same rank scores 2.
.EP
.sp 2
.ti +4
.ul
Run.
.IP
Each combination of three or more cards in sequence scores 1 for each card
in the run.
.EP
.sp 2
.ti +4
.ul
Flush.
.IP
Four cards of the same suit in hand score 4; four cards in hand or crib
of same suit as the starter score 5.  (No count for four-flush in crib.)
.EP
.sp 2
.ti +4
.ul
His Nobs.
.IP
Jack of same suit as the starter, in hand or crib, scores 1.
.EP
.PG
It is important to note that every separate grouping of cards that makes
a fifteen, pair, or run counts separately.  Three of a kind,
.ul
pair royal,
counts 6 because three sets of pairs can be made; similarly, four of a
kind,
.ul
double pair royal,
contain six pairs and count 12.
.PG
The highest possible hand is J, 5, 5, 5 with the starter the 5 of the same
suit as the jack.  There are four fifteens by combining the jack with a
five, four more by combinations of three fives (a total of 16 for fifteens);
the double pair royal adds 12 for a total of 28; and
.ul
his nobs
adds 1 for a maximum score of 29.  (the score of 2 for
.ul
his heels
does not count in the total of the hand, since it is pegged before the play.)
.PG
A
.ul
double run
is a run with one card duplicated, as 4-3-3-2.  Exclusive of fifteens, a
double run of three cards counts 8; of four cards, 10.  A
.ul
triple run
is a run of three with one card triplicated, as K-K-K-Q-J.  Exclusive of
fifteens, it counts 15.  A
.ul
quadruple run
is a run of three with two different cards duplicated, as the example
8-8-7-6-6 previously given.  Exclusive of fifteens, it counts 16.
.PG
No hand can be constructed that counts 19, 25, 26 or 27.  A time-honored
way of showing a hand with not a single counting combination is to say
"I have nineteen."
.PG
The customary oder in showing is to count fifteens first, then runs, then
pairs, but there is no compulsion of law.
.ul
Example:
A hand (with starter) of 9-6-5-4-4 will usually be counted "Fifteen 2,
fifteen 4, fifteen 6 and double run makes 14," or simply "Fifteen 6 and
8 is 14."
.HP "Muggins."
The hands and crib are counted aloud, and if a player claims a greater
total than is due him, his opponent may require correction.  In some
localities, if a player claims less than is due, his opponent may say
"Muggins" and himself score the points overlooked.
.HP "Scoring."
The usual
.ul
game
is 121, but it may be set at 61 by agreement.  Since the player wins
who first returns to the game hole by going "twice around," the scores
must be pegged strictly in order: his heels, pegging in play, non-dealer's
hand, dealer's hand, crib.  Thus, if nondealer goes out on showing his
hand, he wins, even though dealer might have gone out with a greater
total if allowed to count his hand and crib.
.PG
When the game of 121 is played for a stake, a player wins a single game
if the loser makes 61 points or more.  If the loser fails to reach
61, he is
.ul
lurched,
and the other wins a double game.
.HP "Irregularities."
.ul
Misdeal.
There must be a new deal by the same dealer if a card is found faced in the
pack, if a card is exposed in dealing, or if the pack be found imperfect.
.PG
.ul
Wrong Number of Cards.
If one hand (not crib) is found to have the wrong number of cards after
laying away for the crib, the other hand and crib being correct, the
opponent may either demand a new deal or may peg 2 and rectify the
hand.  If the crib is incorrect, both hands being correct, nondealer
pegs 2 and the crib is corrected.
.HP "Error in Pegging."
If a player places a peg short of the amount to which he is entitled, he
may not correct his error after he has played the next card or after the
cut for the next deal.  If he pegs more than his announced score,
the error must be corrected on demand at any time before the cut for the
next deal and his opponent pegs 2.
.HP "Strategy."
The best balking cards are kings and aces, because they have the least
chance of producing sequences.  Tenth cards are generally good, provided
that the two cards laid away are not too
.ul
near
(likely to make a sequence).  When nothing better offers, give two
.ul
wide
cards -- at least three apart in rank.
.PG
Proverbially the safest lead is a 4.  The next card cannot make a 15.
Lower cards are also safe from this point of view, but are better
treasured for go and 31.  The most dangerous leads are 7 and 8, but
may be made to trap the opponent when they are backed with other
close cards.  Generally speaking, play
.ul
on
(toward a sequence) when you have close cards and
.ul
off
when you do not.  However, the state of the score is a consideration.
If far behind, play on when there is any chance of building a score
for yourself; if well ahead, balk your opponent by playing off unless
you will surely peg as much as he by playing on.