| 1 | .\" |
| 2 | .\" @(#)cribbage.n 1.1 (Berkeley) %G% |
| 3 | .\" |
| 4 | .so macro |
| 5 | .na |
| 6 | .PH "CRIBBAGE" |
| 7 | .sp 2 |
| 8 | .ce |
| 9 | from |
| 10 | .sp |
| 11 | .ce |
| 12 | .ul |
| 13 | According to Hoyle |
| 14 | .sp 2 |
| 15 | .PG |
| 16 | Cribbage is believed to have been invented by Sir John Suckling (1609-1642). |
| 17 | Probably it is an elaboration of an older game, Noddy. The original game was |
| 18 | played with hands of five cards; the modern game gives each player six. That |
| 19 | is virtually the only change from Suckling's directions. |
| 20 | .HP "Players." |
| 21 | Two. There are variants for three and four players, described later. |
| 22 | .HP "Cards." |
| 23 | The pack of 52. The cards in each suit rank: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, |
| 24 | 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. The |
| 25 | .ul |
| 26 | counting values |
| 27 | are: K, Q, J, 10, each 10 (wherefore these are called |
| 28 | .ul |
| 29 | tenth cards); |
| 30 | ace, 1; each other card, its index value. |
| 31 | .HP "Cribbage Board". |
| 32 | Indispensable to scoring (unless you have a computer!, ed.) is the device |
| 33 | known as the |
| 34 | .ul |
| 35 | cribbage board. |
| 36 | This is a rectangular panel, long and narrow, in which are |
| 37 | four rows of 30 holes each. (See illustration.) At one end, or in the center, |
| 38 | are two or four additional holes, called |
| 39 | .ul |
| 40 | game holes. |
| 41 | The board is placed between the two players, and each keeps his own score on |
| 42 | the two rows of holes nearest himself. Each is supplied with two |
| 43 | .ul |
| 44 | pegs. |
| 45 | Before the first hand, the pegs are placed in the game holes. On |
| 46 | making his first score, the player advances one peg an appropriate number |
| 47 | of holes (one per point) away from the |
| 48 | .ul |
| 49 | game end |
| 50 | of the board. The second score is recorded by placing the second peg an |
| 51 | appropriate distance ahead of the first. For each subsequent score, the |
| 52 | rear peg is jumped ahead of the other, the distance between the two pegs |
| 53 | always showing the amount of this last score. |
| 54 | .PG |
| 55 | The traditional mode of scoring is down (away from the game end) the |
| 56 | outer row, and up the inner row. "Once around" is a game of 61 points. |
| 57 | "Twice around" is a game of 121 points. |
| 58 | .HP "Preliminaries." |
| 59 | Cards are drawn; the lower deals first. If cards of equal rank are drawn, |
| 60 | both players draw again. Dealer has the right to shuffle last. Nondealer |
| 61 | cuts, and must leave at least four cards in each packet. |
| 62 | .HP "Dealing." |
| 63 | Each player receives six cards, dealt one at a time face down, beginning |
| 64 | with the nondealer. The turn to deal alternates. The dealer has an |
| 65 | advantage. |
| 66 | .HP "Laying Away." |
| 67 | After seeing his hand, each player |
| 68 | .ul |
| 69 | lays away |
| 70 | two cards face down. The four cards laid away, placed in one pile, form the |
| 71 | .ul |
| 72 | crib. |
| 73 | The crib counts for the dealer. Nondealer therefore tries to lay away |
| 74 | .ul |
| 75 | balking cards -- |
| 76 | cards that are least likely to create a score in the crib. |
| 77 | .HP "The Starter." |
| 78 | After both hands have laid away, nondealer lifts off a packet from the top |
| 79 | of the |
| 80 | .ul |
| 81 | stock |
| 82 | (the rest of the pack). Again, each packet must contain at least four cards. |
| 83 | Dealer turns up the top card of the lower packer, which is then placed on |
| 84 | top of the stock when the packets are reunited. The card thus turned up is |
| 85 | called |
| 86 | .ul |
| 87 | 1 the starter. |
| 88 | If it is a jack, dealer immediately pegs 2, called |
| 89 | .ul |
| 90 | 2 for his heels. |
| 91 | .HP "The Play." |
| 92 | Nondealer begins the play by laying a card from his hand face up on the |
| 93 | table, announcing its counting value. Dealer then shows a card, announcing |
| 94 | the total count of the two cards. Play continues in the same way, by |
| 95 | alternate exposure of cards, each player announcing the new total count. |
| 96 | The total may be carried only to 31, no further. If a player adds a card |
| 97 | that brings the total exactly to 31, he pegs 2. If a player is unable to |
| 98 | play another card without exceeding 31, he must say "Go," and his opponent |
| 99 | pegs 1, but before doing so, opponent must lay down any additional cards he |
| 100 | can without exceeding 31. If such additional cards bring the total to |
| 101 | exactly 31, he pegs 2 instead of 1. |
| 102 | .PG |
| 103 | Whenever a |
| 104 | .ul |
| 105 | go |
| 106 | occurs, the opponent of the player who played the last card must lead for a |
| 107 | new count starting at zero. Playing the last card of all counts as a go. |
| 108 | (Since nondealer makes the opening lead, dealer is bound to peg at least |
| 109 | 1 in play.) |
| 110 | .PG |
| 111 | Besides pegging for 31 and go, the player may also peg for certain |
| 112 | combinations made in play, as follows: |
| 113 | .sp 2 |
| 114 | .ti +4 |
| 115 | .ul |
| 116 | Fifteen. |
| 117 | .IP |
| 118 | Making the count total 15 pegs 2. |
| 119 | .EP |
| 120 | .sp 2 |
| 121 | .ti +4 |
| 122 | .ul |
| 123 | Pair. |
| 124 | .IP |
| 125 | Playing a card of same rank as that previously played pegs 2. Playing |
| 126 | a third card of the same rank makes |
| 127 | .ul |
| 128 | pair royal |
| 129 | and pegs 6. Playing the fourth card of the same rank makes |
| 130 | .ul |
| 131 | double pair royal |
| 132 | and pegs 12. |
| 133 | .PG |
| 134 | The tenth cards pair strictly by rank, a king with a king, a queen with a |
| 135 | queen, and so on. (King and jack do not make a pair, although each has |
| 136 | the counting value 10.) |
| 137 | .EP |
| 138 | .sp 2 |
| 139 | .ti +4 |
| 140 | .ul |
| 141 | Run. |
| 142 | .IP |
| 143 | Playing a card which, with the two or more played immediately previously, |
| 144 | makes a sequence of three or more cards, pegs 1 for each card in the |
| 145 | .ul |
| 146 | run. |
| 147 | Runs depend on rank alone; the suits do not matter. Nor does the score |
| 148 | for run depend upon playing the cards in strict sequence, so long as |
| 149 | the three or more last cards played can be arranged in a run. |
| 150 | .ul |
| 151 | Example: |
| 152 | 7, 6, 8 played in that order score 3 for run; 5, 2, 4, 3 played in that order |
| 153 | score 4 for run. |
| 154 | .EP |
| 155 | .PG |
| 156 | Any of the foregoing combinations count, whether the cards are played |
| 157 | alternately or one player plays several times in succession in consequence |
| 158 | of a go. But a combination does not score if it is interrupted by a go. |
| 159 | .HP "Showing." |
| 160 | After the play, the hands are |
| 161 | .ul |
| 162 | shown |
| 163 | (counted). Nondealer shows first, then dealer's hand, then crib. |
| 164 | The starter is deemed to belong to each hand, so that each hand includes |
| 165 | five cards. Combinations of scoring value are as follows: |
| 166 | .sp 2 |
| 167 | .ti +4 |
| 168 | .ul |
| 169 | Fifteen. |
| 170 | .IP |
| 171 | Each combinations of two or more cards that total fifteen scores 2. |
| 172 | .EP |
| 173 | .sp 2 |
| 174 | .ti +4 |
| 175 | .ul |
| 176 | Pair. |
| 177 | .IP |
| 178 | Each pair of cards of the same rank scores 2. |
| 179 | .EP |
| 180 | .sp 2 |
| 181 | .ti +4 |
| 182 | .ul |
| 183 | Run. |
| 184 | .IP |
| 185 | Each combination of three or more cards in sequence scores 1 for each card |
| 186 | in the run. |
| 187 | .EP |
| 188 | .sp 2 |
| 189 | .ti +4 |
| 190 | .ul |
| 191 | Flush. |
| 192 | .IP |
| 193 | Four cards of the same suit in hand score 4; four cards in hand or crib |
| 194 | of same suit as the starter score 5. (No count for four-flush in crib.) |
| 195 | .EP |
| 196 | .sp 2 |
| 197 | .ti +4 |
| 198 | .ul |
| 199 | His Nobs. |
| 200 | .IP |
| 201 | Jack of same suit as the starter, in hand or crib, scores 1. |
| 202 | .EP |
| 203 | .PG |
| 204 | It is important to note that every separate grouping of cards that makes |
| 205 | a fifteen, pair, or run counts separately. Three of a kind, |
| 206 | .ul |
| 207 | pair royal, |
| 208 | counts 6 because three sets of pairs can be made; similarly, four of a |
| 209 | kind, |
| 210 | .ul |
| 211 | double pair royal, |
| 212 | contain six pairs and count 12. |
| 213 | .PG |
| 214 | The highest possible hand is J, 5, 5, 5 with the starter the 5 of the same |
| 215 | suit as the jack. There are four fifteens by combining the jack with a |
| 216 | five, four more by combinations of three fives (a total of 16 for fifteens); |
| 217 | the double pair royal adds 12 for a total of 28; and |
| 218 | .ul |
| 219 | his nobs |
| 220 | adds 1 for a maximum score of 29. (the score of 2 for |
| 221 | .ul |
| 222 | his heels |
| 223 | does not count in the total of the hand, since it is pegged before the play.) |
| 224 | .PG |
| 225 | A |
| 226 | .ul |
| 227 | double run |
| 228 | is a run with one card duplicated, as 4-3-3-2. Exclusive of fifteens, a |
| 229 | double run of three cards counts 8; of four cards, 10. A |
| 230 | .ul |
| 231 | triple run |
| 232 | is a run of three with one card triplicated, as K-K-K-Q-J. Exclusive of |
| 233 | fifteens, it counts 15. A |
| 234 | .ul |
| 235 | quadruple run |
| 236 | is a run of three with two different cards duplicated, as the example |
| 237 | 8-8-7-6-6 previously given. Exclusive of fifteens, it counts 16. |
| 238 | .PG |
| 239 | No hand can be constructed that counts 19, 25, 26 or 27. A time-honored |
| 240 | way of showing a hand with not a single counting combination is to say |
| 241 | "I have nineteen." |
| 242 | .PG |
| 243 | The customary oder in showing is to count fifteens first, then runs, then |
| 244 | pairs, but there is no compulsion of law. |
| 245 | .ul |
| 246 | Example: |
| 247 | A hand (with starter) of 9-6-5-4-4 will usually be counted "Fifteen 2, |
| 248 | fifteen 4, fifteen 6 and double run makes 14," or simply "Fifteen 6 and |
| 249 | 8 is 14." |
| 250 | .HP "Muggins." |
| 251 | The hands and crib are counted aloud, and if a player claims a greater |
| 252 | total than is due him, his opponent may require correction. In some |
| 253 | localities, if a player claims less than is due, his opponent may say |
| 254 | "Muggins" and himself score the points overlooked. |
| 255 | .HP "Scoring." |
| 256 | The usual |
| 257 | .ul |
| 258 | game |
| 259 | is 121, but it may be set at 61 by agreement. Since the player wins |
| 260 | who first returns to the game hole by going "twice around," the scores |
| 261 | must be pegged strictly in order: his heels, pegging in play, non-dealer's |
| 262 | hand, dealer's hand, crib. Thus, if nondealer goes out on showing his |
| 263 | hand, he wins, even though dealer might have gone out with a greater |
| 264 | total if allowed to count his hand and crib. |
| 265 | .PG |
| 266 | When the game of 121 is played for a stake, a player wins a single game |
| 267 | if the loser makes 61 points or more. If the loser fails to reach |
| 268 | 61, he is |
| 269 | .ul |
| 270 | lurched, |
| 271 | and the other wins a double game. |
| 272 | .HP "Irregularities." |
| 273 | .ul |
| 274 | Misdeal. |
| 275 | There must be a new deal by the same dealer if a card is found faced in the |
| 276 | pack, if a card is exposed in dealing, or if the pack be found imperfect. |
| 277 | .PG |
| 278 | .ul |
| 279 | Wrong Number of Cards. |
| 280 | If one hand (not crib) is found to have the wrong number of cards after |
| 281 | laying away for the crib, the other hand and crib being correct, the |
| 282 | opponent may either demand a new deal or may peg 2 and rectify the |
| 283 | hand. If the crib is incorrect, both hands being correct, nondealer |
| 284 | pegs 2 and the crib is corrected. |
| 285 | .HP "Error in Pegging." |
| 286 | If a player places a peg short of the amount to which he is entitled, he |
| 287 | may not correct his error after he has played the next card or after the |
| 288 | cut for the next deal. If he pegs more than his announced score, |
| 289 | the error must be corrected on demand at any time before the cut for the |
| 290 | next deal and his opponent pegs 2. |
| 291 | .HP "Strategy." |
| 292 | The best balking cards are kings and aces, because they have the least |
| 293 | chance of producing sequences. Tenth cards are generally good, provided |
| 294 | that the two cards laid away are not too |
| 295 | .ul |
| 296 | near |
| 297 | (likely to make a sequence). When nothing better offers, give two |
| 298 | .ul |
| 299 | wide |
| 300 | cards -- at least three apart in rank. |
| 301 | .PG |
| 302 | Proverbially the safest lead is a 4. The next card cannot make a 15. |
| 303 | Lower cards are also safe from this point of view, but are better |
| 304 | treasured for go and 31. The most dangerous leads are 7 and 8, but |
| 305 | may be made to trap the opponent when they are backed with other |
| 306 | close cards. Generally speaking, play |
| 307 | .ul |
| 308 | on |
| 309 | (toward a sequence) when you have close cards and |
| 310 | .ul |
| 311 | off |
| 312 | when you do not. However, the state of the score is a consideration. |
| 313 | If far behind, play on when there is any chance of building a score |
| 314 | for yourself; if well ahead, balk your opponent by playing off unless |
| 315 | you will surely peg as much as he by playing on. |