Count speed: The Cribbage menu contains this choice. Count speed allows you to set a faster or slower speed for the counting of the hand at the end of the hand. 1 is the fastest speed. Any speed you save using the SAVE SETUP option in the Game menu will become the new default value until another setup is saved.
Object: Be the first player to move your cribbage pegs from the beginning to the end hole on the cribbage board. Certain combinations of cards are worth points during play and during the counting of the hand.
How to play
6 cards are dealt to each player, and the remaining cards are set aside face down. Each player chooses two cards to give to the "crib", an extra hand that is counted into the dealer's score at the end of each hand. The player who is not dealing tries to give the least useful cards to the crib, while the dealer can afford to give useful cards.
After the crib hand has been formed, one "starter" card is placed face up on the deck; this card will be used during counting at the end of each hand, but if it is a Jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points for "nobs". Players play cards onto the table in turn, and attempt to make scoring combinations during play while keeping the other player from scoring. Points won during play are pegged as they are won. Aces always have a value of 1.
Scoring points
- Playing a card that makes the total of played cards 15 = 2 points
- Playing a card that makes the total of played cards 31 = 2 points (except after "go". See below)
- Making a pair with the previous card in play = 2 points
- Making three of a kind with the two previous cards in play (a "Pair Royal") = 6 points
- Making four of a kind with the three previous cards in play (a "Double Pair Royal") = 12 points
Making a run of 3 or more cards (Example: Jack/Queen/King, 7/6/4/5, Ace/3/5/4/2) = one points for each card in the run. Runs do not have to be in order, as long as no cards intervene that do not form part of the run, but all cards must be in play (not shadowed).
As each point is earned during play, the player earning the points takes his rearmost peg and advances it the total numbers of points ahead of his frontmost peg. The computer will peg for you automatically.
GO:
When a player cannot play a card with exceeding 31, that player tells the other player to "go" and forfeits his turn. The other player pegs 1 points and then plays a card if he can without exceeding 31. When the count reaches 31, or when neither player can play a card without going over 31, all cards in play up to that point are now out of play. The program will shadow the cards to show that they are no longer in play and cannot be counted in any succeeding counts or scoring. If a player makes 31 on the turn after "go", only 1 point is scored, rather than the usual 2. After 31 has been reached, or after neither player can play without exceeding 31, the count begins at zero.
Counting the hand
When all eight cards have been played, the hands are counted, beginning with the non-dealing player. Cards are scored as follows, using the starter card as a fifth card in each hand:
- Each combination of cards totaling 15 = 2 points
- Pair = 2 points
- Pair Royal = 6 points
- Double Pair Royal = 12 points
- Run of 3, 4 or 5 = 3, 4 or 5 points
- Flushes (cards of the same suit) of 4 or 5 = 4 or 5 points (starter card can not count toward a flush of 4)
- Crib hands can only have a flush if all 5 cards are of the same suit
- Jack of the same suit as the starter ("nobs") = 1 point
As each player's hand is totaled, that player takes his rearmost peg and advances it the total number of points ahead of his frontmost peg. The dealer pegs the score for the crib hand after pegging the score for his own hand. The computer will peg for you automatically.
The first player to peg to the end of the board wins the game. Since the non-dealing player pegs first, it is possible for that player to win a game on the last hand, even if the dealer's score would have been greater. Games are played in matches, with the third peg used as a "game peg" to keep track of the number of games each player has won. the first player to peg seven game points wins the match. Winning a game by more than 30 points (also called "skunking" your opponent) is worth 2 game points. Winning a game by more than 60 points ("a Double Skunk") is worth 4 game points.
