Cream City Cribbagers

Cribbage! That weird game, with a board, some pegs, and unfamiliar terms like "19 hand", "Nobs" and "Muggins". Love to play, just want to keep in practice, or want to learn? Come join us!  While we won't play Muggins (one player taking your uncounted points), we will meet at least once or twice a month to play. 

** We're a social, non competitive group. Please help your fellow players! 

** No Muggins

** Please turn over your cards at the end of play ( as in, when 31 is reached or someone has last card)

**We'll follow Hoyle Rules for the game.

http://www.hoylegaming.com/rules/showrule.aspx?RuleID=207

Please bring a board if you have one, otherwise, we'll bring extras.

** New May 2019, there will be a new policy! 3 No shows, and you may be removed from the group at the discretion of the organizers. 

** The Uncle has written up some playing suggestions, please take a look if you so desire!

Cream City Cribbagers Rules

Cribbage is a game for two to four (eight w/couples) players; since Hoyle Card Games uses the two-player version, we’ll confine ourselves to that. The game uses the standard 52-card pack. The cards in each suit rank from the king (the highest) down to the ace (the lowest). In counting or numerical value, the king, queen, jack, and 10 each count for 10 (and so are called tenth cards), the ace counts as one, and the other cards are face value.

The game operates on the principle of matching combinations of cards: pairs, three or more of a kind, flushes, runs (sequences), and groups of cards that add up to 15. Players score points for matching both during and after play (after play, points are totaled for combinations in hand). The first person (couple) to score 121 points is the winner.

Cribbage also uses a “cribbage board,” a rectangular, round or crafted panel with rows of holes that form a sort of track. At one end, or in the center, you’ll find three additional holes, called game holes. Each player has two pegs, which are placed at the start in the game holes. After each hand, the player advances a peg an appropriate number of holes (one hole per point) away from the start (assuming that player scored any points). The player’s second score is recorded by placing the second peg an appropriate distance ahead of the first. For each subsequent score, the peg in back jumps over the peg in front. The distance between the two pegs always shows the amount of the last score. This method holds math mistakes to a minimum.

Each player receives six cards, dealt one at a time. After looking over the hand, each player lays away two cards face-down. The four

cards laid away, placed in one pile, form the crib. The crib, also called the kitty, counts for the dealer (the dealer always has an advantage in this game). The non-dealer therefore tries to lay away balking cards— cards that are least likely to create a score in the crib.

To begin play (called pegging), the dealer turns up the top card of the stack, after it is first cut by the non-dealer. This card is called one for the starter. If this card is a jack, the dealer immediately pegs two (advances his peg two spaces), traditionally called two for his heels.

The non-dealer begins the play by laying a card from his or her hand face-up on the table, announcing its value. The dealer does the same (each player discards to his or her own pile). Play continues in the same way, by alternate exposures of the cards, each player announcing the new total count. The total may not be carried past 31. If a player adds a card that brings the total exactly to 31, he or she pegs two. If a player is unable to play another card with - out exceeding 31, he or she says “Go,” and the second player must play as many cards as possible up to but not more than 31. The player who plays the last card under 31 scores a point. After the last card possible is played, cards are then turned over to avoid miscounts in the next round of play and the play begins again from zero until all held cards are played.

After the hands have been emptied, the totals of any matches in the discards (including the starter card) are counted and added to each player’s score. The non-dealer scores first. The dealer then scores and also scores the crib. Any jack of the same suit as the starter card scores one point (for nobs).

One game option is called Muggins, which means that if your opponent forgets to claim any points, you’re allowed to yell “Muggins!” and claim the points for yourself. (The knowledge of who or what a Muggins is has long been lost to us. The word is also used in a form of Dominoes, though with a different meaning.)

“Muggins” is not played within the Cream City Cribbagers!

We are a friendly, non-competitive, social group and will help others to count their cards correctly in order to better learn and play the game.

These are the most usual point scores:

In Play Points Total of 15 2 Pair 2
Three of a kind Fourofakind 12 Run of three or more Turned-up jack

Go 1
Total of 31 2

6
1 per card

2

In Hand Points Total of 15 2
Pair 2
Three of a kind Fourofakind 12 Run of three or more Flush (four cards) 4 Flush (five cards) 5 Nobs 1

6
1 per card

Double Run of Three* 8 Double Run of Four* 10 Triple Run* 15 Quadruple Run* 16

*A Run is a sequence of cards such as 6-5-4. A Double Run of Three means one duplication in a sequence of four: 6-6-5-4. A Double Run of Four is one duplication in five cards: 7-6-6-5-4. A Triple Run is one triplication in a sequence of five: 8-7-6-6-6. A Quadruple Run is two duplications in a sequence of five: 8-8-7-7-6.

Strategies
If you’re just beginning at Cribbage and you’re not sure what to discard, here’s a prescription for improving your play—focus first on building your hand. Begin by looking for combinations of 15. 5s are especially prized because a third of the deck is made up of cards with a value of ten (10s and face cards), making lots of easy 15s. Any sequential cards are good (runs are easy to get and score relatively well). Combinations of 7 and 8 are very powerful, because in addition to scoring potential on runs, they also add up to 15. Pairs score easy points and are often (not always) worth keeping.

After considering the hand you’d like to keep, turn your attention to the crib. If it’s your crib (i.e., you dealt), see if you have two good cards that can’t be easily joined to the rest of your hand. If you do, discard them.

If it’s your opponent’s crib, be cautious about giving away cards that could be easily turned into big points. Avoid giving any 5s or any of the card combinations already mentioned (15s, sequences, and pairs).

Advanced Strategies
Since the highest points are obtained when scoring the hands, it is easy to think that pegging one or two points at a time during play is small potatoes. However, all other things being equal, a good pegger will usually win at Cribbage. It’s a case of the tortoise and the hare—slogging it out for the little points really adds up.

A PERFECT 29!

The highest possible score for combinations in a single Cribbage deal is 29, and it may occur only once in a Cribbage fan's lifetime -in fact, experts say that a 29 is probably as rare as a hole-in-one in golf. To make this amazing score, a player must have a five as the starter (upcard) and the other three fives plus the jack of the same suit as the starter - His Nobs: 1 point - in his hand. The double pair royal (four 5s) peg another 12 points; the various fives used to hit 15 can be done four ways for 8 points; and the jack plus a 5 to hit 15 can also be done four ways for 8 points. Total = 29 points.