Play classic Cribbage online free
Cribbage is the two-player classic with the wooden board: six cards each, and two of them thrown away before the cut is even seen — that throw is the whole game. Half your score arrives card by card during the play, a fifteen here and a pair there, and the other half sits in your hand waiting to be counted.
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Why play Cribbage here
No ads, no account and no clock. A game to 61 fits in a coffee break, or play the full board to 121 with the deal alternating the way it should. Your board is saved if you close the tab, and the pegs are moved for you — every fifteen, pair and run is named and priced as it happens.
The table teaches as you play. Your first game deals you in step by step and shows you where to tap; after that the scoring reference stays one click away, the count is always on screen with what you have left to spend under thirty-one, and the score sheet walks through each hand one line at a time instead of announcing a total.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to play?
Yes. Cribbage here is free, with no ads, no download and no account. Nothing is locked and there is nothing to buy.
How do you play Cribbage?
Both players get six cards and throw two into the crib — an extra hand that will count for the dealer. The deck is cut to turn up a starter card, then cards go down one at a time with a running count that may not pass 31: a fifteen pegs two, a pair pegs two, a run of three or more pegs one a card. When the cards are down, the hands are counted — the same combinations again, with the starter joining every hand — and the crib is counted last, for the dealer. First to the target, 61 or 121, wins on the spot, even mid-count.
What is the crib?
The four thrown-away cards, two from each player, counted by the dealer at the end of the hand. It is what makes the throw a real decision: with your own crib you can afford to throw a pair or a fifteen to yourself, while into an opponent’s crib you throw the most useless cards you own. The deal alternates, so the crib is yours every other hand.
What are “his heels” and “his nobs”?
If the cut turns up a jack, the dealer pegs two on the spot — “two for his heels”. A jack in your hand of the same suit as the starter is “one for his nobs” when the hands are counted. Two small rules with strange old names, and both are scored for you here.
What does “go” mean?
When none of your cards fit under 31, you say “go” and your opponent carries on alone. The last card played pegs a point — two if it lands exactly on 31 — and then the count starts again from zero. Cards you could not play are not lost; they wait for the next round of the count.
What is the best hand in Cribbage?
Twenty-nine points: three fives and a jack in hand, with the fourth five — matching the jack’s suit — as the starter. That is sixteen for the fifteens, twelve for the four fives and one for his nobs. Most players go a lifetime without being dealt it.
Can I play Cribbage full screen?
Yes. The full-screen button takes the table over the whole screen with big, easy-to-read cards — it works on desktop and on phones held upright, and you can leave full screen with the button or the Escape key.
Do I play against people or the computer?
Against the computer. You can stop mid-hand, think as long as you like over the throw, and come back later without keeping anyone waiting. There are no leaderboards and nothing is compared against other players.
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