Cribbage Variations and House Rules

Cribbage's core rules are remarkably consistent from one table to the next, but nearly every family has a rule or two of its own. Here are the most common ones, which of them you can switch on in our online cribbage game, and how they change the play. House rules are under Settings and start with your next game.

Playing to 61

The standard game is 121 points, twice around the board. A game to 61, once around, is the older form and is still popular when time is short. It takes about half as long and luck matters a bit more, since one big hand can decide it. In our game, choose Play to 61 and the board redraws with a single lap. With skunks on, the skunk line in a 61-point game is 31 (the loser must reach 31 to avoid it), and there's no double skunk.

Muggins: Count It Yourself

Under the muggins rule (also called "cutthroat"), each player counts their own hand out loud. If you overlook any points, your opponent can say "Muggins!" and peg the missed points themselves. It keeps everyone sharp and is a fine way to learn.

In our game: turn on Count my own hands. When your hand or crib is shown, type in what it's worth. If you claim too much, we'll ask you to count again (no penalty). If you claim too little, the computer takes the difference. The computer counts its own hands correctly, so there's nothing to catch. With the rule off (the default), every hand is counted for you, step by step.

Some tables only allow muggins on hand counts, while others apply it to pegging as well. Our game applies it to the show only; pegging is always scored automatically.

Skunks and Double Skunks

If you win before your opponent reaches 91, you've skunked them, and it counts as two games in a match. If they haven't reached 61, it's a double skunk, worth three (some groups make it four). Many boards have a small "S" or a line painted at hole 90 for this reason; ours shows a dotted skunk line.

Our game keeps a running tally of games won across a session. With Skunks count extra switched on (the default), skunks add 2 and double skunks 3. Turn it off and every win counts as one game.

Who Deals First

The usual rule is that each player cuts the deck and the low card deals, because dealing is an advantage (you get the crib). A few families say high card deals, and in a long series the loser of each game often deals the next one. Our game cuts for the deal at the start of every game, shows you both cards, and then alternates the deal every hand.

Five-Card Cribbage

This is the original game: each player gets five cards and discards two, keeping three. To make up for the dealer's crib, the non-dealer pegs 3 points at the start. Games are to 61, and the pegging usually ends after one round to 31. Hands score far fewer points, so every pair and fifteen feels precious.

Three-Handed Cribbage

With three players, each person gets five cards and one extra card is dealt straight to the crib. Everyone discards one, so each hand and the crib still have four cards. The player to the dealer's left leads, the crib goes to the dealer, and the game is to 121 on a three-track board.

Four-Handed (Partners)

Four players sit as two teams, partners across from each other. Each player gets five cards and puts one in the crib. Partners peg on the same track, so a team needs good cooperation during play: if your partner leads a 4, you might hold back a card that would let the next opponent score.

Other Rules You May Meet

• Crib flush with four cards. A few homes allow a four-card flush in the crib. The standard rule (and ours) needs all five cards, starter included.
• "Nineteen" for a zero hand. Not a scoring rule, just tradition: since no hand can score 19, players announce a worthless hand as "nineteen".
• Lowball. A rare reverse game where the first to 121 loses. Fun once in a while, not a standard option.
• Going out on the count. Everyone agrees the game ends the instant someone reaches the target. That's why the non-dealer, who counts first, can win even when the dealer holds the bigger hand.

Want to understand how these choices change your discards? Our cribbage strategy guide covers playing the board near the end of a game. And if you enjoy family card games with lots of house rules, take a look at Hand and Foot and Canasta.