Object of the Game: As in many games, the players try to score the most points. This is done with various counting combinations, pairs, fifteens, flushes, and runs. These combinations are formed by a card played, in a hand, or in the crib.
How To play Cribbage: To play cribbage all you really need is a full deck of 52 cards. Jokers are not used. However, it does help to have a cribbage board. Of the 52 cards, the King is the high card with the Ace always being the low card.
Cut for deal: Each player then cuts a card from the deck. The person with the lowest card is the dealer. If one player has the same value as the other then they re-cut for deal.
Dealing: Since Crib 3000 is only two players at this point in time I will only discuss how to deal for two players. The dealer deals 6 cards to himself and the other player. Each player must then discard two of their cards into the Crib.
The Cut: After both players have decided which cards to throw away the non-dealer then cuts the deck. The dealer then flips over the top card on the lower portion of the deck and places it face up on the top of the reunited deck. This is the cut card. This card is used with each players hands and the crib on the final count. If the cut card is a Jack, then the dealer is immediately given two points. If the dealer doesn╒t take his two points before the other player plays his first card, then the dealer loses these points. Don╒t worry, Crib 3000 is nice and will always give them to you.
The Play: The player who is not the dealer lays down a card first. The dealer then follows and lays down a card. The value of cards here is an Ace being one, the number cards being there value and all face cards being ten. Each card is added to the value of the previous cards played before. The player who most nearly approaches 31 scores one point, if the last card played makes 31 the player scores two point. One for being the nearest and one for hitting 31. The total sum of the cards cannot exceed 31. If a player cannot lay down a card and stay underneath 31 he then announces ╥Go╙ which entitles the other player to continue laying down until he can no longer lay down and take his points. The scoring on the lay down is as follows. A pair is worth two points, three of a kind is worth 6 points, four of a kind is worth twelve points, a run is worth the number of cards in the run. The run does not have to be ordered. If the value hits fifteen then that is worth two points.
Counting the Cards: After all players have run out of cards to lay down it is time to count the value in the each hand plus the cut card. The person who is not the dealer counts first and takes his points. Then the dealer counts his hand and the crib hand and takes those points. The points for hands are as follows: Pair is 2 points, three of a kind is worth 6 points, four of a kind is worth 12 points, every 15 in a hand is worth 2 points (I.e. 2-3-10 is a fifteen as is 5-Jack). Every run of three or more cards is worth the value of the number of cards used. (I.e. 1-2-2-3 is worth 8 points 6 for the run and two for the pair, it is known as a double run). Having four cards in the hand of the same suit counts as a flush and is worth 4 points, if the cut card is also of the same suit you get another point. The one exception to this rule is the crib. For the crib to have a fluch all the cards including the cut card must be of the same suit.
After the Hand: Once everything has been counted and all points have been pegged the deal switches hands. The player who was not the dealer now becomes the dealer. It continues this way until one of the players has scored more than 120 points. If a player beats another player by over 30 points it is known as a skunk. By over 60 points it╒s a double skunk and so forth. Believe it or not I actually know someone who got triple skunked. If your curious as to who, check the snippy remarks manager, sorry Jim. =)
