BURKS 2/BURKS_AUG97.ISO/SLAKWARE/Y1/BSDGAMES.TGZ/bsdgames.tar/usr/games/lib/cribbage.instr

Text File | 1993-10-29 | 10KB | 227 lines

                CRIBBAGE
                  from
               According to Hoyle

Cribbage is believed to have been invented by Sir John Suckling (1609-1642).
Probably it is an elaboration of an older game, Noddy.  The original game
was played with hands of five cards; the modern game gives each player
six.  That is virtually the only change from Suckling's directions.

Players:

    Two.  There are variants for three and four players, described
    later.

Cards:

    The pack of 52.  The cards in each suit rank: K (high), Q, J, 10,
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.  The counting values are: K, Q, J, 10, each 10
(wherefore these are called tenth cards); ace, 1; each other card, its
index value.

Cribbage Board:

    Indispensable to scoring (unless you have a computer!, ed.) is
the device known as the cribbage board.  This is a rectangular panel, long
and narrow, in which are four rows of 30 holes each.  (See illustration.)
At one end, or in the center, are two or four additional holes, called
game holes.  The board is placed between the two players, and each keeps
his own score on the two rows of holes nearest himself.  Each is supplied
with two pegs.  Before the first hand, the pegs are placed in the game
holes.  On making his first score, the player advances one peg an
appropriate number of holes (one per point) away from the game end of the
board.  The second score is recorded by placing the second peg an
appropriate distance ahead of the first.  For each subsequent score, the
rear peg is jumped ahead of the other, the distance between the two pegs
always showing the amount of this last score.

    The traditional mode of scoring is down (away from the game end)
the outer row, and up the inner row.  "Once around" is a game of 61 points.
"Twice around" is a game of 121 points.

Preliminaries:

    Cards are drawn; the lower deals first.  If cards of equal rank
are drawn, both players draw again.  Dealer has the right to shuffle last.
Nondealer cuts, and must leave at least four cards in each packet.

Dealing:

    Each player receives six cards, dealt one at a time face down,
beginning with the nondealer.  The turn to deal alternates.  The dealer
has an advantage.

Laying Away:

    After seeing his hand, each player lays away two cards face down.
The four cards laid away, placed in one pile, form the crib.  The crib
counts for the dealer.  Nondealer therefore tries to lay away balking
cards -- cards that are least likely to create a score in the crib.

The Starter:

    After both hands have laid away, nondealer lifts off a packet from
the top of the stock (the rest of the pack).  Again, each packet must
contain at least four cards.  Dealer turns up the top card of the lower
packer, which is then placed on top of the stock when the packets are
reunited.  The card thus turned up is called 1 the starter.  If it is a
jack, dealer immediately pegs 2, called 2 for his heels.

The Play:

    Nondealer begins the play by laying a card from his hand face up
on the table, announcing its counting value.  Dealer then shows a card,
announcing the total count of the two cards.  Play continues in the same
way, by alternate exposure of cards, each player announcing the new total
count.  The total may be carried only to 31, no further.  If a player adds
a card that brings the total exactly to 31, he pegs 2.  If a player is
unable to play another card without exceeding 31, he must say "Go," and
his opponent pegs 1, but before doing so, opponent must lay down any
additional cards he can without exceeding 31.  If such additional cards
bring the total to exactly 31, he pegs 2 instead of 1.

    Whenever a go occurs, the opponent of the player who played the
last card must lead for a new count starting at zero.  Playing the last
card of all counts as a go.  (Since nondealer makes the opening lead,
dealer is bound to peg at least 1 in play.)

    Besides pegging for 31 and go, the player may also peg for certain
combinations made in play, as follows:

    Fifteen:
        Making the count total 15 pegs 2.
    Pair:
        Playing a card of same rank as that previously played pegs
        2.  Playing a third card of the same rank makes pair royal
        and pegs 6.  Playing the fourth card of the same rank
        makes double pair royal and pegs 12.

        The tenth cards pair strictly by rank, a king with a king,
        a queen with a queen, and so on.  (King and jack do not
        make a pair, although each has the counting value 10.)
    Run:
        Playing a card which, with the two or more played
        immediately previously, makes a sequence of three or more
        cards, pegs 1 for each card in the run.  Runs depend on
        rank alone; the suits do not matter.  Nor does the score
        for run depend upon playing the cards in strict sequence,
        so long as the three or more last cards played can be
        arranged in a run.  Example: 7, 6, 8 played in that order
        score 3 for run; 5, 2, 4, 3 played in that order score 4
        for run.

        Any of the foregoing combinations count, whether the cards
        are played alternately or one player plays several times
        in succession in consequence of a go.  But a combination
        does not score if it is interrupted by a go.

    Showing:
        After the play, the hands are shown (counted).  Nondealer
        shows first, then dealer's hand, then crib.  The starter
        is deemed to belong to each hand, so that each hand includes
        five cards.  Combinations of scoring value are as follows:

        Fifteen:
            Each combinations of two or more cards that total
            fifteen scores 2.
        Pair:
            Each pair of cards of the same rank scores 2.

        Run:
            Each combination of three or more cards in sequence
            scores 1 for each card in the run.
        Flush:
            Four cards of the same suit in hand score 4; four
            cards in hand or crib of same suit as the starter
            score 5.  (No count for four-flush in crib.)
        His Nobs:
            Jack of same suit as the starter, in hand or crib,
            scores 1.

    It is important to note that every separate grouping of cards that
makes a fifteen, pair, or run counts separately.  Three of a kind, pair
royal, counts 6 because three sets of pairs can be made; similarly, four
of a kind, double pair royal, contain six pairs and count 12.

    The highest possible hand is J, 5, 5, 5 with the starter the 5 of
the same suit as the jack.  There are four fifteens by combining the jack
with a five, four more by combinations of three fives (a total of 16 for
fifteens); the double pair royal adds 12 for a total of 28; and his nobs
adds 1 for a maximum score of 29.  (the score of 2 for his heels does not
count in the total of the hand, since it is pegged before the play.)

    A double run is a run with one card duplicated, as 4-3-3-2.
Exclusive of fifteens, a double run of three cards counts 8; of four cards,
10.  A triple run is a run of three with one card triplicated, as K-K-K-Q-J.
Exclusive of fifteens, it counts 15.  A quadruple run is a run of three
with two different cards duplicated, as the example 8-8-7-6-6 previously
given.  Exclusive of fifteens, it counts 16.

    No hand can be constructed that counts 19, 25, 26 or 27.  A
time-honored way of showing a hand with not a single counting combination
is to say "I have nineteen."

    The customary order in showing is to count fifteens first, then
runs, then pairs, but there is no compulsion of law.  Example: A hand
(with starter) of 9-6-5-4-4 will usually be counted "Fifteen 2, fifteen
4, fifteen 6 and double run makes 14," or simply "Fifteen 6 and 8 is 14."

Muggins:

    The hands and crib are counted aloud, and if a player claims a
greater total than is due him, his opponent may require correction.  In
some localities, if a player claims less than is due, his opponent may
say "Muggins" and himself score the points overlooked.

Scoring:

    The usual game is 121, but it may be set at 61 by agreement.
Since the player wins who first returns to the game hole by going "twice
around," the scores must be pegged strictly in order: his heels, pegging
in play, non-dealer's hand, dealer's hand, crib.  Thus, if nondealer goes
out on showing his hand, he wins, even though dealer might have gone out
with a greater total if allowed to count his hand and crib.

    When the game of 121 is played for a stake, a player wins a single
game if the loser makes 61