Cribbage rules 4 players

The game of cribbage is over 400 years old and can be played by 2, 3 or 4 players. There’s a solo game you can play for practice and many different variations once you’ve mastered the rules. Here we summarise the 4 player game, but check out the others below.

 

Summary of the 4 player game

The object of the game is to reach 121 points before your opponents. The 4 player game will usually be played in pairs but can be played as 4 individuals. The cribbage board is just a scoreboard to allow you to keep up with the rapid scoring. Each player has 2 pegs which ‘leapfrog’ to add scores – up the outside and down the inside. Twice round the board on a traditional board. Ace is always low. King, Queen, Jack and Ten count as 10.

Dealing

Players cut for deal (Ace low, lowest card wins). Player to right of dealer cuts again after shuffle. Dealer deals 5 cards to each player. Remaining pack is placed face down in the centre of the table.

Each player now chooses and discards 1 card face down into a second ‘blind’ hand for the dealer (called “the crib”).

The player to the left of the dealer then cuts the pack and the dealer turns over and reveals the top card. This is the ‘turn-up’ and now becomes the 5th card in every hand. If they turn over a Jack, they triumphantly announce “two for doing it” and claims 2pts.

Best we explain how to score a hand (always in this order)

A). Fifteens. 2pts for every and any combination of cards adding up to exactly fifteen. eg. 6-9, Ace-4-King

B). Runs. 1pt for every card in a run of 3 or more. eg. 7-8-9 counts 3pts, 7-7-8-9 counts 6pts in runs.

C). Pairs. 2pts for every pair. 6pts for three of a kind. 12pts for 4 of a kind.

D). Flush. Four cards of same suit scores 4pts. Add another one for the ‘turnup’ card if also the same suit. Note that the “crib” hand must have all five the same to score 5pts.

E). One for his nob. If you have a Jack in your hand the same suit as the ‘turnup’, you get to say “One for his nob” and claim an extra 1pt. Look out for it – easily missed!

Look out for big compounded hands that maybe have lots of Fifteens and include runs, pairs and maybe a flush. The highest score possible in one hand is 29. A bit like a hole in one at golf. (5-5-5-5-Jack)

Now we understand how to score a hand at the end, we can work out the best card to discard into the dealers crib. The dealer may want to put a good card in – their opponents will want to find the least likely to score.

Playing the hand

We now play the cards in rotation (starting with the non-dealer to left) aiming to get to the last card with a score no-higher than 31. Each player lays a card and announces the running score. When nobody can play a card to keep the total no higher than 31, the tabled cards are turned over and we start again. If a player can’t get to 31, they say “pass”.

Scoring is similar to ‘scoring the hand’ (above) but suits don’t count. At all.

A). If the total reaches exactly 15, the player will say “Fifteen for 2” and claim 2pts.

B). If the total reaches exactly 31, the player will say “Thirty-one for 2” and claim 2pts. If they play the last card and nobody else can go, they claim 1pt.

C). Pairs. Similar to above, the same card played twice (for 2pts), three times (for 6pts), four times (for 12pts).

D). Runs. Runs can be scored in any sequence of 3+ (1pt per card in the sequence). eg. 7-8-9 (3 pts), 7-9-8-6 (4pts)

Note: Big scores can be compounded when delivering a fifteen in a sequence, or a pair to make 31, for example.

Show the hands

When all the cards have been played, the non-dealer to the left shows and scores their hand. Courtesy dictates that other players keep their cards face down on the table whilst hands are scored.

Each hand is scored as per ‘scoring the hand’ sequence above (eg fifteens, runs, pairs, etc), including the turn-up card (which remains on top of the pack).

Victory

The first player to get past 120 (the ‘stinkhole’) is the winner. That’s it, its all over. At that point courtesy dictates that all players leave remaining cards face-down and unrevealed. The winner celebrates.