Cribbage

Cribbage is the classic two-player card game played to 121 points. Each hand you are dealt six cards and lay away two to the crib, an extra hand that scores for the dealer. A starter card is cut, then you alternate playing cards before counting your hands. The dealer alternates every deal.

• The cut: a starter is turned; a Jack as the cut scores the dealer 2 ('his heels').
• The play: lay cards in turn, calling the running total, score for hitting 15 or 31, pairs, and runs.
• Can't play without passing 31? Your opponent pegs 1 for the 'go'.
• The show: count your hand plus the starter, fifteens, pairs, runs, a flush, and his nobs (the Jack of the cut suit).
• Non-dealer counts first, so counting ahead lets you peg out before the dealer does.

• Vs CPU: play the computer on Easy, Normal, or Hard.
• 2-Player: pass-and-play with a privacy cover between hands.
• Online: create an invite, join with a code, or quick-match.

• Desktop: click two cards then 'Lay away' to discard; click a legal card to play it; use the buttons to advance the deal.
• Phone & tablet: tap cards to select and play, illegal plays stay disabled so you can't misclick.

• Keep cards that combine for fifteens and runs; pairs and a flush add up fast.
• If you deal, salt the crib with helpful cards; if not, throw your opponent's crib the dross.
• In the play, lead from a count that denies easy fifteens and avoid setting up runs for the other player.

Cribbage has been called Britain's national card game, and unusually for something that old it comes with a named inventor. John Aubrey credited it to the poet Sir John Suckling in the early 17th century, built out of an older game called noddy.

Noddy did not survive; its descendant did. The earliest printed rules appear in Cotgrave in 1662, followed by Willughby in 1672 and Cotton in 1674 — which makes cribbage one of the better-documented card games of its century.

The scoring is the reason it lasted. Fifteens, pairs, runs and flushes are counted in the same breath, the crib gives the dealer a second hand built from everyone's discards, and the pegboard means the score is a physical object on the table rather than a column of figures.

Cribbage is a centuries-old pegging card game blending arithmetic and card-craft. This is an original, free browser version with three CPU levels, pass-and-play, and online matches, no download or sign-up needed.

A free, original browser game on PlayPendium. No download, no install.