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Hand Summary

Cribbage Quick Reference

Deal & Discard
6 cards each; discard 2 to the crib (dealer's bonus hand). Starter card cut after.
Pegging scores
15 exact total +2 • 31 exact +2 • Pair +2 • Pair royal +6 • Double pair royal +12 • Run of 3+ = length • Go +1
Hand counting
Every subset summing to 15 +2 • Each rank-pair +2 • Run of 3+ = length • 4-card flush +4 (+5 with starter) • Nobs (J matching starter suit) +1
Crib flush
Only 5-card flush (all 5 same suit) scores — 4-card crib flush does not count.
Winning
First to 121 on the peg board wins. Pegging out wins immediately — counting is skipped.
Nibs vs Nobs
Nibs: starter is a Jack — dealer scores 2 immediately. Nobs: a Jack in your hand matching the starter's suit scores 1 when counting.

How to Play Cribbage

Cribbage is a classic British card game played with a standard 52-card deck and a distinctive peg board that tracks score from 0 to 121. Each round begins with both players receiving six cards. You choose two to discard into the "crib" — a bonus hand belonging to the dealer. A starter card is then cut from the deck. The game proceeds through a pegging phase (alternating card plays toward a running total of 31) and a counting phase (scoring combinations in your four-card hand plus the starter). First player to peg their way to 121 wins.

On Vibe Arcade's Cribbage you face a two-difficulty AI on a dark walnut table with a classic brass peg board. Click any card to select it; the discard button activates once you've chosen exactly two cards. During pegging, clicking a card in your hand plays it straight away — the Play Card button is there to take your Go when no card of yours fits under 31. The game automatically scores pairs, 15s, 31s, runs and Go during pegging, and walks you through each player's hand count afterward. A win modal shows your final score along the 121-point scale, and the global leaderboard records your best finish.

Pegging and Counting

Pegging requires fast thinking: you and the AI alternate laying cards face-up, building a running total that must not exceed 31. Hit exactly 15 for 2 points; hit exactly 31 for 2 more. Match the last rank played for 2 (a pair), extend a run of consecutive ranks for points equal to the run's length. If you can't play without busting past 31 you say "Go," yielding 1 point to the other player (or 2 if they hit 31 exactly). Counting follows pegging — the non-dealer scores first, then the dealer, then the dealer scores the crib. Common counting combinations: two cards of the same rank = pair (2 pts); any subset summing to 15 = 2 pts each; a run of three or more consecutive ranks = length in points; four cards of one suit = flush (4 pts), five if the starter also matches; a jack of the same suit as the starter = Nobs (1 pt). Hitting 121 at any point during pegging wins immediately — you don't have to wait for counting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I discard to the crib in Cribbage?
Click or tap any two cards in your hand to select them (they highlight in gold and lift slightly), then click the Discard button. Exactly two cards must be selected before the button activates. You cannot undo a discard once confirmed. After you discard, the AI discards automatically and the starter card is revealed.
How does pegging work in Cribbage?
After the starter is cut, players alternate playing cards face-up onto a shared layout. The running total (starting at 0) advances with each card's pip value — aces count 1, face cards count 10. You score 2 when the total hits exactly 15 or 31, 2 when you pair the last rank played, and length-in-points when you extend a consecutive run. If you cannot play without exceeding 31 you pass (Go), granting your opponent 1 point (or 2 for 31 exactly). Play continues until all cards are played.
How does counting work at the end of a Cribbage hand?
Each player counts their four-card hand (plus the starter) for pairs (2 pts each), 15-combinations (2 pts each), runs of 3 or more (pts equal to run length), flush (4 pts if all four hand cards share a suit; 5 if the starter also matches), and Nobs (jack matching starter suit, 1 pt). The non-dealer counts first, then the dealer counts their hand, then the dealer counts the crib. Any score that carries a player to 121 wins immediately.
What is the crib and who gets it?
The crib is a secret four-card hand built from the two cards each player discards. It belongs to the dealer, who scores it after counting their own hand. Dealership alternates each round, so the crib advantage swings between players. When discarding to your opponent's crib, prefer tossing low cards that are hard to combine — avoid giving 5s, or cards that pair or make 15 with each other.
What is the difference between Easy and Normal AI?
Easy AI discards and pegs randomly. Normal AI checks all 15 possible four-card keeps from its six-card hand and keeps the one that scores highest on its own — fifteens, pairs, runs and a four-card flush, counted before the starter is cut, so nobs and the starter are not modelled. During pegging, Normal AI plays whichever legal card scores the most right now — a 15 or 31, a pair, or a run extension — rather than a random one, making it a genuine challenge for new cribbage players.

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