This guide is for recreational learning only and does not promote real-money gambling.
Two-player Cribbage is the original, most widely loved version of the classic card game. It uses one standard 52-card deck and a cribbage scoring board with pegs. The goal is simple: be the first player to reach 121 points. This step-by-step walkthrough covers setup, dealing, discarding, the starter card, pegging, hand scoring, and switching dealers, so new players can follow along without confusion.
Step 1: Pick the first dealer. Shuffle the deck and place it face down. Each player draws one single card. The player who draws the lower-rank card becomes the dealer for the first round. If both cards are equal, draw again. The non-dealer gets the right to cut the deck after the dealer shuffles each time.
Step 2: Deal the cards. The dealer deals six cards to themselves and six cards to the opponent, one card at a time clockwise. Once both players have their six cards, everyone picks up and sorts their hand. At this stage, neither player shares their cards.
Step 3: Choose two cards to discard into the crib. This is a critical strategic step. Both players select two cards from their six and place them face down into a separate pile called the crib. The crib belongs to the dealer and will be scored at the end of the round. As non-dealer, you want to avoid throwing high-value combinations that help the dealer score big. As dealer, you hope the discarded cards pair well together for extra points. After discarding, each player has four cards left in their playing hand, and the crib has four total cards.
Step 4: Draw the starter card. The non-dealer cuts the remaining stock deck. The top card of the lower section after the cut is flipped face up as the starter card. If this starter card is a Jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points, known as “his heels.” This bonus is awarded before pegging starts. The starter card counts for all three scored groups: the non-dealer’s hand, the dealer’s hand, and the crib.
Step 5: Begin pegging (the play phase). The non-dealer plays the first card. When you play a card, state its value: Aces = 1, 2 through 10 match their number, Jack, Queen, King = 10. Players alternate playing cards, adding the value to a running total. The total cannot go over 31. You score points for making 15, hitting exactly 31, pairs, runs, and “go.” If you cannot play a card without exceeding 31, you say “go,” and your opponent gets 1 point and may continue playing their remaining cards. This continues until all eight cards from both players have been played.
Step 6: Score hands and the crib. Pegging finishes, and scoring begins in a fixed order. First, the non-dealer counts and pegs points for their four hand cards plus the starter. Next, the dealer counts and pegs their own hand. Last, the dealer reveals and scores the crib, also using the starter card. Valid scoring combinations include 15s, pairs, runs, flushes, and nobs. Nobs is a 1-point bonus if you hold a Jack matching the starter’s suit. Remember: a four-card flush in the crib scores nothing; only a five-card flush including the starter counts for the crib.
Step 7: Switch roles and repeat. Once all points for the hand and crib are pegged on the board, the round ends. The non-dealer becomes the dealer for the next hand, and the whole process starts again.
The game ends when one player reaches or passes 121 points. If a player hits 121 during pegging, the game stops instantly, and no hand or crib scoring is done for that round.
Common beginner pitfalls during setup: forgetting to discard two cards, mixing up the order of scoring, and treating a four-card crib flush as a valid flush. Also, many new players confuse his heels and nobs. His heels is the dealer’s 2-point bonus when the starter is a Jack; nobs is the separate 1-point Jack bonus for any hand or crib.
Two-player Cribbage relies heavily on discard strategy. Every card you send to the crib can help or hurt your score. Following this step-by-step routine keeps the game orderly and helps you avoid common setup mistakes.