# The Cut and Starter: Rules and Basics for Cribbage
The cut and starter (also called the turn-up card) is one of the most important phases in cribbage. It happens after players discard to the crib and before the pegging play begins. Many beginners misunderstand what the starter does, who cuts, and the famous “His Heels” bonus. This guide covers standard two-player cribbage rules, common mistakes, and how the starter affects scoring.
First, there are two separate “cut” moments in cribbage: the cut to decide who deals first, and the cut for the starter card. To pick the first dealer, each player cuts one card from the deck. The player with the lower-rank card deals the first hand; Ace counts as low. If both cut cards are the same rank, they cut again. After that, the deal alternates every hand.
Once the dealer shuffles and deals, each player keeps four cards and discards two face-down into the crib. After discards are finished, it is time for the starter cut. The **non-dealer (pone)** is the one who cuts the remaining stock deck. They lift a section of the deck, leaving at least four cards in each stack. The dealer then flips the top card of the lower stack face up — this is the starter card. It stays face-up on the deck for the whole round and is visible to everyone.
The starter is a shared fifth card. It is **not used during the pegging (play) phase**, when players take turns laying cards to count toward 31. It only comes into use later, during the show, when players count their hands and the crib. Each player’s four-card hand combines with the starter to make a five-card combination for scoring 15s, pairs, runs, flushes, and nobs. The crib also uses this same starter card when the dealer counts it last.
The most famous special rule here is **His Heels (Nibs)**. If the starter card is a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points before any pegging starts. Players often say “Two for his heels.” This bonus belongs only to the dealer, and it happens right when the card is turned up. It is different from **His Nobs**, which is worth 1 point and scored during the show: nobs is when you hold a Jack in your hand that matches the suit of the starter card.
There are clear rules for flushes involving the starter. For your main hand, a four-card flush (all four cards in your hand same suit) scores 4 points. If the starter also matches that suit, you get 5 points. The crib has stricter flush rules: all five cards (crib four + starter) must share the same suit to count as a flush. A four-card flush in the crib does not score anything on its own.
Common beginner mistakes about the starter:
1. Trying to play the starter card during pegging. The starter never gets laid down on the play stack.
2. Forgetting to include the starter when counting their hand. This is the most frequent error and can cost you a run or fifteen combination.
3. Mixing up His Heels and His Nobs. Heels is the starter being a Jack (dealer gets 2 points instantly); nobs is your Jack matching the starter’s suit (1 point at show).
4. Thinking the pone gets to flip the starter. The pone only cuts the deck; the dealer turns the starter card.
5. Believing a flush in the crib counts with four matching cards. The crib flush requires all five cards to match the suit.
A quick workflow recap for the full sequence:
1. Cut for first dealer.
2. Dealer shuffles, non-dealer cuts the deck before dealing.
3. Six cards dealt to each player.
4. Each player discards two cards into the crib.
5. Non-dealer cuts the remaining stock.
6. Dealer turns the starter card. If it is a Jack, dealer pegs 2 points.
7. Pegging play begins.
8. After play ends, hands and crib are counted, always using the starter as the fifth shared card.
The starter is what makes cribbage hand scoring unpredictable. Even a weak four-card hand can turn into a high-scoring hand if the starter completes a run, makes more fifteens, or gives you nobs. Understanding the cut and starter rules helps you discard smarter, plan for possible scoring combinations, and avoid missing easy points when the show arrives.