Deck
4 Cards
Count 0
Last card played
Put this card in the kitty?
You
Wins!

Five Card Cribbage

First to 121 · the cards never lie
Use the same name on every device
to keep your running totals.

Did You Know?

Your game begins in 15…

How to play

A five-card family version of cribbage. Be the first to reach 121 points, earned while playing cards and counting hands. The game ends as soon as a player reaches 121.

1. Deal and choose your kitty card

You receive five cards. Two extra cards go from the deck into the kitty. Each player puts one card into it, leaving four cards in each hand and four in the kitty.

The dealer owns the kitty and scores it later. Its label shows whose it is. Click one card to open the confirmation, then choose “Yes — into the kitty” or “No — keep it.” You can drag your hand cards to reorder them.

The non-dealer cuts the deck: click the glowing deck when it is your turn. The face-up starter is shared when counting both hands and the kitty. A jack turned up as the starter gives the dealer 2 points automatically. The deal alternates each round.

2. Play cards — pegging

The non-dealer plays first. Take turns clicking a card from your hand. Aces count 1, number cards their number, and jacks, queens and kings 10. Aces are low in runs.

The running count adds up the cards played since the last reset. You must play a card if you can do so without going over 31. Playable cards glow; cards that would go over are dimmed.

After a reset, the other player leads if they have cards left. Continue until both hands are empty. The final card scores 1 unless it makes 31. Pegging points are added automatically.

3. Count your hand, then the kitty

The non-dealer’s hand is counted first, then the dealer’s hand, then the dealer’s kitty. Each set uses its four cards plus the shared starter. When it is your turn, drag scoring cards together to claim their points.

Fifteens — 2 points each
Each different group totalling 15 scores 2. A 5 and a king make 15; so do an ace, 4 and queen.
Pairs — 2 points each
Two cards of the same rank score 2. Drag three matching cards together for 6, or four for 12.
Runs — 1 point per card
Three or more consecutive ranks score their length: 3, 4, 5 scores 3. Suits do not matter. Count the longest run, not shorter runs inside it. Repeated ranks can make separate runs using different cards.
Flushes — 4 or 5 points
All four hand cards in one suit score 4; a matching starter makes 5. In this family version, the same rule applies to the kitty: its four suited cards score 4 even if the starter differs. Other cribbage versions may require all five for a kitty flush.
One for his nob — 1 point
A jack in the hand or kitty matching the starter’s suit scores 1. Drag that jack and the starter together.

The same card may be reused in different scoring combinations, but the same combination cannot be claimed twice. You can pull cards apart and group them again. The game rejects groups that cannot score and keeps track of combinations already counted.

When you have finished, press “Done — Take My Points.” Only points you found are added to your match score. Missed points are lost; your opponent does not take them. The computer counts its own cards.

Controls and results

Opening these instructions does not reset your game. It does not pause the opponent’s play. Press Close or Escape to return.

Watch a demo

A 20-second silent, animated demonstration using this game’s own cards and scoring rules. Press Play to watch the pointer drag cards into scoring groups.

The three moves

  1. Fifteen: press and hold the 7 of diamonds, drag it onto the 8 of clubs, then release. 7 + 8 = 15, worth 2 points.
  2. Pair: drag one 7 onto the other 7 for another 2 points.
  3. Run of three: drag the starter 6 onto a 7. Keep that group together, then drag the 8 into it. 6, 7, 8 scores 3 points.

You can reuse a card in a different combination. When you have found everything, press “Done — Take My Points” in your game. Use the video’s controls to pause, scrub or replay.