|| CRIBBAGE || //v1.0 // Cribbage is one of the oldest card games and is primarily a game for two. It can, however, be played by three or four. There are three distinct forms of the game, known respectively as Five-Card, Six-Card and Seven-Card Cribbage. They differ in the number of cards dealt to each player. These instructions begin with the Five-Card version which, from the point of view of tactical interest, is considered by many to be the best game of the three, in spite of its simplicity. The "*" symbol is displayed where slightly different rules apply to the Six- and Seven-Card versions, and explanations may be found near the end of these instructions. The objective of all forms of Cribbage is to reach a stated number of points before one's opponent does; at Five-Card Cribbage the game is 61 up *. For scoring purposes a special board with holes and pegs is ordinarily used. This makes it possible to see at a glance that one's opponent has scored correctly, and shows throughout the game the relative positions of the two players. The players cut for deal and whoever cuts the lower card is the dealer. (For this purpose the Ace ranks as low). The non-dealer is immediately awarded three points; these points are called "Three for Last" * and are intended to compensate the non-dealer for the slight disadvantage which would otherwise accrue. The dealer deals five cards face down to each player. Each player looks at his hand and discards two of his five cards; these discards are set aside and form what is called the Crib. Since the score in the Crib always accrues to the dealer the principle of discarding is different for the two players. The non-dealer will throw cards which, so far as he can judge, are of no advantage to his opponent, while, at the same time, he must try to retain cards which are of advantage to himself. The dealer, on the other hand, while also considering the scoring possibilities of his own hand, will try to secure a useful Crib. The cards for the Crib having been set aside, the non-dealer cuts the remainder of the pack to the dealer. The card revealed becomes what is known as the "Start" and plays an important role later in the game. If the "Start" happens to be a Jack the dealer is immediately awarded 2 points, and these are known as "Two For His Heels". Now begins "The Play" of the cards. Each player will have three cards in his hand and, beginning with the non-dealer, each in turn lays a card face up on the table endeavouring to score the maximum number of points. In the following notes the pip value of a Court card is 10. //POINTS SCORED IN PLAY// 1 Pairs A player scores a Pair (2 points) when he plays a card of the same denomination as that last played by his opponent. For example, suppose the non-dealer leads off with a Queen; if the dealer puts down a second Queen he scores 2 points. 2 Pairs Royal If a third card of the same denomination is played in succession, whoever has played it scores a Pairs Royal (6 points). The reason why a Pairs Royal carries 6 points is that, from the three cards of the same denomination, three pairs can be formed. 3 Double Pairs Royal If a fourth card of the same denomination is played in succession, whoever has played it scores a Double Pairs Royal (12 points). From four cards of the same denomination six pairs can be formed; hence the 12 points. 4 Runs or Sequences If three cards played in succession can be so arranged to form a sequence of three, the player of the third of these cards is awarded 3 points for his Run. Thus, if the first card played is a 3, the second is a 4, and the third a 5, 3 points are scored when the last-named card is played. But equally these points are scored if the cards are played in any other order, ie 5,4,3; 5,3,4; 4,5,3 and so on. Runs are not only scored for a sequence of three cards, but for a sequence of four, five or six. As before, points are scorable at the conclusion of the Play of any number of cards which can be arranged in sequence. Hence, it is not necessary for a Run of four to have been preceded by a Run of three. 5 Fifteen If two or more cards are so played that their pip count equals fifteen, the player who plays the last of them scores 2 points. Thus, if the non-dealer leads off with an 8, the dealer can play a 7, making fifteen, and scoring 2. If the non-dealer first plays a 6, and the dealer a 5, the non-dealer can now play a 4, making a Fifteen and a Run of three, and scoring 5 points altogether. 6 Thirty-one The pip total of the cards played may not exceed thirty-one. A player playing a card which makes this exact total scores 2 points. Thus, if the first three cards are 10,9,6, another 6 may now be played for which he scores 4 points: 2 for the Thirty-one and 2 for a Pair. Once Thirty-one has been reached, no further cards are played. * 7 One for Last A player who cannot play another card without exceeding the permitted total of thirty-one says "Go". If his opponent can also play no further cards he also says "Go". If, however, his opponent can play another card, he does so, scoring "One for Last", unless the play of that card makes the total thirty- one, when he scores 2 as explained above. The Play of the hand is now over and the players proceed to what is called "The Show". //THE SHOW// The non-dealer "shows" his hand first; then the dealer. Lastly the dealer turns up the four cards which have been thrown into his Crib, and that, too, is "shown", its score accruing to the dealer. Scoring in the Show is on much the same lines as scoring in Play. For the purposes of the Show, the "Start" card plays its part in all three scores. It becomes, that is, an element in both hands and in the Crib. Suppose, for example, that the non-dealer holds K,5,5, that the dealer holds 7,6,6, that there is a Q,4,3,3 in the Crib, and that the "Start" card is another 5. For scoring purposes, the hands now are: Non-dealer -> K,5,5,5 Dealer -> 7,6,6,5 The Crib -> Q,5,4,3,3 In this example the non-dealer's cards, worth only 6 points in themselves, are now worth 14. Dealer's cards, worth only 2, are now worth 8. The Crib cards, worth only 2, are now worth 12. 1 Fifteens //(Court cards count as 10 for this purpose).// As in Play, any combination, whether of two or more cards, which totals Fifteen counts 2 points. The same card can be counted in more than one Fifteen, provided that the other components of the Fifteen are different. Thus, for 10,5,5 and 9,6,6 "Fifteen four" is scored. In each of these combinations, one card scores twice. 2 Pairs As in Play, any two cards of the same denomination rank as a Pair and score 2. Thus, a hand consisting of 9,9,6,6 scores 12, for there is "Fifteen eight" here (each 9 combined with each 6) and also two Pairs. 3 Pairs Royal As in Play, any three cards of the same denomination rank as a Pairs Royal and scores 6 points. Thus, a hand containing 9,3,3,3 scores 12 because there are also three Fifteens here. 4 Double Pairs Royal As in Play, any four cards of the same denomination rank as a Double Pairs Royal and scores 12. 5 Runs Any three or more cards which can be arranged in sequence count as a Run of three, four, or five. Moreover, as with Fifteens and Pairs, the same card can be included in two or three Runs. Thus, if in a hand one has 3,3,4,5, one scores 6 for two Runs of three (plus, of course, 2 for Fifteen and 2 more for a Pair). 6 Flushes Here is a scoring feature which does not count in the Play. If the three cards in the hand are all of the same suit, 3 is scored for a Flush. If the "Start" card is is of the same suit as these three cards, 4 is scored for a Flush of Four. In the Crib, however, there is no score for four cards of a suit; the Flush is only scorable where five of a suit appear. 7 His Nob "One for His Nob" is scored where hand or Crib contains a Jack of the same suit as that of the "Start" card. //The highest possible single score (29) in Five-Card Cribbage is obtainable// //in a Crib containing J,5,5,5 with the "Start" card another 5 the same suit// //as the Jack.// __6- AND 7-CARD CRIBBAGE__ These are the differences between the Six- and Seven-Card Cribbage and the Five-Card game. 1 At Five-Card Cribbage the game is 61 up; at Six-Card Cribbage the game is 121 up; at Seven-Card cribbage the game is 181 up. In other words, Six-Card Cribbage is twice around the board, and Seven-Card Cribbage is three times around the board. 2 At Five-Card Cribbage the non-dealer is awarded 3 points before the game begins. At Six- and Seven-Card Cribbage these points are// not //scored. 3 At Five-Card Cribbage the Play ceases as soon as 31 (or the highest score below 31) has been reached. At Six- or Seven-Card Cribbage, however, all cards are played out. Ie, when a player scores for 31 or for "Go", the other player leads off again with one of his remaining cards. Thus, at Seven-Card Cribbage (where each player has five cards in his hand) it is possible for "Go" to be scored three times and for one player still to have a card in his hand and to score "One for Last" with that. __CRIBBAGE FOR FOUR PLAYERS__ Cribbage makes an excellent game for four. The players play as partners, seated as in Whist, ie the North-South players are partners against East-West. The only substantial difference between the two-handed and the four-handed games is that, in the latter, each player throws one card only into the Crib. Hence, to secure the same playing situations as in the two-handed game, one card less must be dealt to each player originally - ie four cards only for what is ordinarily a five-card Cribbage; five cards for six-card Cribbage; and six cards for seven-card Cribbage. __GENERAL__ The above instructions are, of course, intended for use with a real deck of cards. This computer version automates many of the actions and handles all the scoring. Much skill is still required to take full advantage of opportunities. Press the "Esc" key to terminate the game at any time. Press the "Help" key to display these rules at any time.