games/cribbage/cribbage.n

   1
   2                             CRIBBAGE
   3                               from
   4                        According to Hoyle
   5
   6 Cribbage is believed to have been invented by Sir John Suckling (1609-1642).
   7 Probably it is an elaboration of an older game, Noddy.  The original game
   8 was played with hands of five cards; the modern game gives each player
   9 six.  That is virtually the only change from Suckling's directions.
  10
  11 Players:
  12
  13         Two.  There are variants for three and four players, described
  14         later.
  15
  16 Cards:
  17
  18         The pack of 52.  The cards in each suit rank: K (high), Q, J, 10,
  19 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.  The counting values are: K, Q, J, 10, each 10
  20 (wherefore these are called tenth cards); ace, 1; each other card, its
  21 index value.
  22
  23 Cribbage Board:
  24
  25         Indispensable to scoring (unless you have a computer!, ed.) is
  26 the device known as the cribbage board.  This is a rectangular panel, long
  27 and narrow, in which are four rows of 30 holes each.  (See illustration.)
  28 At one end, or in the center, are two or four additional holes, called
  29 game holes.  The board is placed between the two players, and each keeps
  30 his own score on the two rows of holes nearest himself.  Each is supplied
  31 with two pegs.  Before the first hand, the pegs are placed in the game
  32 holes.  On making his first score, the player advances one peg an
  33 appropriate number of holes (one per point) away from the game end of the
  34 board.  The second score is recorded by placing the second peg an
  35 appropriate distance ahead of the first.  For each subsequent score, the
  36 rear peg is jumped ahead of the other, the distance between the two pegs
  37 always showing the amount of this last score.
  38
  39         The traditional mode of scoring is down (away from the game end)
  40 the outer row, and up the inner row.  "Once around" is a game of 61 points.
  41 "Twice around" is a game of 121 points.
  42
  43 Preliminaries:
  44
  45         Cards are drawn; the lower deals first.  If cards of equal rank
  46 are drawn, both players draw again.  Dealer has the right to shuffle last.
  47 Nondealer cuts, and must leave at least four cards in each packet.
  48
  49 Dealing:
  50
  51         Each player receives six cards, dealt one at a time face down,
  52 beginning with the nondealer.  The turn to deal alternates.  The dealer
  53 has an advantage.
  54
  55 Laying Away:
  56
  57         After seeing his hand, each player lays away two cards face down.
  58 The four cards laid away, placed in one pile, form the crib.  The crib
  59 counts for the dealer.  Nondealer therefore tries to lay away balking
  60 cards -- cards that are least likely to create a score in the crib.
  61
  62 The Starter:
  63
  64         After both hands have laid away, nondealer lifts off a packet from
  65 the top of the stock (the rest of the pack).  Again, each packet must
  66 contain at least four cards.  Dealer turns up the top card of the lower
  67 packer, which is then placed on top of the stock when the packets are
  68 reunited.  The card thus turned up is called 1 the starter.  If it is a
  69 jack, dealer immediately pegs 2, called 2 for his heels.
  70
  71 The Play:
  72
  73         Nondealer begins the play by laying a card from his hand face up
  74 on the table, announcing its counting value.  Dealer then shows a card,
  75 announcing the total count of the two cards.  Play continues in the same
  76 way, by alternate exposure of cards, each player announcing the new total
  77 count.  The total may be carried only to 31, no further.  If a player adds
  78 a card that brings the total exactly to 31, he pegs 2.  If a player is
  79 unable to play another card without exceeding 31, he must say "Go," and
  80 his opponent pegs 1, but before doing so, opponent must lay down any
  81 additional cards he can without exceeding 31.  If such additional cards
  82 bring the total to exactly 31, he pegs 2 instead of 1.
  83
  84         Whenever a go occurs, the opponent of the player who played the
  85 last card must lead for a new count starting at zero.  Playing the last
  86 card of all counts as a go.  (Since nondealer makes the opening lead,
  87 dealer is bound to peg at least 1 in play.)
  88
  89         Besides pegging for 31 and go, the player may also peg for certain
  90 combinations made in play, as follows:
  91
  92         Fifteen:
  93                 Making the count total 15 pegs 2.
  94         Pair:
  95                 Playing a card of same rank as that previously played pegs
  96                 2.  Playing a third card of the same rank makes pair royal
  97                 and pegs 6.  Playing the fourth card of the same rank
  98                 makes double pair royal and pegs 12.
  99
 100                 The tenth cards pair strictly by rank, a king with a king,
 101                 a queen with a queen, and so on.  (King and jack do not
 102                 make a pair, although each has the counting value 10.)
 103         Run:
 104                 Playing a card which, with the two or more played
 105                 immediately previously, makes a sequence of three or more
 106                 cards, pegs 1 for each card in the run.  Runs depend on
 107                 rank alone; the suits do not matter.  Nor does the score
 108                 for run depend upon playing the cards in strict sequence,
 109                 so long as the three or more last cards played can be
 110                 arranged in a run.  Example: 7, 6, 8 played in that order
 111                 score 3 for run; 5, 2, 4, 3 played in that order score 4
 112                 for run.
 113
 114                 Any of the foregoing combinations count, whether the cards
 115                 are played alternately or one player plays several times
 116                 in succession in consequence of a go.  But a combination
 117                 does not score if it is interrupted by a go.
 118
 119         Showing:
 120                 After the play, the hands are shown (counted).  Nondealer
 121                 shows first, then dealer's hand, then crib.  The starter
 122                 is deemed to belong to each hand, so that each hand includes
 123                 five cards.  Combinations of scoring value are as follows:
 124
 125                 Fifteen:
 126                         Each combinations of two or more cards that total
 127                         fifteen scores 2.
 128                 Pair:
 129                         Each pair of cards of the same rank scores 2.
 130
 131                 Run:
 132                         Each combination of three or more cards in sequence
 133                         scores 1 for each card in the run.
 134                 Flush:
 135                         Four cards of the same suit in hand score 4; four
 136                         cards in hand or crib of same suit as the starter
 137                         score 5.  (No count for four-flush in crib.)
 138                 His Nobs:
 139                         Jack of same suit as the starter, in hand or crib,
 140                         scores 1.
 141
 142         It is important to note that every separate grouping of cards that
 143 makes a fifteen, pair, or run counts separately.  Three of a kind, pair
 144 royal, counts 6 because three sets of pairs can be made; similarly, four
 145 of a kind, double pair royal, contain six pairs and count 12.
 146
 147         The highest possible hand is J, 5, 5, 5 with the starter the 5 of
 148 the same suit as the jack.  There are four fifteens by combining the jack
 149 with a five, four more by combinations of three fives (a total of 16 for
 150 fifteens); the double pair royal adds 12 for a total of 28; and his nobs
 151 adds 1 for a maximum score of 29.  (the score of 2 for his heels does not
 152 count in the total of the hand, since it is pegged before the play.)
 153
 154         A double run is a run with one card duplicated, as 4-3-3-2.
 155 Exclusive of fifteens, a double run of three cards counts 8; of four cards,
 156 10.  A triple run is a run of three with one card triplicated, as K-K-K-Q-J.
 157 Exclusive of fifteens, it counts 15.  A quadruple run is a run of three
 158 with two different cards duplicated, as the example 8-8-7-6-6 previously
 159 given.  Exclusive of fifteens, it counts 16.
 160
 161         No hand can be constructed that counts 19, 25, 26 or 27.  A
 162 time-honored way of showing a hand with not a single counting combination
 163 is to say "I have nineteen."
 164
 165         The customary order in showing is to count fifteens first, then
 166 runs, then pairs, but there is no compulsion of law.  Example: A hand
 167 (with starter) of 9-6-5-4-4 will usually be counted "Fifteen 2, fifteen
 168 4, fifteen 6 and double run makes 14," or simply "Fifteen 6 and 8 is 14."
 169
 170 Muggins:
 171
 172         The hands and crib are counted aloud, and if a player claims a
 173 greater total than is due him, his opponent may require correction.  In
 174 some localities, if a player claims less than is due, his opponent may
 175 say "Muggins" and himself score the points overlooked.
 176
 177 Scoring:
 178
 179         The usual game is 121, but it may be set at 61 by agreement.
 180 Since the player wins who first returns to the game hole by going "twice
 181 around," the scores must be pegged strictly in order: his heels, pegging
 182 in play, non-dealer's hand, dealer's hand, crib.  Thus, if nondealer goes
 183 out on showing his hand, he wins, even though dealer might have gone out
 184 with a greater total if allowed to count his hand and crib.
 185
 186         When the game of 121 is played for a stake, a player wins a single
 187 game if the loser makes 61 points or more.  If the loser fails to reach
 188 61, he is lurched, and the other wins a double game.
 189
 190 Irregularities:
 191
 192         Misdeal.  There must be a new deal by the same dealer if a card
 193 is found faced in the pack, if a card is exposed in dealing, or if the
 194 pack be found imperfect.
 195
 196         Wrong Number of Cards.  If one hand (not crib) is found to have
 197 the wrong number of cards after laying away for the crib, the other hand
 198 and crib being correct, the opponent may either demand a new deal or may
 199 peg 2 and rectify the hand.  If the crib is incorrect, both hands being
 200 correct, nondealer pegs 2 and the crib is corrected.
 201
 202 Error in Pegging:
 203
 204         If a player places a peg short of the amount to which he is
 205 entitled, he may not correct his error after he has played the next card
 206 or after the cut for the next deal.  If he pegs more than his announced
 207 score, the error must be corrected on demand at any time before the cut
 208 for the next deal and his opponent pegs 2.
 209
 210 Strategy:
 211
 212         The best balking cards are kings and aces, because they have the
 213 least chance of producing sequences.  Tenth cards are generally good,
 214 provided that the two cards laid away are not too near (likely to make a
 215 sequence).  When nothing better offers, give two wide cards -- at least
 216 three apart in rank.
 217
 218         Proverbially the safest lead is a 4.  The next card cannot make
 219 a 15.  Lower cards are also safe from this point of view, but are better
 220 treasured for go and 31.  The most dangerous leads are 7 and 8, but may
 221 be made to trap the opponent when they are backed with other close cards.
 222 Generally speaking, play on (toward a sequence) when you have close cards
 223 and off when you do not.  However, the state of the score is a
 224 consideration.  If far behind, play on when there is any chance of building
 225 a score for yourself; if well ahead, balk your opponent by playing off
 226 unless you will surely peg as much as he by playing on.