Return to cribbage.n CVS log

Up to [CSRG BSD Unix] / 42BSD / games / cribbage

Annotation of 42BSD/games/cribbage/cribbage.n, revision 1.1

1.1     ! root        1: .\"
        !             2: .\" @(#)cribbage.n     1.1 (Berkeley) 5/19/83
        !             3: .\"
        !             4: .so macro
        !             5: .na
        !             6: .PH "CRIBBAGE"
        !             7: .sp 2
        !             8: .ce
        !             9: from
        !            10: .sp
        !            11: .ce
        !            12: .ul
        !            13: According to Hoyle
        !            14: .sp 2
        !            15: .PG
        !            16: Cribbage is believed to have been invented by Sir John Suckling (1609-1642).
        !            17: Probably it is an elaboration of an older game, Noddy.  The original game was
        !            18: played with hands of five cards; the modern game gives each player six.  That
        !            19: is virtually the only change from Suckling's directions.
        !            20: .HP "Players."
        !            21: Two.  There are variants for three and four players, described later.
        !            22: .HP "Cards."
        !            23: The pack of 52.  The cards in each suit rank: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8,
        !            24: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.  The
        !            25: .ul
        !            26: counting values
        !            27: are: K, Q, J, 10, each 10 (wherefore these are called
        !            28: .ul
        !            29: tenth cards);
        !            30: ace, 1; each other card, its index value.
        !            31: .HP "Cribbage Board".
        !            32: Indispensable to scoring (unless you have a computer!, ed.) is the device
        !            33: known as the
        !            34: .ul
        !            35: cribbage board.
        !            36: This is a rectangular panel, long and narrow, in which are
        !            37: four rows of 30 holes each.  (See illustration.)  At one end, or in the center,
        !            38: are two or four additional holes, called
        !            39: .ul
        !            40: game holes.
        !            41: The board is placed between the two players, and each keeps his own score on
        !            42: the two rows of holes nearest himself.  Each is supplied with two
        !            43: .ul
        !            44: pegs.
        !            45: Before the first hand, the pegs are placed in the game holes.  On
        !            46: making his first score, the player advances one peg an appropriate number
        !            47: of holes (one per point) away from the
        !            48: .ul
        !            49: game end
        !            50: of the board.  The second score is recorded by placing the second peg an
        !            51: appropriate distance ahead of the first.  For each subsequent score, the
        !            52: rear peg is jumped ahead of the other, the distance between the two pegs
        !            53: always showing the amount of this last score.
        !            54: .PG
        !            55: The traditional mode of scoring is down (away from the game end) the
        !            56: outer row, and up the inner row.  "Once around" is a game of 61 points.
        !            57: "Twice around" is a game of 121 points.
        !            58: .HP "Preliminaries."
        !            59: Cards are drawn; the lower deals first.  If cards of equal rank are drawn,
        !            60: both players draw again.  Dealer has the right to shuffle last.  Nondealer
        !            61: cuts, and must leave at least four cards in each packet.
        !            62: .HP "Dealing."
        !            63: Each player receives six cards, dealt one at a time face down, beginning
        !            64: with the nondealer.  The turn to deal alternates.  The dealer has an
        !            65: advantage.
        !            66: .HP "Laying Away."
        !            67: After seeing his hand, each player
        !            68: .ul
        !            69: lays away
        !            70: two cards face down.  The four cards laid away, placed in one pile, form the
        !            71: .ul
        !            72: crib.
        !            73: The crib counts for the dealer.  Nondealer therefore tries to lay away
        !            74: .ul
        !            75: balking cards --
        !            76: cards that are least likely to create a score in the crib.
        !            77: .HP "The Starter."
        !            78: After both hands have laid away, nondealer lifts off a packet from the top
        !            79: of the
        !            80: .ul
        !            81: stock
        !            82: (the rest of the pack).  Again, each packet must contain at least four cards.
        !            83: Dealer turns up the top card of the lower packer, which is then placed on
        !            84: top of the stock when the packets are reunited.  The card thus turned up is
        !            85: called
        !            86: .ul
        !            87: 1 the starter.
        !            88: If it is a jack, dealer immediately pegs 2, called
        !            89: .ul
        !            90: 2 for his heels.
        !            91: .HP "The Play."
        !            92: Nondealer begins the play by laying a card from his hand face up on the
        !            93: table, announcing its counting value.  Dealer then shows a card, announcing
        !            94: the total count of the two cards.  Play continues in the same way, by
        !            95: alternate exposure of cards, each player announcing the new total count.
        !            96: The total may be carried only to 31, no further.  If a player adds a card
        !            97: that brings the total exactly to 31, he pegs 2.  If a player is unable to
        !            98: play another card without exceeding 31, he must say "Go," and his opponent
        !            99: pegs 1, but before doing so, opponent must lay down any additional cards he
        !           100: can without exceeding 31.  If such additional cards bring the total to
        !           101: exactly 31, he pegs 2 instead of 1.
        !           102: .PG
        !           103: Whenever a
        !           104: .ul
        !           105: go 
        !           106: occurs, the opponent of the player who played the last card must lead for a
        !           107: new count starting at zero.  Playing the last card of all counts as a go.
        !           108: (Since nondealer makes the opening lead, dealer is bound to peg at least
        !           109: 1 in play.)
        !           110: .PG
        !           111: Besides pegging for 31 and go, the player may also peg for certain
        !           112: combinations made in play, as follows:
        !           113: .sp 2
        !           114: .ti +4
        !           115: .ul
        !           116: Fifteen.
        !           117: .IP
        !           118: Making the count total 15 pegs 2.
        !           119: .EP
        !           120: .sp 2
        !           121: .ti +4
        !           122: .ul
        !           123: Pair.
        !           124: .IP
        !           125: Playing a card of same rank as that previously played pegs 2.  Playing
        !           126: a third card of the same rank makes
        !           127: .ul
        !           128: pair royal
        !           129: and pegs 6.  Playing the fourth card of the same rank makes
        !           130: .ul
        !           131: double pair royal
        !           132: and pegs 12.
        !           133: .PG
        !           134: The tenth cards pair strictly by rank, a king with a king, a queen with a
        !           135: queen, and so on.  (King and jack do not make a pair, although each has
        !           136: the counting value 10.)
        !           137: .EP
        !           138: .sp 2
        !           139: .ti +4
        !           140: .ul
        !           141: Run.
        !           142: .IP
        !           143: Playing a card which, with the two or more played immediately previously,
        !           144: makes a sequence of three or more cards, pegs 1 for each card in the
        !           145: .ul
        !           146: run.
        !           147: Runs depend on rank alone; the suits do not matter.  Nor does the score
        !           148: for run depend upon playing the cards in strict sequence, so long as
        !           149: the three or more last cards played can be arranged in a run.
        !           150: .ul
        !           151: Example:
        !           152: 7, 6, 8 played in that order score 3 for run; 5, 2, 4, 3 played in that order
        !           153: score 4 for run.
        !           154: .EP
        !           155: .PG
        !           156: Any of the foregoing combinations count, whether the cards are played
        !           157: alternately or one player plays several times in succession in consequence
        !           158: of a go.  But a combination does not score if it is interrupted by a go.
        !           159: .HP "Showing."
        !           160: After the play, the hands are
        !           161: .ul
        !           162: shown
        !           163: (counted).  Nondealer shows first, then dealer's hand, then crib.
        !           164: The starter is deemed to belong to each hand, so that each hand includes
        !           165: five cards.  Combinations of scoring value are as follows:
        !           166: .sp 2
        !           167: .ti +4
        !           168: .ul
        !           169: Fifteen.
        !           170: .IP
        !           171: Each combinations of two or more cards that total fifteen scores 2.
        !           172: .EP
        !           173: .sp 2
        !           174: .ti +4
        !           175: .ul
        !           176: Pair.
        !           177: .IP
        !           178: Each pair of cards of the same rank scores 2.
        !           179: .EP
        !           180: .sp 2
        !           181: .ti +4
        !           182: .ul
        !           183: Run.
        !           184: .IP
        !           185: Each combination of three or more cards in sequence scores 1 for each card
        !           186: in the run.
        !           187: .EP
        !           188: .sp 2
        !           189: .ti +4
        !           190: .ul
        !           191: Flush.
        !           192: .IP
        !           193: Four cards of the same suit in hand score 4; four cards in hand or crib
        !           194: of same suit as the starter score 5.  (No count for four-flush in crib.)
        !           195: .EP
        !           196: .sp 2
        !           197: .ti +4
        !           198: .ul
        !           199: His Nobs.
        !           200: .IP
        !           201: Jack of same suit as the starter, in hand or crib, scores 1.
        !           202: .EP
        !           203: .PG
        !           204: It is important to note that every separate grouping of cards that makes
        !           205: a fifteen, pair, or run counts separately.  Three of a kind,
        !           206: .ul
        !           207: pair royal,
        !           208: counts 6 because three sets of pairs can be made; similarly, four of a
        !           209: kind,
        !           210: .ul
        !           211: double pair royal,
        !           212: contain six pairs and count 12.
        !           213: .PG
        !           214: The highest possible hand is J, 5, 5, 5 with the starter the 5 of the same
        !           215: suit as the jack.  There are four fifteens by combining the jack with a
        !           216: five, four more by combinations of three fives (a total of 16 for fifteens);
        !           217: the double pair royal adds 12 for a total of 28; and
        !           218: .ul
        !           219: his nobs
        !           220: adds 1 for a maximum score of 29.  (the score of 2 for
        !           221: .ul
        !           222: his heels
        !           223: does not count in the total of the hand, since it is pegged before the play.)
        !           224: .PG
        !           225: A
        !           226: .ul
        !           227: double run
        !           228: is a run with one card duplicated, as 4-3-3-2.  Exclusive of fifteens, a
        !           229: double run of three cards counts 8; of four cards, 10.  A
        !           230: .ul
        !           231: triple run
        !           232: is a run of three with one card triplicated, as K-K-K-Q-J.  Exclusive of
        !           233: fifteens, it counts 15.  A
        !           234: .ul
        !           235: quadruple run
        !           236: is a run of three with two different cards duplicated, as the example
        !           237: 8-8-7-6-6 previously given.  Exclusive of fifteens, it counts 16.
        !           238: .PG
        !           239: No hand can be constructed that counts 19, 25, 26 or 27.  A time-honored
        !           240: way of showing a hand with not a single counting combination is to say
        !           241: "I have nineteen."
        !           242: .PG
        !           243: The customary oder in showing is to count fifteens first, then runs, then
        !           244: pairs, but there is no compulsion of law.
        !           245: .ul
        !           246: Example:
        !           247: A hand (with starter) of 9-6-5-4-4 will usually be counted "Fifteen 2,
        !           248: fifteen 4, fifteen 6 and double run makes 14," or simply "Fifteen 6 and
        !           249: 8 is 14."
        !           250: .HP "Muggins."
        !           251: The hands and crib are counted aloud, and if a player claims a greater
        !           252: total than is due him, his opponent may require correction.  In some
        !           253: localities, if a player claims less than is due, his opponent may say
        !           254: "Muggins" and himself score the points overlooked.
        !           255: .HP "Scoring."
        !           256: The usual
        !           257: .ul
        !           258: game
        !           259: is 121, but it may be set at 61 by agreement.  Since the player wins
        !           260: who first returns to the game hole by going "twice around," the scores
        !           261: must be pegged strictly in order: his heels, pegging in play, non-dealer's
        !           262: hand, dealer's hand, crib.  Thus, if nondealer goes out on showing his
        !           263: hand, he wins, even though dealer might have gone out with a greater
        !           264: total if allowed to count his hand and crib.
        !           265: .PG
        !           266: When the game of 121 is played for a stake, a player wins a single game
        !           267: if the loser makes 61 points or more.  If the loser fails to reach
        !           268: 61, he is
        !           269: .ul
        !           270: lurched,
        !           271: and the other wins a double game.
        !           272: .HP "Irregularities."
        !           273: .ul
        !           274: Misdeal.
        !           275: There must be a new deal by the same dealer if a card is found faced in the
        !           276: pack, if a card is exposed in dealing, or if the pack be found imperfect.
        !           277: .PG
        !           278: .ul
        !           279: Wrong Number of Cards.
        !           280: If one hand (not crib) is found to have the wrong number of cards after
        !           281: laying away for the crib, the other hand and crib being correct, the
        !           282: opponent may either demand a new deal or may peg 2 and rectify the
        !           283: hand.  If the crib is incorrect, both hands being correct, nondealer
        !           284: pegs 2 and the crib is corrected.
        !           285: .HP "Error in Pegging."
        !           286: If a player places a peg short of the amount to which he is entitled, he
        !           287: may not correct his error after he has played the next card or after the
        !           288: cut for the next deal.  If he pegs more than his announced score,
        !           289: the error must be corrected on demand at any time before the cut for the
        !           290: next deal and his opponent pegs 2.
        !           291: .HP "Strategy."
        !           292: The best balking cards are kings and aces, because they have the least
        !           293: chance of producing sequences.  Tenth cards are generally good, provided
        !           294: that the two cards laid away are not too
        !           295: .ul
        !           296: near
        !           297: (likely to make a sequence).  When nothing better offers, give two
        !           298: .ul
        !           299: wide
        !           300: cards -- at least three apart in rank.
        !           301: .PG
        !           302: Proverbially the safest lead is a 4.  The next card cannot make a 15.
        !           303: Lower cards are also safe from this point of view, but are better
        !           304: treasured for go and 31.  The most dangerous leads are 7 and 8, but
        !           305: may be made to trap the opponent when they are backed with other
        !           306: close cards.  Generally speaking, play
        !           307: .ul
        !           308: on
        !           309: (toward a sequence) when you have close cards and
        !           310: .ul
        !           311: off
        !           312: when you do not.  However, the state of the score is a consideration.
        !           313: If far behind, play on when there is any chance of building a score
        !           314: for yourself; if well ahead, balk your opponent by playing off unless
        !           315: you will surely peg as much as he by playing on.

This archive runs on limited infrastructure. Preserving old code on modern bandwidth. Automated agents are requested to crawl responsibly.