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1.1 root 1: .\" Copyright (c) 1980 Regents of the University of California.
2: .\" All rights reserved. The Berkeley software License Agreement
3: .\" specifies the terms and conditions for redistribution.
4: .\"
5: .\" @(#)cribbage.n 5.1 (Berkeley) 5/30/85
6: .\"
7: .so macro
8: .na
9: .PH "CRIBBAGE"
10: .sp 2
11: .ce
12: from
13: .sp
14: .ce
15: .ul
16: According to Hoyle
17: .sp 2
18: .PG
19: Cribbage is believed to have been invented by Sir John Suckling (1609-1642).
20: Probably it is an elaboration of an older game, Noddy. The original game was
21: played with hands of five cards; the modern game gives each player six. That
22: is virtually the only change from Suckling's directions.
23: .HP "Players."
24: Two. There are variants for three and four players, described later.
25: .HP "Cards."
26: The pack of 52. The cards in each suit rank: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8,
27: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A. The
28: .ul
29: counting values
30: are: K, Q, J, 10, each 10 (wherefore these are called
31: .ul
32: tenth cards);
33: ace, 1; each other card, its index value.
34: .HP "Cribbage Board".
35: Indispensable to scoring (unless you have a computer!, ed.) is the device
36: known as the
37: .ul
38: cribbage board.
39: This is a rectangular panel, long and narrow, in which are
40: four rows of 30 holes each. (See illustration.) At one end, or in the center,
41: are two or four additional holes, called
42: .ul
43: game holes.
44: The board is placed between the two players, and each keeps his own score on
45: the two rows of holes nearest himself. Each is supplied with two
46: .ul
47: pegs.
48: Before the first hand, the pegs are placed in the game holes. On
49: making his first score, the player advances one peg an appropriate number
50: of holes (one per point) away from the
51: .ul
52: game end
53: of the board. The second score is recorded by placing the second peg an
54: appropriate distance ahead of the first. For each subsequent score, the
55: rear peg is jumped ahead of the other, the distance between the two pegs
56: always showing the amount of this last score.
57: .PG
58: The traditional mode of scoring is down (away from the game end) the
59: outer row, and up the inner row. "Once around" is a game of 61 points.
60: "Twice around" is a game of 121 points.
61: .HP "Preliminaries."
62: Cards are drawn; the lower deals first. If cards of equal rank are drawn,
63: both players draw again. Dealer has the right to shuffle last. Nondealer
64: cuts, and must leave at least four cards in each packet.
65: .HP "Dealing."
66: Each player receives six cards, dealt one at a time face down, beginning
67: with the nondealer. The turn to deal alternates. The dealer has an
68: advantage.
69: .HP "Laying Away."
70: After seeing his hand, each player
71: .ul
72: lays away
73: two cards face down. The four cards laid away, placed in one pile, form the
74: .ul
75: crib.
76: The crib counts for the dealer. Nondealer therefore tries to lay away
77: .ul
78: balking cards --
79: cards that are least likely to create a score in the crib.
80: .HP "The Starter."
81: After both hands have laid away, nondealer lifts off a packet from the top
82: of the
83: .ul
84: stock
85: (the rest of the pack). Again, each packet must contain at least four cards.
86: Dealer turns up the top card of the lower packer, which is then placed on
87: top of the stock when the packets are reunited. The card thus turned up is
88: called
89: .ul
90: 1 the starter.
91: If it is a jack, dealer immediately pegs 2, called
92: .ul
93: 2 for his heels.
94: .HP "The Play."
95: Nondealer begins the play by laying a card from his hand face up on the
96: table, announcing its counting value. Dealer then shows a card, announcing
97: the total count of the two cards. Play continues in the same way, by
98: alternate exposure of cards, each player announcing the new total count.
99: The total may be carried only to 31, no further. If a player adds a card
100: that brings the total exactly to 31, he pegs 2. If a player is unable to
101: play another card without exceeding 31, he must say "Go," and his opponent
102: pegs 1, but before doing so, opponent must lay down any additional cards he
103: can without exceeding 31. If such additional cards bring the total to
104: exactly 31, he pegs 2 instead of 1.
105: .PG
106: Whenever a
107: .ul
108: go
109: occurs, the opponent of the player who played the last card must lead for a
110: new count starting at zero. Playing the last card of all counts as a go.
111: (Since nondealer makes the opening lead, dealer is bound to peg at least
112: 1 in play.)
113: .PG
114: Besides pegging for 31 and go, the player may also peg for certain
115: combinations made in play, as follows:
116: .sp 2
117: .ti +4
118: .ul
119: Fifteen.
120: .IP
121: Making the count total 15 pegs 2.
122: .EP
123: .sp 2
124: .ti +4
125: .ul
126: Pair.
127: .IP
128: Playing a card of same rank as that previously played pegs 2. Playing
129: a third card of the same rank makes
130: .ul
131: pair royal
132: and pegs 6. Playing the fourth card of the same rank makes
133: .ul
134: double pair royal
135: and pegs 12.
136: .PG
137: The tenth cards pair strictly by rank, a king with a king, a queen with a
138: queen, and so on. (King and jack do not make a pair, although each has
139: the counting value 10.)
140: .EP
141: .sp 2
142: .ti +4
143: .ul
144: Run.
145: .IP
146: Playing a card which, with the two or more played immediately previously,
147: makes a sequence of three or more cards, pegs 1 for each card in the
148: .ul
149: run.
150: Runs depend on rank alone; the suits do not matter. Nor does the score
151: for run depend upon playing the cards in strict sequence, so long as
152: the three or more last cards played can be arranged in a run.
153: .ul
154: Example:
155: 7, 6, 8 played in that order score 3 for run; 5, 2, 4, 3 played in that order
156: score 4 for run.
157: .EP
158: .PG
159: Any of the foregoing combinations count, whether the cards are played
160: alternately or one player plays several times in succession in consequence
161: of a go. But a combination does not score if it is interrupted by a go.
162: .HP "Showing."
163: After the play, the hands are
164: .ul
165: shown
166: (counted). Nondealer shows first, then dealer's hand, then crib.
167: The starter is deemed to belong to each hand, so that each hand includes
168: five cards. Combinations of scoring value are as follows:
169: .sp 2
170: .ti +4
171: .ul
172: Fifteen.
173: .IP
174: Each combinations of two or more cards that total fifteen scores 2.
175: .EP
176: .sp 2
177: .ti +4
178: .ul
179: Pair.
180: .IP
181: Each pair of cards of the same rank scores 2.
182: .EP
183: .sp 2
184: .ti +4
185: .ul
186: Run.
187: .IP
188: Each combination of three or more cards in sequence scores 1 for each card
189: in the run.
190: .EP
191: .sp 2
192: .ti +4
193: .ul
194: Flush.
195: .IP
196: Four cards of the same suit in hand score 4; four cards in hand or crib
197: of same suit as the starter score 5. (No count for four-flush in crib.)
198: .EP
199: .sp 2
200: .ti +4
201: .ul
202: His Nobs.
203: .IP
204: Jack of same suit as the starter, in hand or crib, scores 1.
205: .EP
206: .PG
207: It is important to note that every separate grouping of cards that makes
208: a fifteen, pair, or run counts separately. Three of a kind,
209: .ul
210: pair royal,
211: counts 6 because three sets of pairs can be made; similarly, four of a
212: kind,
213: .ul
214: double pair royal,
215: contain six pairs and count 12.
216: .PG
217: The highest possible hand is J, 5, 5, 5 with the starter the 5 of the same
218: suit as the jack. There are four fifteens by combining the jack with a
219: five, four more by combinations of three fives (a total of 16 for fifteens);
220: the double pair royal adds 12 for a total of 28; and
221: .ul
222: his nobs
223: adds 1 for a maximum score of 29. (the score of 2 for
224: .ul
225: his heels
226: does not count in the total of the hand, since it is pegged before the play.)
227: .PG
228: A
229: .ul
230: double run
231: is a run with one card duplicated, as 4-3-3-2. Exclusive of fifteens, a
232: double run of three cards counts 8; of four cards, 10. A
233: .ul
234: triple run
235: is a run of three with one card triplicated, as K-K-K-Q-J. Exclusive of
236: fifteens, it counts 15. A
237: .ul
238: quadruple run
239: is a run of three with two different cards duplicated, as the example
240: 8-8-7-6-6 previously given. Exclusive of fifteens, it counts 16.
241: .PG
242: No hand can be constructed that counts 19, 25, 26 or 27. A time-honored
243: way of showing a hand with not a single counting combination is to say
244: "I have nineteen."
245: .PG
246: The customary oder in showing is to count fifteens first, then runs, then
247: pairs, but there is no compulsion of law.
248: .ul
249: Example:
250: A hand (with starter) of 9-6-5-4-4 will usually be counted "Fifteen 2,
251: fifteen 4, fifteen 6 and double run makes 14," or simply "Fifteen 6 and
252: 8 is 14."
253: .HP "Muggins."
254: The hands and crib are counted aloud, and if a player claims a greater
255: total than is due him, his opponent may require correction. In some
256: localities, if a player claims less than is due, his opponent may say
257: "Muggins" and himself score the points overlooked.
258: .HP "Scoring."
259: The usual
260: .ul
261: game
262: is 121, but it may be set at 61 by agreement. Since the player wins
263: who first returns to the game hole by going "twice around," the scores
264: must be pegged strictly in order: his heels, pegging in play, non-dealer's
265: hand, dealer's hand, crib. Thus, if nondealer goes out on showing his
266: hand, he wins, even though dealer might have gone out with a greater
267: total if allowed to count his hand and crib.
268: .PG
269: When the game of 121 is played for a stake, a player wins a single game
270: if the loser makes 61 points or more. If the loser fails to reach
271: 61, he is
272: .ul
273: lurched,
274: and the other wins a double game.
275: .HP "Irregularities."
276: .ul
277: Misdeal.
278: There must be a new deal by the same dealer if a card is found faced in the
279: pack, if a card is exposed in dealing, or if the pack be found imperfect.
280: .PG
281: .ul
282: Wrong Number of Cards.
283: If one hand (not crib) is found to have the wrong number of cards after
284: laying away for the crib, the other hand and crib being correct, the
285: opponent may either demand a new deal or may peg 2 and rectify the
286: hand. If the crib is incorrect, both hands being correct, nondealer
287: pegs 2 and the crib is corrected.
288: .HP "Error in Pegging."
289: If a player places a peg short of the amount to which he is entitled, he
290: may not correct his error after he has played the next card or after the
291: cut for the next deal. If he pegs more than his announced score,
292: the error must be corrected on demand at any time before the cut for the
293: next deal and his opponent pegs 2.
294: .HP "Strategy."
295: The best balking cards are kings and aces, because they have the least
296: chance of producing sequences. Tenth cards are generally good, provided
297: that the two cards laid away are not too
298: .ul
299: near
300: (likely to make a sequence). When nothing better offers, give two
301: .ul
302: wide
303: cards -- at least three apart in rank.
304: .PG
305: Proverbially the safest lead is a 4. The next card cannot make a 15.
306: Lower cards are also safe from this point of view, but are better
307: treasured for go and 31. The most dangerous leads are 7 and 8, but
308: may be made to trap the opponent when they are backed with other
309: close cards. Generally speaking, play
310: .ul
311: on
312: (toward a sequence) when you have close cards and
313: .ul
314: off
315: when you do not. However, the state of the score is a consideration.
316: If far behind, play on when there is any chance of building a score
317: for yourself; if well ahead, balk your opponent by playing off unless
318: you will surely peg as much as he by playing on.
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