In this stage of the game the total pip value of the cards played by both players must not exceed 31.Īs each card is played the running total is kept. You play your own cards to form a face-up pile in front of yourself, keeping them separate from the other players' cards. Starting with the non-dealer, the players take turns to play single cards. If the start card is a jack, the dealer immediately gets points - this is called Two for his heels. This turned up card is called the start card - it will count for combinations as part of both players' hands as well as of the dealer's box. The dealer takes out the top card of the lower part, turns it face up and places it face up on top of the pack. The non-dealer cuts the stack of undealt cards, lifting the upper part without showing its bottom card. The dealer, on the other hand, may sometimes find it pays to place good cards in the box - especially if they cannot be used to best advantage in hand. The non-dealer will try to throw cards that are unlikely to make valuable combinations, but must balance this against keeping a good hand for himself. These four cards are set aside until the end of the hand. At the end of each hand, the played cards are gathered together and the whole pack is shuffled before the next deal.Įach player chooses two cards to discard face down to form the crib. The undealt part of the pack is placed face down on the table. The dealer shuffles, the non-dealer cuts the cards and dealer deals 6 cards face down to each player one at a time. The deal then alternates from hand to hand until the game is over. The player cutting the lower card deals and has the first box or crib. The first deal is determined by cutting the cards. Points are scored mainly for combinations of cards either occurring during the play or occurring in a player's hand or in the cards discarded before the play, which form the crib or box. To be the first to score 121 points or over accumulated over several deals. Six Card Cribbage is a game for two players.

Crib score board