A track of 121 holes
Three streets of 40 holes snake back and forth, and one last hole waits at the end. Every point you score moves your peg forward, and the first peg into hole 121 wins.
The board, skunks, and double skunks
A cribbage board is a track of 121 holes. Every point you score moves your peg forward, and the first peg into the last hole wins. A skunk is winning before your rival reaches hole 91. A double skunk is winning before they reach hole 61.
Every point from every beat of the hand lands on the board, the moment it is scored. Scroll to walk the track, then drag the pegs yourself.
- Deal six cards each
- Throw two to the crib
- Cut one card for all
- Play count to 31
- Show score your hand
A walk down the board
Points land the moment they happen
Points are pegged the moment they happen, in the play and in the show. That includes counting out mid-hand. If your show gets you to 121, the game ends there, even if the dealer was holding a monster crib. That is why counting first matters.
Why two pegs each
Each player has two pegs and leapfrogs them. When you score, you move the back peg ahead of the front one by the number of points. The peg left behind shows where you were, so a miscounted move can be checked. Boards with three streets of 40 holes snake back and forth, and hole 121 sits at the end of the last street.
The double skunk line
Hole 61 is halfway home. Win while your rival is still short of it and that is a double skunk, the rarest rout in cribbage, usually scored as three games.
The skunk line
Win while your rival is still short of hole 91 and you have skunked them. League play often counts that as two games. Some boards have a small line carved at 91 and at 61 so nobody has to count.
The stinkhole
Hole 120 has a name too. The stinkhole is one short of winning, and every count seems to come up empty from there. Some house rules forbid pegging out of it on a Go or a 31.
Home
Your peg lands in hole 121 while the rival is still short of 91. That is a win, and a skunk.
Your turn
Drag the pegs to any two holes and read the verdict, or watch a whole rout play out.
Muggins, the optional rule
Muggins is a traditional table rule, off by default at most tables. Each player counts their own show aloud, and any points they miss can be claimed by the rival. It punishes sloppy arithmetic and rewards knowing the counting page cold. Agree on muggins before the first deal, never after.