Cribbage Strategy: 8 Tips for Better Discards and Pegging

Good Cribbage strategy comes down to two choices you make every hand: which 2 of your 6 cards go to the crib, and which card you play next in the pegging. The deal is luck, but those two choices decide most close games, and they’re the reason a strong player wins more often over a match to 121.

The tips below fit the standard two-player rules: 6 cards each, 2 to the crib, a starter turned up, the play to 31, then the count. You can try every one of them in Cribbage on HulaGames, free in your browser, where every hand is counted for you line by line so you can see exactly where the points came from.

1. Keep the four cards that score best together

Start with the hand you keep, not the cards you throw. Look for fifteens (a 5 with any 10-value card, a 7 with an 8, a 6 with a 9), pairs and runs, and keep the four that score the most before the starter. A run with a pair inside it, such as 6-7-7-8, is a strong keep: it scores several runs at once, and the starter often adds more.

2. Keep cards the starter can help

When two keeps score the same, pick the one with more ways to improve. A 5 is the best single card in the game because 16 of the 52 cards are worth 10. A run of 3 with a gap, such as 4-5-7, is weaker than 4-5-6, which any 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 starter improves.

3. Your crib: throw points

When you deal, the crib is yours, so the two cards you send there are points in your pocket. A 5, a pair, or two cards that make 15 (such as 7-8) are all good throws. If keeping a 5 and throwing a 5 score the same for your hand, throw it.

4. Their crib: throw cards that don’t connect

When your opponent deals, every point in the crib is theirs. Throw two cards that are far apart in rank and don’t make 15, such as a king and a 9 or a queen and an ace. Never send a 5, a pair, or two touching cards like 7-8, which start a run.

5. Lead a 4 or lower

The non-dealer leads the play. A card of 4 or less is the safest lead, because your opponent can’t make 15 on it with one card. A 5 is the worst lead: any 10, jack, queen or king makes 15 for 2. Leading from a pair is also good, because if they pair you, you can make three of a kind for 6.

6. Don’t leave the count on 5 or 21

On a count of 5, any 10-value card makes 15. On 21, any 10-value card makes 31. Both are 2 points for your opponent, and there are 16 cards that do it. When you have a choice, play to a count that is hard to hit, such as 4, 11 or 26.

7. Watch for runs before you play close in rank

If the last card played is a 7 and you play an 8 or a 6, your opponent can extend the run and peg 3 or more. Playing a card two ranks away (a 5 on a 7) gives them a chance too, since a 6 between them makes a run of 3. When you’re behind on the board, take the risk; when you’re ahead, play away from the run.

8. Play to the board

Near the end of a game, think about the score, not just the hand. In Cribbage the non-dealer counts first, so near 121 the player who counts first often wins even with the weaker hand. If you need a few points to go out, keep pegging cards. If your opponent is close, throw them a crib that scores nothing and play defensively in the pegging.

Practise against three levels

On HulaGames you can play Kai (Easy), Lani (Medium) or Nalu (Hard), to 121 or the quicker 61. Kai is good for learning the count, and Nalu weighs what you’re likely to peg straight back before it plays. Every deal has a number, so Replay this deal lets you try a different discard on the same cards. The Daily Discards gives everyone the same five deals and shows the best keep for each starter after you choose.

Looking for more card games for two? Our Gin Rummy strategy tips cover the knock, deadwood and going gin, and our list of strategy card games for two has more to try.