How to Win at Cribbage: Simple Strategy That Works
Quick answer
To win at cribbage, get the discard right first: keep the four cards that score best, feed your own crib, and starve your opponent's. Then peg carefully. Lead a card under 5, avoid leaving the count on 5 or 21, and near the end play for the points you need to reach 121.
Win the discard and you win most hands
Every hand, you choose 2 of 6 cards for the crib. That is 15 possible choices, and the gap between the best and the worst is often several points. Over a whole game, that adds up to more than any lucky cut.
- Your crib: throw cards that score together: a pair, two cards adding to 15, cards close in rank, or a 5.
- Their crib: throw cards far apart in rank, like a king and a 2. Avoid 5s, pairs, and cards that make 15 together.
- Your hand comes first. Don't break up a strong hand just to protect a crib.
Practice: find the best discard
These hands are different from the ones on our two-player page. Pick two cards; the engine ranks all 15 choices and says why the best one wins.
Try it: your best discard
You are dealt six cards. Two go to the crib. Pick the two you would throw, and the game engine scores all 15 choices against every possible starter card.
Your hand: Nine of clubs, Ten of diamonds, Jack of hearts, Queen of spades, Three of diamonds, Six of hearts.
Best throw when it is your own crib: nine of clubs and six of hearts.
Keep 10♦ J♥ Q♠ 3♦: about 5.5 points in your hand on average. The two cards add about 2.5 to your crib. Net: 8.1.
Before the starter, 10♦ J♥ Q♠ 3♦ already scores 3: a run of three is three.
All 15 choices, best first
| Throw | Keep | Hand | Crib | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. 9♣ 6♥ | 10♦ J♥ Q♠ 3♦ | 5.5 | +2.5 | 8.1 |
| 2. Q♠ 3♦ | 9♣ 10♦ J♥ 6♥ | 7.1 | +0.6 | 7.7 |
| 3. 3♦ 6♥ | 9♣ 10♦ J♥ Q♠ | 6.6 | +0.5 | 7.2 |
| 4. Q♠ 6♥ | 9♣ 10♦ J♥ 3♦ | 5.5 | +0.6 | 6.0 |
| 5. 9♣ 3♦ | 10♦ J♥ Q♠ 6♥ | 5.2 | +0.5 | 5.7 |
| 6. J♥ Q♠ | 9♣ 10♦ 3♦ 6♥ | 3.8 | +1.3 | 5.2 |
| 7. 10♦ J♥ | 9♣ Q♠ 3♦ 6♥ | 3.4 | +1.2 | 4.6 |
| 8. 10♦ Q♠ | 9♣ J♥ 3♦ 6♥ | 3.8 | +0.8 | 4.6 |
| 9. 10♦ 3♦ | 9♣ J♥ Q♠ 6♥ | 3.9 | +0.6 | 4.5 |
| 10. J♥ 3♦ | 9♣ 10♦ Q♠ 6♥ | 3.7 | +0.8 | 4.5 |
| 11. 9♣ 10♦ | J♥ Q♠ 3♦ 6♥ | 2.2 | +1.0 | 3.2 |
| 12. 10♦ 6♥ | 9♣ J♥ Q♠ 3♦ | 2.2 | +0.6 | 2.8 |
| 13. J♥ 6♥ | 9♣ 10♦ Q♠ 3♦ | 2.0 | +0.8 | 2.8 |
| 14. 9♣ J♥ | 10♦ Q♠ 3♦ 6♥ | 1.7 | +1.0 | 2.7 |
| 15. 9♣ Q♠ | 10♦ J♥ 3♦ 6♥ | 2.1 | +0.6 | 2.7 |
Averages over all 46 cards that could be cut as the starter. Pegging is not counted, so close calls can go either way.
Lead a card under 5, and never a 5
A deck has 16 cards worth 10 (tens, jacks, queens, kings). Lead a 5 and any of them gives your opponent a fifteen for 2. Lead an ace, 2, 3 or 4 and no single card can reach 15, because even a 10 only brings the count to 14 or less.
Stay off 5 and 21
A count of 5 and a count of 21 are both one ten-card away from a score. If you leave the count on 21, any of the 16 ten-cards makes 31 for 2. When you can, play a card that leaves the count somewhere else.
Pairs: lead from a pair to set a trap
If you hold two 4s, lead one. If your opponent pairs it, they score 2, but you can play your other 4 for three of a kind and score 6. The same idea works with any low pair.
The flip side: when your opponent leads, think before you pair their card. If they hold the third one, your 2 points become their 6.
Play to the score near the end
Early in a game, play for the most points. Late in a game, look at where both pegs are. If you will reach 121 on your count, play safe in pegging and avoid giving points away. If your opponent will count out first, take risks in pegging, because it may be your last chance to score.
Our guide to the cribbage board explains how to read the pegs at a glance.
If you like Cribbage, try
Euchre
2–4 players · 20 min · Learn in a game or two
Partners, trump and the two bowers. Take three tricks of five.
Spite & Malice
2–4 players · 25 min · Easy to learn
Play off your pile before your opponent does. The game Skip-Bo grew from.
Canasta
2–6 players · 60 min · Learn in a game or two
Meld sevens of a kind with your partner. Red threes are a bonus.
Questions people ask
What is the best strategy in cribbage?
Make your discard count. Keep the four cards that score best, give your own crib cards that work together, and give your opponent’s crib cards that don’t. Then peg carefully: lead low, avoid leaving the count on 5 or 21, and think about the score near the end.
What is the best card to lead in cribbage?
A 4 or lower is a safe lead, because no single card can make 15 with it. Many players lead a 4 from a pair of 4s. Avoid leading a 5: any of the sixteen 10-point cards makes 15 for your opponent.
Should you ever throw a 5 in your opponent’s crib?
Rarely. A 5 makes 15 with every 10-point card, so it is the most valuable card to put in a crib. Throw a 5 to your opponent only when every other choice ruins your own hand.
Is it better to deal or be pone in cribbage?
The dealer has the edge each hand because of the crib. The pone gets the first lead and counts first, which matters at the end of a close game.
How do you get better at cribbage fast?
Practice the discard. Use the trainer on this page, then play a few games online, where the computer counts every hand and shows you the points you would have missed.