How to Play Crib (Three-Hand)

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Three-hand crib adapts the classic two-player game of cribbage for three players without losing any of its essential character. Each player is dealt five cards, discards one to a single communal crib, and then plays out the remaining four cards before scoring hand, crib, and pegging combinations on the board. The balance of holding strong cards against feeding the crib makes every deal a small tactical puzzle.

The game is a pub and kitchen-table staple across Britain, particularly popular where a third player would otherwise be left watching. A cribbage board is the traditional scoring tool, and the rhythm of pegging, counting hands aloud, and calling "one for his nob" gives the game a sociable, unhurried atmosphere that keeps regulars coming back.

A little history

Cribbage in its two-player form is widely documented as a seventeenth-century English card game, with the poet Sir John Suckling credited in many historical accounts as its creator or refiner around the 1630s, though some scholars dispute how much he invented versus adapted from the earlier game Noddy. Three-hand cribbage developed as a natural extension once the game became widely played, but the precise date at which the three-player variant was formalised is not clearly documented; it is traditionally regarded as a long-established pub variant rather than a modern invention.

Setting up

1. Sit the three players around the table. A cribbage board placed centrally works best.
2. Shuffle the deck thoroughly and cut for first dealer: lowest card deals. Ace is low for this cut.
3. Give each player five cards, dealt one at a time, clockwise.
4. Set aside a face-down crib pile in front of the dealer. Each player privately selects one card from their hand and places it face down on the crib, giving the dealer a three-card crib.
5. The player to the dealer's left cuts the remaining deck. The dealer turns up the top card of the lower portion as the starter card (also called the turn-up). If it is a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs two points (two for his heels). Place the starter card face up where all players can see it.
6. Each player now holds four cards. Play proceeds clockwise from the player to the dealer's left.

How to play

1. THE PLAY (pegging): Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player in turn lays one card face up in front of themselves and announces the running total of all cards played so far. Cards count at face value; Ace counts 1, court cards (Jack, Queen, King) count 10.
2. The running total must not exceed 31. If a player cannot play without exceeding 31, they say 'Go'. Play continues with any remaining players who can still add a card. The last player able to play before 31 (or the player who reaches exactly 31) pegs 1 point for Go (or 2 for exactly 31). The count then resets to zero and the next player to the left of whoever played last restarts.
3. Pegging scores during the play: reaching exactly 15 scores 2; reaching exactly 31 scores 2; a pair (same rank as the immediately preceding card) scores 2; a pair royal (three of the same rank in sequence of play) scores 6; a double pair royal (four of the same rank) scores 12; a run of three or more cards played consecutively in any order, with no gap, scores 1 per card in the run; the last card played when no cards remain scores 1 (last card), unless that card makes 31, in which case score 2 instead.
4. Runs during the play must be unbroken: if a player interrupts the sequence by playing a card that does not extend the run, the run ends and no score is given for that interrupted sequence.
5. THE SHOW (counting hands): Once all cards have been played, players count their hands. The starter card counts as a fifth card for every player's hand and for the crib. Count in order: player to dealer's left first, then next player clockwise, then the dealer, and the dealer counts the crib last. This order matters if someone reaches 121 mid-show.
6. Scoring combinations in hand: fifteen (any combination of cards totalling 15) scores 2 per combination; pair (two cards of the same rank) scores 2; pair royal (three of same rank) scores 6; double pair royal (four of same rank) scores 12; run of three or more consecutive ranks (suits irrelevant) scores 1 per card; flush (four cards of the same suit in hand, not counting the starter) scores 4; if the starter also matches the suit, the flush scores 5; one for his nob (a Jack in hand matching the suit of the starter) scores 1.
7. The crib scores the same combinations as a hand with one exception: a flush in the crib must be five cards (all four crib cards plus the starter in the same suit) to score; a four-card crib flush does not count.
8. Only the dealer scores the crib. All players peg their running scores on the board as they announce each combination.
9. DEAL ROTATION: After scoring, the deal passes one player clockwise. Shuffle and deal again. Play continues until one player reaches or passes 121.

Winning and scoring

The first player to reach or pass 121 points wins, whether those points come during the play or the show. Points are pegged progressively on the cribbage board; a player who reaches 121 mid-play wins immediately without waiting for the show to finish. If two players could theoretically reach 121 in the same show, the earlier scorer in the counting order wins, which is why the player to the dealer's left counts first. A player who is more than 30 points behind the winner when the game ends is traditionally said to be lurched or skunked, though no formal penalty applies unless agreed beforehand.

The fine points

The most common dispute in three-hand crib concerns the crib: only the dealer receives its points, yet all three players contribute one card to it. This creates an asymmetry players sometimes object to mid-game. The rule stands as stated: the dealer scores the crib alone, which is why the deal rotating fairly each round is essential. A second frequent edge case is the muggins rule: if a player announces fewer points than they have actually scored, any opponent may call 'muggins' and claim the uncounted points for themselves. Muggins is optional and should be agreed before play begins, as it can be harsh on newcomers.

During the play, a player who calls 'Go' incorrectly (they actually held a playable card) must take back the call and play the card; no penalty is applied on a first offence in casual play, though repeated mis-calls may be penalised by house agreement. Runs during the play require that the cards played in sequence can form a run regardless of the order they were played: for example, if the cards played are 4, 6, 5 the run of three scores 3. If the next player adds a 7, the run extends to four and scores 4. If they add a 4 instead, the run is broken and no run score applies to that card.

How to win more often

• Discard to the crib with care: when you are not the dealer, avoid giving the crib cards that form easy fifteens or pairs. Cards such as a 5 paired with a 10-value card hand the dealer free points.
• When you are the dealer, lean into the crib: discard cards that complement each other (close ranks, same suit, cards near 5 or 10) because every point the crib scores is yours alone.
• Count your hand before the show starts, not during it. Knowing your exact score in advance lets you peg confidently and avoids costly miscounts that opponents can claim under muggins.
• During the play, lead from the middle ranks (4, 5, 6, 7) rather than a 10-value card. A 10-value lead invites the next player to play a 5 and immediately score a fifteen.
• Track where opponents are on the board and adjust aggression accordingly. If a rival is within striking distance of 121, prioritise any pegging opportunities over holding cards for a bigger show score.

Variations

Shared Crib Rotation

In this variant the right to score the crib rotates independently of the deal: the crib is scored by the player who has held the crib fewest times so far, resolving ties by clockwise order from the dealer. This reduces the advantage the dealer traditionally holds and is popular where players feel the standard rule creates too large a swing.

61-Point (Short Game)

Players race to 61 rather than 121, halving the board and the playing time. Every rule is otherwise identical. This is a useful format when time is short or when introducing newer players who might find a full game daunting. Some boards mark the 61-point halfway peg hole for exactly this purpose.

Lowball Crib

Each player discards to the crib as normal, but the dealer scores points only for combinations that fall below a set threshold agreed before play, traditionally 8 points. Any crib score above that threshold is simply not pegged. This removes some of the dealer's structural advantage and creates a different kind of discard puzzle for all three players.

Three-Hand Partnership

Where a group of four wants to include only three in a round, one player sits out and pegs alongside a nominated partner at the table, sharing that partner's score. The sitting-out player rotates each deal. This is an informal arrangement rather than a codified variant, but it is traditional enough to be worth knowing for mixed-group play.

Crib (Three-Hand): frequently asked questions