Cribbage Facts & History
Everything you wanted to know about one of the world's oldest card games
Quick Stats
2 (or 3-4 variant)
Players
Standard 52-card deck
Cards
15-30 minutes
Game Length
121 points
Target Score
6 dealt, keep 4
Cards in Hand
4 (2 from each player)
Cards in Crib
29 points
Highest Hand
~1630 England
Invented
History & Origins
Cribbage was created around 1630 by the English poet Sir John Suckling. He based it on an earlier game called 'Noddy' but added the crib to create something new.
Cribbage is nearly 400 years old, making it one of the oldest card games still played in its original form. The rules have barely changed since the 1600s.
By tradition (not actual law), cribbage is the only card game allowed to be played for money aboard US Navy submarines. This dates back to World War II.
Cribbage became hugely popular in British pubs and was one of the few games legally allowed to be played for small stakes under the Gaming Act of 1968.
Fun Facts & Trivia
The perfect 29-point hand (three 5s and the Jack matching the starter 5) is so rare that the odds are about 1 in 216,580 hands dealt.
The target of 121 points equals 'twice around the board plus one'. Traditional boards have 60 holes per side, so 60 + 60 + 1 = 121.
It's mathematically impossible to score exactly 19 points in cribbage. That's why saying you have a '19 hand' means you scored zero!
The board with pegs was invented to prevent scoring disputes. Before boards existed, players kept score with chalk on tables.
Each player uses two pegs so the previous score is always visible. This prevents cheating by moving the peg too far forward.
The American Cribbage Congress (ACC) hosts an annual tournament with over 1,000 players competing for the title of Grand National Champion.