A two-player pegging and hand-scoring game played to 121, combining runs, pairs, fifteens and the crib.
- Variant code
- standard-2p-121
- Players
- 2
- Deck
- Standard 52-card deck with a cribbage board.
- Teams
- Individual play.
- Scoring engine
- none (manual)
- Reviewed
- 2026-11-10 (editorial; revision 1)
Quick start
Deal six each, discard two to the dealer crib, cut the starter. Alternate playing cards and peg for fifteens, pairs, runs and last card; then score hands and the crib. First to 121 wins.
Players and object
Two players use a standard deck and a cribbage board; reach 121 points first.
Claim and evidence (players)
Two players (heads-up).
- Cribbage - Pagat (players)
- Cribbage rules overview - Bicycle Cards (general)
Setup and deal
Deal six each, each discards two to the crib, then the dealer turns the cut card.
Turn order
The non-dealer plays first during pegging and counts their hand first; dealing alternates.
Claim and evidence (turn)
The non-dealer leads pegging and counts first.
- Cribbage - Pagat (turn)
- Cribbage rules - American Cribbage Congress (general)
Pegging
Play cards face up without exceeding 31; score for fifteen, thirty-one, pairs, runs and last card.
Scoring hands and the crib
Score each hand (then the crib) for fifteens, pairs, runs, flush and his nobs.
Claim and evidence (scoring)
Score fifteens, pairs, runs, flush and his nobs; pegging and hands both count.
- Cribbage - Pagat (scoring)
- Cribbage rules - American Cribbage Congress (general)
Ending the game
The game ends at 121 points.
Claim and evidence (win_condition)
The game ends at 121 points.
- Cribbage - Pagat (game)
- Cribbage rules overview - Bicycle Cards (general)
Worked example
During pegging a total of 15 scores 2, then a pair scores 2. A hand of 5-5-5-J with a 5 cut scores 6 for fifteens, 6 for pairs and 1 for his nobs = 13.
House-rule choices
Flush rule in the hand versus crib, muggins, and board length.
Common questions
Who plays first? The non-dealer. What is the crib? The four discards scored by the dealer.
Worked example
Pegging and a hand count
A hand of 5-5-5-J with a 5 cut: 6 (fifteens) + 6 (three pairs) + 1 (his nobs) = 13.
| Expected result | Value |
|---|---|
| hand_points | 13 |
Reproduced by an editor; no scoring engine shipped for this variant.
Sources and review
Written in original wording and checked against the references below for this exact variant. External prose is not copied. Every material claim carries its own evidence.
- Cribbage - Pagat (reference)
- Cribbage rules overview - Bicycle Cards (reference)
- Cribbage rules - American Cribbage Congress (reference)