Cribbage

     When my family gets together we're the usual giant family that you see in movies--loud conversation everywhere, kids running pell-mell through the house, snagging food on the way through the kitchen, and videos or games after dinner. Mostly that's when everyone gets together, when Gra'ma comes to visit we do pretty much the same stuff: television in one room, stories and conversation in another, and after dinner card games or dominoes.
     Gra'ma came to visit last week arriving in the late afternoon and proceeded to teach my brother and me to play Cribbage. It's not a difficult game once you've got all the rules down.

• Sum of 15 gets 2 points
• Sum of 31 gets 2 points
• Doubles get 2 points
• Runs of 3 or more get 1 point per card
• Face cards are 10
• Aces are always low (1 points of value)

Then are the more confusing rules: 

• If you draw a Jack from the pile you get 2 points
• If a Jack in your hand matches the suit of the card drawn you get 1 point
• Last card played gets 1 point (if it's not 31)

     The game starts with a deal: five cards each with four people, five each and one in the kitty with three people, six each with two people. Everyone puts a card into the kitty (which goes to the dealer at the end of play) to equal four. Then the person to the left of Dealer starts. 

     Each person plays a card in front of themselves, hoping to peg points. As you go when a person or team (usually when you have four players you play teams of two) gets one of the things I listed (drawing a Jack you get the point right away, matching the draw you wait until the end) you move your peg in the board. Everyone goes around until there are no more cards. 

     When everyone's hand is gone (the Kitty is still face-down and untouched) you count your cards. If you can make sets of 15, runs, any of those things I listed at the top, you get points and you peg those points on the board. This includes all possible combinations between your hand and the draw on top of the pile. So if you have three fives, a Jack, a Queen, and a King is drawn you get 2 points for each combination: K5, K5, K5, Q5, Q5, Q5, J5, J5, J5, 555, two points for each double (6 in this case because you have three of a kind), and three points for your run of three (assuming your Jack doesn't match the king, if it does you get another point). This would count: 15-2, 15-4, 15-6, 15-8, 15-10...15-20, triple for 26, run of 27, 28, 29, and Jack for 30. Such a hand is nearly ideal and if you got it take pictures--it rarely happens.      After everyone has pegged their hand, starting with the person to the left of the dealer and ending with the dealer, the dealer counts the kitty. You count it just like you count your hand and Dealer gets the points. The deal rotates and you continue until someone pegs into the final hole.
     The standard board has 120 points on the track and when it comes to winning and counting your wins there are two things you should keep in mind. 1: If you are behind the Skunk line the win counts for two games 2: If you are behind the Double Skunk line it counts for four games. The Skunk line is usually at 90 points--thirty points back--and the Double Skunk is at 60 points--halfway around the board.
     I'm sure some of the rules we play with are wrong, but it's a fun game once you've figured out the strict rules and regulations. I am still learning and I've been slowly learning off and on for years. Good Luck & I hope you enjoy your game!

Stephie