3-Player Cribbage

3-Player Cribbage

3-Player Cribbage adapts standard Cribbage for three players. The scoring and pegging rules are identical to the 2-player game; only the deal and crib construction differ.

The Deal

Each player is dealt 5 cards. Each player discards 1 card face-down to the crib. One additional card is dealt from the top of the deck directly to the crib, face-down. The crib contains 4 cards (1 from each player + 1 from the deck) — the same size as in standard 2-player Cribbage.

The crib belongs to the dealer and is scored by the dealer at the end of the hand. Deal rotates clockwise each hand.

Turn-Up (Starter Card)

After discarding to the crib, the player to the dealer’s left cuts the deck. The dealer turns up the top card of the lower half as the starter card. If it is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 points immediately (His Heels).

Pegging

Players peg in clockwise order (the player left of the dealer leads first). Rules are identical to 2-player Cribbage:

• Play a card and announce the running total
• Score points for pairs, runs, fifteens, and reaching exactly 31
• Say “Go” if unable to play without exceeding 31; the last player to play scores 1 point
• After “Go”, the count resets to zero
• Last card played at the end of pegging scores 1 point (Go or 31)

The Show

After pegging, each player scores their hand (4 cards + starter), in clockwise order starting from the dealer’s left. The dealer scores last, then turns up and scores the crib.

Scoring is identical to standard Cribbage: fifteens (2 pts each), pairs/three-of-a-kind/four-of-a-kind, runs, flush (4+ cards of same suit in hand; 5 if starter matches), and Nobs (Jack of starter’s suit in hand = 1 pt).

Game

First player to reach 121 points wins. If a player reaches 121 during pegging, the game ends immediately.

Skunk Rule (optional)

A player not yet past 90 points when the winner reaches 121 is skunked (loses double). Not yet past 60 is double-skunked (loses triple).