Cribbage

Introduction

Cribbage is typically recognized as a card game that accommodates between two and four players with the intent of achieving a score of 120 points. This classic game is often played for real money, albeit usually in friendly, small stakes. During my college years, I must have participated in thousands of games. Regrettably, since graduating, I have spent the last three decades searching for anyone willing to play with me. It's increasingly challenging to find individuals familiar with the rules of the game nowadays. Unfortunately, it seems to be fading into obscurity, which is disheartening because it is such an enjoyable and sociable pastime.

Over the years, I've noticed several game creators attempting to introduce their own casino-ready versions of cribbage. In my report on the subject, I discuss one such visionary. 2014 Raving table game show Despite my admiration for those striving to innovate in the world of tabletop games, I recognize that their efforts are likely to falter because cribbage is just too intricate to convey quickly to someone unfamiliar with it. Meanwhile, those who are acquainted with the rules are becoming increasingly rare.

Although you might not find cribbage set up at the Mirage anytime in the near future, there's now an opportunity to play a variation of cribbage against a dealer at online casinos through platforms like 1x2 gaming software . Unlike the traditional version, this adaptation does not involve discarding cards, making it purely a game of chance. Thus, there's no need to fret over mistakenly discarding the wrong card or miscalculating your hand. Just hit the deal button and enjoy the experience.

Rules

Here are the official rules for the Cribbage game provided by 1x2.

1. A standard deck of 52 cards is utilized, without any jokers.
2. Aces count as one point, cards numbered 2 through 10 are valued at their face value, while face cards are counted as ten points.
3. When it comes to straight sequences, the ranking of cards follows the same order as in poker, with aces being considered low.
4. The aim of the game is to outscore the dealer.
5. If the player has a higher score, their wager will pay out at even odds of 1:1. In contrast, if the dealer has a greater score, the player's wager is lost. Should both the player and dealer have equal points, the round results in a push.
6. The game deals four cards to both the player and dealer. Additionally, there is one community card known as the Crib Card that is available for both players to utilize.
7. Points can be earned through various combinations, such as:
   
   • Any combination of two or more cards that adds up to a total of 15. For instance, a queen paired with a 5 produces a total of 15, which is valued at 2 points in this scoring system.
   • Any pair is worth two points.
   • Any sequence of three to five consecutive cards constitutes a straight. The point value is determined by the number of cards forming the straight.
   • A flush consists of four or five cards. For a four-card flush, all four cards need to come from the player’s own hand, not including the shared Crib Card. A five-card flush must, of course, consist of all five cards. The points awarded correspond to the number of cards in the flush.
   • If the Crib Card is a jack, the dealer earns an additional two points.
   
   
8. A single card can contribute to multiple scoring combinations as long as each combination is distinct or scores for different reasons. For this reason, a three of a kind scores six points; there are three ways to select two cards from three to form a pair, and each pair counts for two points. Similarly, four of a kind scores 12 points, as there are six ways to choose two cards from four. It’s also important to note that a sequence like 4-5-6 can be counted twice: once as a three-card straight and again as two points totaling to 15.

The house edge arises solely from the rule that if the Crib Card is a jack, the dealer receives an extra two points.

Examples

If the rules described above seem in need of an example, I hope the following details can provide further clarity. In the illustration, the player's hand is depicted at the bottom, the dealer's hand is on top, and the Crib Card is displayed on the left.

In the example shown, the player totals 8 points, calculated as follows:

• A-2-3-4 straight for four points.
• Q-A-4 total count of 15 for two points.
• Q-2-3 total count of 15 for two points.

The dealer only accumulates two points from a pair of queens.

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In another hand presented, the player earns 6 points, detailed as follows:

• 8 (of hearts)-7 total of 15 for two points.
• 8 (of spades)-7 total of 15 for two points.
• Pair of eights for two points.

The dealer secures two points for the combination of 8-7, plus an additional two points for a pair of deuces, resulting in four points overall.

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In a separate hand example, the player achieves ten points, detailed in the following manner:

• The straight formed by 10-J-Q (of diamonds)-K accounts for four points.
• The straight formed by 10-J-Q (of spades)-K also counts for four points.
• Pair of queens for two points.

The dealer scores 15 points from four different combinations (5-10, 5-J, 2-3-10, 2-3-J). Each unique combination is valued at two points, leading to a total of eight points.

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In the final hand displayed, the player accumulates nine points as follows:

• 4-5-6 straight for three points.
• 4-5-6 count of 15 for two points.
• Q-5 for a total of 15 for two points.
• Q-4-A for a total of 15 for two points.

The dealer has zero points.

Analysis

I haven't yet performed an in-depth analysis of the game, but according to the help file, there's a claimed return rate of 97.2%. The likelihood that the dealer will score the additional two points from having a jack as the Crib Card stands at 4 out of 52. A bit of algebra suggests that if the Crib Card is a jack, players might anticipate losing approximately 36.4% of their bets. Ignoring ties, the probability of winning when facing a jack as the Crib Card is about 31.8%.

External Links

• Wizard of Vegas -- Discussion about Cribbage

Written by: Michael Shackleford