Cribbage for beginners
By The Play Card Games Online team · Updated
Cribbage looks complicated the first time: a board, a crib, fifteens, pegging, “his nobs.” The quickest way to learn is to play a few hands with the counting done for you. Here is a beginner’s path, and how the free cribbage sites help you learn.
A beginner’s path
- Read the basics once. The cribbage rules page explains the deal, the crib, pegging and the show in plain English, with example hands counted by the game itself.
- Play the Beginner computer. It makes plenty of mistakes, so you can win while you learn. Every pegging point and every hand is counted out point by point, the way you’d say it at the table.
- Use the Hint button when you’re not sure what to throw to the crib or which card to play.
- Read the throw review after each hand. It shows what your throw was worth on average, counting the crib, and the best throw if yours wasn’t it.
- Count hands yourself with the cribbage hand calculator and check your answer.
- Move up a level when you win most games: Casual, then Skilled, then Expert.
How the free sites help you learn
| Feature | Play Card Games Online(this site) | cribbage-online.net | cardgames.io | Cribbage JD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Help while you learn | Hints, a review of your throw to the crib every hand, every hand counted out point by point, rules and a hand calculator | Hints, a discard analyzer that flags sub-optimal plays, a tutorial and strategy guides | A rules page and statistics; scores shown on a scorecard, with a board view | Rules, strategy articles and a scoring calculator |
| Play the computer | Yes, 4 levels: Beginner, Casual, Skilled, Expert | Yes, 3 levels: Easy, Standard, Pro | Yes (an opponent called Bill); we found no difficulty setting on its cribbage page | Yes: Easy, Medium, Hard, Crazy, Ninja, Insane, Monkey, Impossible (higher levels unlock as you win) |
| Text and card size | 4 text sizes (A to A+++); the cards grow with the text | No text-size setting found | No text-size setting found | No text-size setting found; it advertises large, easy-to-read cards |
cribbage-online.net is also good for learners: its discard analyzer flags sub-optimal plays, and it has a tutorial. Cribbage JD has strategy articles and a scoring calculator. cardgames.io has a rules page.
Where we fall short
Our computer tops out at Expert; if you get very good, Cribbage JD has harder levels. And when you’re ready to play people online with a rating, that isn’t here yet: Cribbage JD has rated games today.
Who should pick another site
- You want a step-by-step tutorial inside the game: cribbage-online.net.
- You’ve learned and want rated games against people: Cribbage JD.
Keep reading
Sources
Facts about other sites come from their own pages, checked October 29, 2026. Sites change: if something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it. Facts about Play Card Games Online are from the live game.
- cribbage-online.net home page (the game, its menus and its ad slots) (checked October 29, 2026)
- cardgames.io cribbage page and its Options and Multiplayer menus (checked October 29, 2026)
- Cribbage JD page on cardsjd.com (features and FAQ) (checked October 29, 2026)
- Cribbage JD game (levels, online menu, rating system, store) (checked October 29, 2026)