Three-Handed Cribbage
How to Play Cribbage with 3 Players
Three-handed cribbage rules: deal five cards each and one to the crib, discard one, then peg and count to 121. How go, counting order and the board work.
To play cribbage with 3 players, deal five cards to each player and one card face down to the crib. Each player then throws one card into the crib, so everyone keeps four and the crib ends up with four as well. The player to the dealer’s left cuts the starter and plays first, and the game runs to 121, every player for themselves.
Setup for three-handed cribbage
- Use one standard 52-card deck and a three-track board (a triangular board or any board with three sets of holes).
- Cut for the first deal; the lowest card deals. After each hand the deal passes to the left.
- Deal five cards to each player, one at a time, and one card straight to the crib.
- Each player discards one card to the crib. The crib belongs to the dealer.
- The player to the dealer’s left cuts the deck and the dealer turns up the starter. A Jack scores 2 for the dealer (his heels).
The play with three players
The player to the dealer’s left leads, and play moves on to the left. Fifteen, thirty-one, pairs and runs score exactly as in two-player cribbage, with one twist: a pair royal or a run can now be built from cards played by all three of you, so the player after you may cash in on what you set up.
When a player cannot play without passing 31, they say “Go”, and the next player who still can carries on. Once two players have said go, the third keeps playing until they run out of cards they can lay, then scores 1 for the last card, or 2 for hitting exactly 31. The count resets and the next player in turn starts afresh.
Counting hands in 3-player cribbage
The show starts with the player to the dealer’s left, moves on to the next player and ends with the dealer, who counts their hand and then the crib. Each hand is scored with the starter exactly as in the two-player game: fifteens, pairs, runs, flush and nobs. The first player to reach 121 wins at once, so in a close finish the player left of the dealer has the edge: they count before anyone else.
How 3-player cribbage differs from 2-player
| 2 players | 3 players | |
|---|---|---|
| Cards dealt | 6 each | 5 each + 1 to the crib |
| Discards to the crib | 2 each | 1 each |
| Who cuts the starter | Non-dealer | Player left of the dealer |
| Who plays and counts first | Non-dealer | Player left of the dealer |
| Game | 121 | 121 (61 for a shorter game) |
Strategy for three players
- You own the crib only one hand in three, so discard more defensively than in a two-player game.
- With two opponents, a five or a pair thrown into someone else’s crib costs you twice as often.
- Pegging is busier: leave the count where neither opponent can easily make 15 or 31.
- The two trailing players often team up, unofficially, to stop the leader rather than each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards do you deal in 3-player cribbage?
Five to each player and one to the crib. Each player then discards one card, leaving four in every hand and four in the crib.
Who gets the crib in 3-handed cribbage?
The dealer, as in the two-player game. The deal rotates to the left, so each player owns the crib once every three hands.
Can you play cribbage with 3 players on a normal board?
You need three tracks. Many boards have three or four; on a two-track board, keep the third score on paper.
Can I play three-player cribbage online here?
Not three-handed: the cribbage game on this site is the two-player version. Press “Play now” at the top of this page to play it against a bot right here, with no account; a free account adds games against other players. The rules on this page are for a game at your own table.
Sources
We check these rules against the standard references:
- Six Card Cribbage · Pagat, John McLeodThe three-player deal of five cards each and one to the crib, the single discard, the player left of the dealer cutting and leading, play going on after two players say go, and the counting order.
- Cribbage · WikipediaFive cards each for three players, with a single card dealt face down to start the crib.