The Game of Cribbage and the Many Ways it Can Be Played With More Than Two Players

It is always a good sign when new versions of something pop up all over in the world. Take Cribbage for instance – you may know that there are at least four other popular versions of this 400 year old game. The four versions were all created over the past 20 – 40 years, which means that the original version has been played as it was intended for at least 360 years.

The original game was created by Sir John Suckling in the early 17th Century. One version, Kings Cribbage, was created by a company named Cococo Games, and another, CrossCribb was created by a small toy store in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Other versions of Cribbage have started popping up in recent times. They may not be as popular or well known as Kings Cribbage, CrossCribb or even Cribbage Solitaire, but they are a way for more than 2 people to play and enjoy Cribbage at the same time. Many of the versions outlined below allow more than 2 players to participate simultaneously, and were developed for families to play the game together.

The game of Cutthroat Cribbage for Three players

With this version you will need to have a three track Cribbage game board. Unlike the original game, everyone in the Cutthroat version has to insert pegs for themselves every time they score a point. Each of the three players will need to cut the deck to determine the dealer. In this version, as with all others, the player with the lowest card is the dealer, and Ace as normal acts as the lowest card in the deck. The dealer will then deal each player five cards and then one to the crib. Each player will then contribute one card to the crib leaving themselves, and the crib with four cards. Play continues as usual to the left and the first player to reach 121 points is the winner of the game.

How to Play Captain Cribbage

This version of Cribbage is also developed for three players, as it sets one player up against two others. You will need a two track game board for this version of the game. The lone player, known as the Captain, will start playing with his scoring peg inserted in the 60th space on the Cribbage board. The other two players, acting as a team, will start their scoring in the normal position. The team members can play to set each other up to get more points, as play still goes to the left of the table. The team must reach 121 points before the captain reaches 61 for a win.

What you need to know about Doubles Cribbage for Four players

The game of Doubles Cribbage can be played on either a two track Cribbage board or a four track Cribbage board. This game is played with the same rules as CrossCribb. Two players will play in a team and each member of the team will play opposite a member of the other team.