Cribbage Boards

Cribbage board games are a card game that is generally played with three, four or six players, forming various combinations with the playing cards. Points are scored by the runs of sequential cards, for pairs, triples, quadruples, flushes, and combos of cards that add up to the number 15. It is a game that involves terminology, tactics, some luck, and like other board games, etiquette.

John Aubrey stated that the cribbage game was invented by the English poet Sir John Suckling around the 17^th century. Derivate of the game noddy, cribbage was born, and there have been few changes made since then. The goal of the cribbage game is to be the first player to score at least 121 points. Points are scored by runs (groups of three or more sequential cards, regardless of suit); pairs, triples and quadruples (cards of same rank); flushes (all cards in your hand the same suit, can also include the starter); or combinations of cards that total 15; and a jack in your hand whose suit matches that of the starter. It is normally played by two people, but can be played by three (as individuals), four (as two two-person teams), or six (as three two-person teams). There are also custom made cribbage boards made of walnut, oak or cherry wood, with storage for the playing cards and pegs.

Part of what makes the cribbage board game unique is the board on which it is played. The majority of cribbage boards feature a type of track with 121 peg holes used for scoring. As players accumulate points they move their cribbage pegs the corresponding number of holes until one player reaches the last hole and wins. The game play and scoring is the same regardless of what type of board is being played on, and cribbage boards range greatly in style, design, and the type of wood used.

There are an array of designs but the most common type of cribbage board is rectangular with two or three tracks that wind around the board curving twice. These boards are usually 12 or 13 in length and a few inches wide. Some feature solid design and others fold for easy travel and storage. Often the tracks are the same color but more commonly they are painted different colors that correspond with each color peg. Usually players use two pegs to track their movements as they score points.