Components

• The pegging board represents each player's score.
• Standard 52-card deck.
• Suits are equal in status.
• A = 1.
• J,Q,K = 10.

The deal

• The players cut for first deal, lowest card deals first.
  • If tied, the deck is re-shuffled and re-cut.

👤2players⇨✋6cards in hand

👤3players⇨✋5cards in hand + 1🟔 to the crib

👤4players⇨✋5cards in hand & players sitting opposite each other are on a team.

The crib

• Each player chooses four cards to keep and discards the remainder face-down to form the "crib" to be used later by the dealer.
• Each player's hand and the crib are four cards.

The starter

• The non-dealer (Alice) cuts the deck and the dealer reveals the top card of the bottom section, called "the starter" or "the cut".
• A Jack scores the dealer two points for "his heels".
• The starter is used later during "the show".

The play

• "The play" (or "pegging") starts with the non-dealer (Alice).
• Each player plays one card face up, stating the cumulative value, or "count", of the cards played so far.
  • e.g. Alice plays 4♣ and says "four", Bob plays 7♥ and says "eleven" etc.
• The count must not exceed 31.
• Each player must keep playing until they are unable to play.
• A player who cannot play passes by saying "Go".
• The player that plays the last card scores 1 point for the "Go" or 2 points if the count is exactly 31.
• The count is then reset to zero and play resumes, starting with the player who passed by saying "Go".
• This is repeated until all cards in hands have been played.

Players can score additional points during "the play" according to the following rules:

Fifteen

count is exactly 15 ⇨ 2 points

Run of 3

in any order e.g. 6♠4♦5♠ ⇨ 3 points

Run of 4

⇨ 4 points

• Each extra card in a run ⇨ +1 point

Pair

(same rank as the previous card) ⇨ 2 points

Three of a kind

(same rank as the previous cards) ⇨ 6 points (3 distinct pairs × 2 points)

Four of a kind

(same rank as the previous cards) ⇨ 12 points (6 distinct pairs × 2 points)

If a card completes more than one scoring combination, then all combinations are scored.

The show

1. After "the play", each player starting with the non-dealer scores points.
2. The dealer's hand is scored.
3. The crib is revealed and scored by the dealer as an additional hand.
   • Scoring the crib is the same as scoring a hand with the exception of a flush; a four-card flush in the crib is scored only if it is the same suit as the starter card (5 points).

The starter card is a fifth card shared with all hands. Scoring:

Fifteen

each separate combination = 15 ⇨ 2 points

Run of three

consecutive (regardless of suit) ⇨ 3 points

Run of four

consecutive (regardless of suit) ⇨ 4 points

Run of five

consecutive (regardless of suit) ⇨ 5 points

Pair

⇨ 2 points

Three of a kind

⇨ 6 points

Four of a kind

⇨ 12 points

Flush

all four cards in the hand are of the same suit ⇨ 4 points.

• Note: this is the only rule that does not apply to the crib.

Flush

the starter card is of the same suit ⇨ 5 points

Jack

of the same suit ("His nob") as the starter card ⇨ 1 point

Common combinations are often scored as a group.

• "double run" e.g. 2♠2♣3♦4♠ :
  • two runs of three 2♠3♦4♠, 2♣3♦4♠ + pair 2♠2♣ ⇨ 2 × 3 + 2 = 8 points.
• "triple run" e.g. 2♠2♣2♥3♦4♠ :
  • three runs of three 2♠3♦4♠, 2♣3♦4♠, 2♥3♦4♠ + three of a kind 2♠2♣2♥ ⇨ 3 × 3 + 6 = 15 points.
• "double-double run" e.g. 2♠3♦3♥4♠4♣ :
  • four runs of three 2♠3♦4♠, 2♠3♦4♣, 2♠3♥4♠, 2♠3♥4♣ and two pairs 3♦3♥, 4♠4♣ ⇨ 4 × 3 + 2 × 2 = 16 points.

Combined runs may also include fifteen-twos. A 24 hand, a large commonly seen, can comprise a double-double run and four fifteen-twos.

• e.g. 4♠4♦5♥5♠6♣, 6♠7♦7♥8♠8♣.

After the dealer's crib is scored, the next player becomes dealer. As in the first round, the next round starts with the deal.

Game end

• A player wins the game immediately with a score 121 or more.
• This can occur during the cut, the play or the show.
  • e.g. during "the show", the non-dealer (Alice) scores 122 and the dealer does not count their hand nor their crib.
  • e.g. the dealer wins the game on "the cut" of a Jack ("his heels").