The top card of the lower half is placed face up – if it’s a jack, the dealer can score “his heels” or “his nibs”. Cut Card – After each player is dealt their hand, the player on the dealer’s left cuts the remaining cards.Can also refer to a single dealing instead of the cards themselves.

Hand – A set of four cards that every player begins each play with.Pegging – The process of moving your pegs along the board to record points scored during play.Some boards may feature additional pegs and holes for marking games won by each player. Each player uses two pegs in a leapfrog manner to make it more difficult to lose track of the score. Pegs – Small markers that players move along the cribbage board to help keep score.Crib – Also called the “box”, crib is the term for the two cards discarded by players for the dealer to use.Still, let’s go through them in case you’ve missed any – or in case you’re a full beginner: If you know how to play the game, you are likely already familiar with most of them. To help you brush up on the cribbage jargon, we’ve prepared this glossary that covers core terms every player should know.įirst, let’s go over some of the most basic terms commonly used in cribbage.

Like many card games, cribbage uses a rich vocabulary of terms for game elements, card combinations, specific strategies, and more – understanding that vocabulary is essential for learning the game. When you first play cribbage with more experienced players, it might feel like they’re speaking a language of their own.

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