It’s always a good sign that new versions of something are emerging all over the world. Take Cribbage, for example – you may know that there are at least four other popular versions of this 400-year-old game. All four versions were created over the past 20 to 40 years, which means that the original version has played as 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 called Cococo Games, and another, CrossCribb, was created by a small toy store in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Other versions of Cribbage have started to appear as of late. 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 described below allow more than 2 players to participate simultaneously and were developed for families to play together.
The Cutthroat Cribbage game 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 by themselves each time they score a point. Each of the three players must cut the deck to determine the dealer. In this version, as in all the others, the player with the lowest card is the dealer, and Ace normally acts as the lowest card in the deck. The dealer will deal five cards to each player and then one to the crib. Each player will 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 pits one player 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 begin playing with their scoring peg inserted into space 60 on the Cribbage board. The other two players, acting as a team, will begin their scoring in the normal position. Team members can play to prepare each other for more points as the game keeps going to the left of the table. The team must reach 121 points before the captain reaches 61 to win.
What You Need To Know About Four Player Doubles Cribbage
The Doubles Cribbage game can be played on 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 on one team and each member of the team will play against a member of the other team.