Cribbage rules - the go
(Previous section: Cribbage rules - the play)
The cribbage rules for scoring 'go' sometimes cause confusion. You earn a point for go when your opponent cannot go. This may be (a) because he has no cards (sometimes called 'One for last'), or (b) because he cannot play without going over 31 ('One for the go'). In either case if you make the total 31 you score only 2 points on the cribbage board, not 3 (because the go is included, as described above). However, you may well make 15 with the last card (in which case you do score 3).
An example sequence of play showing the rules for pegging points by both players:
Alice (pone) plays a 4, for a total of 4, and says 'Four.'
Bob plays a 7, for a total of 11, and says 'Eleven'.
Alice plays another 4, for a total of 15, and says 'Fifteen for two.' [and pegs 2 points]
Bob plays a Jack, for a total of 25, and says 'Twenty-five'.
Alice cannot go, as any of her remaining cards would take the total over 31. She says 'go'.
Bob plays a 5, for a total of 30, and says 'Thirty, and one for the go' [and pegs 1 point]
The count now goes back to zero, and the play continues. Since Bob played the last card, Alice goes first now.
Alice plays a 7, for a total of 7, and says 'Seven'.
Bob plays an 8, for a total of 15, and says 'Fifteen for two.' [and pegs 2 points]
Alice plays a 9, for a total of 24, and says 'Twenty-four for three'. [and pegs 3 points for her run of 7-8-9]
Bob cannot go, as he has run out of cards. He therefore says 'Go', and Alice pegs a point for the go. She also has run out of cards and so the game proceeds to the next phase.
Another example:
Bob (pone) plays a 4, for a total of 4, and says 'Four.'
Alice plays another 4, for a total of 8, and says 'Eight for two.' [and pegs 2 points for the pair]
Bob plays a third 4, for a total of 12, and says 'Twelve for six.' [and pegs 6 points for the pair royal ]
Alice plays a 3, for a total of 15, and says 'Fifteen for two.' [and pegs 2 points]
Bob plays a 2, for a total of 17, and says 'Seventeen for three.' [and pegs 3 points for the run 4-3-2]
Alice plays a 5, for a total of 22, and says 'Twenty-two for four.' [and pegs 4 points for the run 5-4-3-2]]
Bob cannot go without going over 31, and so says 'Go'.
Alice plays a 9, for a total of 31, and says 'Thirty-one for two.' [and pegs 2 points. 'One for the go' is only scored when the scoring player does not make 31. ]
The count is now reset, and Bob plays first, as Alice played last.
Bob plays a Queen, for a total of 10, and says 'Ten.'
Alice cannot go, as she has run out of cards, and so says 'Go'. [ Bob pegs 1 point for the go. ]
For tips on how to make the most of the go, see the cribbage strategy section.
If you say 'Go' when you had a card you could legally play, this is a breach of the rules called a renege.
An optional rule that is sometimes played forbids a player from scoring a go when she is in the stinkhole (on 120 points). This is not part of the standard rules, however.
Pegging Question
I receive a "GO" from the other player at 29 after I just played an ace. I have 2 aces remaining and I play each one sequentially, ultimately reaching 31. How many total points can I peg? Is it 8 points or 10 points?
Re: Pegging Question
You peg 6 points for the three aces, and another 2 for 31, so that's 8 points in total.
Re: Pegging Question
I thought that would be 10 points.
if the board looks like this:
***A for 29
***AA for 30 --- 2 points for the pair.
***AAA for 31 --- 6 points for the royal pair and 2 for 31
Total of 10 unanswered points?
Re: Pegging Question
Nick,
You are absolutely right - my mistake. I thought the question was how many points would you peg for playing the final ace - but along the way you should have pegged two points for the pair, before playing the third ace for a further 8 points.
Pegging Question
Nick,
Would RJM also get another point for receiving a "go" before laying the last 2 aces? Total = 11 points?
stinkhole
So when my peg ends up in the 120 position, do I need ago to finish and last card is not a go or I cannot finnish on a go? ( I need points such as a pair to cross over?)
Re: stinkhole
See the Stinkhole page for rules about scoring in the stink hole.
go or no go??
someone plays all of his cards before the other person...does the person get a GO after each card??
No, but you can get multiple points if you play it right
Lets say the count is 29 and you have 3,3,A in hand.
You play the Ace. (count 30)
He says go, you say go. You both get a point. (I think) You get 1 for the last card, he gets it for your go. (this is where i'm unclear)
New count, you played last, so you play your 3.
Opponent says go, you get a point.
you play your 2nd 3, you get 2 points for the pair, and 1 point for the last card.
Now, let's say the count is 26 and you have A,A,A.
You play your 1st ace, (27) opponent says go. You get 1 point for the go, but now you play the rest of your hand.
You play the 2nd Ace (28), for 2 (pair), then the 3rd ace (29) for 6 (triple) and 1 point for the last card.
I think the whole go point system is stupid, and only slows the game down counting single points and confuses the rules with posts like these.
Scoring a "go" when the opponent is out of cards
I think I figured this out from other posts on the site, but I want to double check? I am dealer and have T,T,9,8 my opponent has K,Q,Q,A. The play goes K,T,Q. I say "go" and my opponent plays their A and pegs 2 points for 31. (They are left with one Q and I still have T,9,8.) The next play, which starts with me, goes T,Q,9. The total is at 29 and my opponent has no more cards and I still hold an 8. Do I get one point for my opponent's "go" at 29 and then start the next play with the 8 and get one more point for "last card"?
pegging
How many points do you get for 4 of the same while pegging. One person puts a 4, the next person puts a 4 for 2, the first person puts another 4 for 6, and if another 4 is put down, is it 8?
the forth card of the same
the forth card of the same number scores 12 (six pairs)