So you are ready for a tournament....

Most people experience culture shock when they enter their first ACC tournament; many of the rules/procedures/customs are just not what they are used to:

"What, cut before each deal? No way!! The way we play at home (or the local bar, or the Elks club, or wherever), you get a two point penalty if you are stupid enough to cut the cards when the cut is offered."

The list of surprises goes on, often going back to that list of local variations I list in the Common Questions and Answers section. Hopefully this list will cushion the shock of entering into tournaments by warning you of what they are getting into. We really don't want to shock you, what we want is for you to have a great time playing the best card game in the world against other people who can give you a run for your money.

By the way, if you are a little nervous your first time at a tournament, don't worry we all were nervous. I was so nervous my hands were sweating and the cards were sticking to me. My first game was against a past national champion, not that I knew that. I also, unknowingly, played another past national champion three games later. Just to show you that anyone has a chance of winning, I won both of those games.

Tournament Cribbage Rules and Procedures

Tournament cribbage rules and procedures vary to some extent compared with how most of us have played at home or in bars. This is a partial list of some rules and procedures which are unique to, or often come up in, tournament cribbage play. This is not the complete set of rules established and published by the American Cribbage Congress just a basic sampling.

During play, if you have any questions regarding the above rules or situations occurring outside of the normal play of the game, call for a judge to make a ruling regarding any possible infraction of the rules.


Please feel free to email me with any questions you might have. I do enjoy corresponding with all cribbage enthusiasts.


Rules of Cribbage page
Common Questions about Cribbage
Counting your Cribbage hand
Teaching Cribbage to Kids page
Playing with more than two players page
Pegging to Win page
Muggins explanation page
Odd Hands page
Germantown Peggers Home Page