How to play +19 Crib
There’s one score a cribbage hand can never make: 19. In this variant the old joke becomes the jackpot — a hand or crib that counts exactly zero scores +19 (cue the hallelujah).
Everything else is standard cribbage to 121 — so do you keep the safe 4 points, or gut your hand and chase the 19?
+19 Crib strategy tips
- Nineteen is more than most hands are worth, so a weak four-point hand is often better broken up to chase the zero.
- Four even cards with an even or ten-count starter can’t make 15 — 2-4-6-8 with a ten cut counts nothing. Just keep them unpaired and watch for a flush.
- The crib counts too. On your opponent’s deal, think twice before throwing two wide, unrelated cards — you may be handing them a 19-point crib.
Common questions
Why 19?
It is the one score between 0 and 24 that a cribbage hand can never make, so players have always called a worthless hand “a nineteen”. This variant pays the joke out.
Does the zero have to be in the hand?
No — a crib that counts exactly zero scores 19 for the dealer as well.
Play +19 Crib online
You can play +19 Crib at eCribbage Plus in any browser, on a computer, tablet or phone, with nothing to download. Open a table in the lounge and another player can sit down with you, or look for one already waiting; a free account is all you need.
