Cribist

This is a card game for four players. It uses a normal 52 card pack. Ace is low, King is high, and picture cards count 10 for scoring purposes.

Cribist is a game of skill and chance. It is based around the games of Cribbage and Whist, hence the awful name. If you can think of a better one, let me know.

The Game

The game consists of one of the following:

1. A fixed number of deals, eg 10.
2. Play for an agreed time period.
3. Play until a player reaches a target score, eg 61 points

The Deal

The deal rotates to the left (clockwise). Deal cards one at a time, clockwise, started with the player to dealer's left. Deal thirteen cards to each player.

The Play

The player at left of dealer makes the opening lead, and the suit of this lead is the trump suit for the hand. The hands are played out in tricks. Each player must follow the suit of the lead if possible, otherwise they may play any card. A trick is won by the highest trump, or the highest card of the suit led if it contains no trump. Each player keeps the tricks they have won in clearly separate bundles in front of them.

Scoring

At the end of each trick, the winner of the trick claims points from it. These points are determined by Cribbage rules as follows:

• 4 points for a flush:
  4 cards of the same suit, eg
  
   
• 4 points for a 4 card straight, eg
  or
  
  note: you cannot 'wrap' around King to Ace
   
• 3 points for a three card straight, eg
  
   
• 2 points for a card combination that adds up to 15, eg
  , or
  , or
  
   
• 2 points for a pair, eg
  
   
• 1 point for the Jack of Trumps

You can score multiple instances of the above combinations. For example,

scores 2 runs of 3, 2 combinations for 15, and a pair of fives, totalling 12 points, and

scores 6 pairs for 12 points.

When a player has claimed their points and before the next trick is played, any other player can call "Muggins" and claim "unclaimed" points from the trick. They must state the number of points, and the source of those points, before the cards are checked again. When the cards are checked the player wins the points s/he has claimed if they are valid, otherwise s/he loses the same number of points.

At the end of the hand, players add up their tricks won, and score 1 point for each.

The winner is the first to reach the target score, or the player with the most points at the end of the chosen time period/number of deals.