Pegging is one of my favorite parts of Cribbage.
The give and take is a blast, and playing off your opponent’s cards is always fun.
Still, the first card you play is critical in making sure you get the most out of The Play.
You need to know the best card to lead in Cribbage.
A four is considered the best card to lead in Cribbage. It allows you to avoid most quick point returns by your opponent, and it leaves you open to following up with a potential low-card 15 or the deadly 4-5-6 combination, depending on what you have and your opponent plays.
Let’s look at different leading strategies and what you may want to employ in the pegging phase.
Want to take your Cribbage game to the next level? Check out this massive list of strategies for improving your game!
Table of Contents
Four As The Best Lead In Cribbage
Whether you’re the Pone and lead the Play off or you just won Go!, there are plenty of chances to lead.
With so many options out there, it may not be clear right away why 4 is the best one.
4 avoids the 15-point follow-up.
Most people know that playing a 5 right away is a pretty bad idea. In fact, it’s the worst.
If you play a 5 or higher, there’s a chance the other player could follow up with the card that adds up to 15 for two points.
When playing a 5, your opponent is basically guaranteed to follow up with a 10 or face card.
They make up 31% of the deck, after all!
A 4 avoids this trap right off the bat, as does the Ace, 2, and 3.
The 4 is less valuable at the end of the peg.
As you likely know, in pegging, you can’t go over 31.
When you get to the higher values, a four is less valuable than the Ace, 2, or 3, so it makes more sense to use it in the beginning.
This is the primary reason we don’t use those ones at the beginning unless we have to.
It sets you up for a deadly combination.
The Play is rife with opportunities for combinations of runs and pairs to gain quite a few points if you know how to set it up.
Another reason I love leading fours is that it at the least prevents your opponent from playing a 5 or 6 and at the most earns you a pretty five points.
If you play a 4, the opponent plays a 5, and then you follow with a 6, you get a run for three points (4-5-6), and it adds up to 15 for two!
The same happens if they follow with the 6. Remember, the order doesn’t matter in runs during pegging.
It’s for this reason and many others it’s always good to keep consecutive cards in your hand.
It allows for plenty of opportunities for runs!
Playing a 4 sets you up for a 15 on the third card.
Similar to the last tip but in a less exciting way, playing a four makes it impossible for them to follow up with a card to make 15, sure, but it also helps you get ready to make your own 15.
With a 4, every card after takes the total over 5 and leaves you with the chance to make a 15 and get two points.
Should You Discard Based On Pegging In Cribbage?
With 4 looking like such a solid card to play, should you hold onto it just for the potential points in pegging?
In general, the answer is no.
You still want to keep the best hand possible, and this means keeping the most points; regardless of how they affect, they may affect pegging.
If two hand and discard combinations are the same in points, it makes sense to keep the ones with the greatest pegging potential.
This usually means lower cards, including 4s.
The other big time you’ll want to consider pegging over potential hand points is if you’re almost at the end of the game.
This is especially true if you’re the dealer.
The dealer counts second, so if the game is close, you’ll want every pegging point possible to hopefully go out before your opponent does.
Commonly Asked Questions
What Are The Best Cards To Throw In Your Crib?
The best cards to throw in the crib really depend on your exact hand.
All else being equal, Kings are the most useless overall unless you have a 5 or a combination of cards to make 5.
Kings can’t make runs on both sides (only with the Queen-Jack), and they aren’t very helpful in pegging.
Your best bet with these is to throw them in the crib and hope you cut a 5.
Aces are another potential option. They have a lot more use in pegging, but they don’t seem to make as many combinations in the hand.
They also have the same issues as the King when it comes to making runs; it only works with the two-three.
How Do You Win Every Time In Cribbage?
Sadly, there is no real way to win every time at Cribbage. Even when playing perfect discards and pegging well, you’ll still only win 55% of the time.
Of course, that’s assuming you’re playing of someone with equal skill.
If you play at a higher level, it’s reasonable to think you’d win somewhere between 65-70% of the time.
The difference lies in the role of luck in the game.
Learn more about it in our article on Cribbage, luck, and skill.
What Cards Make The Best Hand In Cribbage?
The best hand in Cribbage is worth 29 points.
You need three fives in your hand, the opposite suited Jack also in your hand, and to have the last five cut right before pegging.
A lot of people will go their whole lives without ever getting one.
After 25 years of playing, I still haven’t gotten it.
