Start Here!!!

This page is here to answer all of the simple questions about lowball cribbage.

1. What on earth is this "lowball cribbage" anyway?

Lowball Cribbage is identical to regular cribbage, with one difference.  All of the rules of regular crib apply to lowball, but the twist is, the first to reach 121 is the LOSER of the game, instead of the winner!  For more information, read the "What is lowball" page.

2. Why should I play this?

Good question! I find lowball more challenging than regular crib, it makes me think more.  If you play cribbage, give lowball a try, it will help your pegging, and should help your throwing too.  If you don't play crib, how did you find this site?

3. OK, I want to give this a try... what should I do?

Find an opponent!!!  You're on the Internet, so finding people to play cribbage with, shouldn't be a problem.  If you want to find lowball cribbage players, there are three organised ladders, details about which are included under the "Lowball Ladders" heading on this site.

4. What is a "ladder" anyway?

A ladder (in this sense) is a listing of all of the players who have joined, sorted in order (the #1 player is at the top of the ladder).  To move up the ladder, simply beat players who are above you.  If you lose games, you'll not be penalised, so playing people below you is good too.  When you join the ladder, you start at the bottom, and the idea is to reach the top!

5. Can I practice somewhere? Any software available to help me?

The best way to practice, is to play... so find someone, and try the game out.  There is no software that plays lowball crib, but you can play against regular crib software, and play lowball against it.  If you lose, it would be time to change your strategies!

6. Are there any tactics that I should use in lowball cribbage?

I have lots of tips on this site (both for beginners and advanced players), but every hand is different.  By playing, you'll find that certain things work better than others in different situations (for example, when to keep a 5, and when to throw a 5 in your own crib).