International Cribbage Day – February 10, 2025

History of International Cribbage Day

Cribbage solitaire or cribbage patience is a two-player card game that involves playing and grouping cards into combinations that earn points. It’s a game that may be played with three or four players. Cribbage has several distinguishing features, including the cribbage board, the eponymous crib, box, or kitty (in parts of Canada), a separate hand counting for the dealer, two distinct scoring stages (the play and the show), and a unique scoring system that includes points for groups of cards that total 15. It has been dubbed “Britain’s national card game,” and it is the only one that can be legally played on licensed premises (pubs and clubs) without the need for local authority permission.

The game has few rules but yields a plethora of subtleties during play, which explains its enduring appeal and popularity. The tactical play differs depending on which cards one’s opponent has played, how many cards in the remaining pack will help the hand one is holding, and where one is on the board. A game can be decided by a few points—or even a single point—and the advantage frequently goes to an experienced player who employs strategy, such as calculating odds, and decisions are made depending on the relative locations of players on the board.

On Friday, February 10, 2017, the American Cribbage Congress and card players across the country will celebrate National Cribbage Day. Cribbage is one of the oldest card games still in use today. Sir John Suckling invented the game in the early 17th Century, based on the Old English game “nod.” Although the exact date the cribbage was invented is lost to history, we celebrate National Cribbage Day on February 10, Suckling’s birthday. The American Cribbage Congress is the cribbage’s governing body, running local clubs and leagues and maintaining a national ranking system. The American Garbage Congress and the U.K. Garbage Association commemorate this day as International Cribbage Day.