Tableau Cribbage

Layout

This is a two-player game. The players sit across the table as usual. One of the players deals cards as follows:

• First 4 cards are dealt face-up to form a column between two players.
• Next 48 cards are dealt face-up, in a rows of six extending from each side of each of the initial 4 cards. There should be a gap between the four cards and the rows built on each side of them, so that it is clear which are the initial cards even after cards have been removed from the layout.

The four initial cards will serve as starter cards. They will never be taken from the table.

Play

One of the players (it doesn't matter which one) takes, one by one, any four available cards from 8 rows we created on the table. The player puts each chosen card in front of him/her and is not allowed to return any card to the above rows. An "available" card is one that is accessed freely at the outer end of a row, on the left or the right of the layout. The player may take 1, 2, 3 or 4 cards from any row, 2 from row on the left,and two from the right, or any other legal combination.

Players try to create the best cribbage hands. The starter card will be the initial (central) card from the same row from which the last (4th) card was taken.

The next player plays his/her turn in exactly the same way.

Scoring

The score for each hand is recorded on the cribbage board. After the whole table is cleared (except for the four starter cards), players should shuffle the whole deck and play one more game. Whoever gets more points after two games is the winner.

Comments

Try it and you will see how important is to choose your cards carefuly. Each card taken from tableau exposes cards for the opponent. There is a colossal number of combinations - it may be advisable to use a chess clock to limit thinking time. Be very careful when choosing the order in which cards are taken, so as to get the best starter card.

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