Cribbage Discard Strategy
The discard decision is the most important strategic moment in cribbage. Learn to maximize your advantage every hand.
The Golden Rule
Start with the four cards that score most across the likely starters, then adjust for whose crib it is. An average hand is worth about 4.7 points and an average crib a little less, so 8+ is a good hand and 12+ is strong. Your discard strategy then changes based on whether you're the dealer (your crib) or the pone (opponent's crib).
- As Dealer: You can afford to throw good cards to your crib; hand and crib both count for you
- As Pone: You must balance hand strength with denying the opponent's crib. A point kept in your hand is worth about a point kept out of their crib, so compare the net and break ties by balking
Dealer Discard Strategy
As dealer, you score both your hand AND the crib. This gives you flexibility to:
Best Cards to Throw to Your Own Crib
- 5-5: The best throw to your own crib. A pair already, and every ten-card that arrives makes fifteens.
- 5-10, 5-J, 5-Q, 5-K: Instant 15, plus more potential.
- 2-3: Makes 15 with any ten-card, good run potential with A, 4 and 5.
- 7-8: Makes 15, good for runs.
- A-4: Makes 15 with any ten-card.
- Pairs and touching cards: Any pair is 2 on the spot; connected cards (6-7, 8-9) invite runs.
Example: Dealer with 4-5-5-6-9-K
Keep: 4-5-5-6 (12 points before the cut: two fifteens for 4, the pair for 2 and a double run for 6; a 4, 5 or 6 cut makes it far more)
Discard: 9-K to your crib. They add little, but breaking up the 4-5-5-6 would cost far more than anything they could earn.
Pone (Non-Dealer) Discard Strategy
As pone, every point you give the crib helps your opponent. You must "balk" the crib.
Cards to Avoid Giving the Opponent's Crib
- 5s: The most dangerous card. Combines with any of the sixteen 10-cards for easy 15s.
- Pairs: 2 points on the spot, and a third card of the rank makes 6.
- Touching cards (3-4, 7-8): Run potential is high, and 7-8 is a fifteen as well.
- 5-10 combinations: Instant 15 for opponent.
- 2-3 and A-4: Both make 15 with any ten-card.
"Avoid", not "never": when keeping the dangerous card is the difference between a 12-point hand and a 4-point hand, keep it and accept the risk.
Best Balking Cards
- K-9: Far apart, no fifteen between them, no run possible.
- K-A, Q-A: Same advantages; a lone Ace is a good balk.
- Q-6, K-10: Wide cards that need two specific helpers before they score much.
- A-9: A fair balk, though a single 5 makes 15 with it.
The Balking Trade-off
Sometimes you must choose between a strong hand and balking the crib. Compare the net: the points your four cards keep minus what the two you throw are likely to give the crib. A point in your hand is worth roughly a point kept out of their crib, so keep the discard with the best net and let the balk decide ties.
Card Values for Discarding
| Card | To Your Crib | To Opponent's Crib |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Excellent | Avoid |
| A | Fair | Good balk |
| 2, 3 | Good together | Avoid together |
| 4 | Good with 5 | Acceptable alone |
| 6, 7, 8, 9 | Good for runs/15s, especially 7-8 | Keep them apart; 9 with a court card is safest |
| 10, J, Q, K | Good with 5 | K best balk |
Advanced: Considering the Cut
Expert players consider which starter cards help their hand most. Keep cards that benefit from common cuts:
- 5 in hand: Benefits from any 10-card cut (16 cards in deck)
- Runs with gaps: A-2-4 benefits from any 3 cut
- Four of a suit: A flush needs all four hand cards in one suit (three plus a matching starter scores nothing). Keep a four-card flush for its 4 and hope the starter makes it 5
- A Jack: Roughly one cut in four matches its suit for nobs; a small tie-breaker, never a reason to break a hand
On CardCouch the Hard computer discards this way: it scores every possible keep against all 46 starters and adjusts for whose crib it is. Watching what it throws is a good lesson.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I always throw my worst cards to the crib?
Not necessarily. As dealer, your crib is yours, so throwing good cards can be beneficial. As pone (non-dealer), you want to 'balk' the crib by throwing cards unlikely to help your opponent.
Why are 5s so important in cribbage discard?
5s are the most valuable cards for making 15s: a 5 combines with any of the sixteen 10-value cards. As dealer, keeping 5s or throwing them to your crib is powerful. As pone, avoid throwing 5s to the opponent's crib unless keeping them would wreck your hand.
What is balking the crib?
Balking means discarding cards to the opponent's crib that are unlikely to score together. Good balking throws are wide apart and cannot make a fifteen or a run with each other: K-9, K-A, Q-6, K-10 and similar.
What is a good cribbage hand?
An average hand is worth about 4.7 points and an average crib a little less, so 8 or more is a good hand and 12 or more is strong. Judge a discard by what the four kept cards score across the likely cuts, then adjust for whose crib it is.