Before a cribbage game begins, players must decide who deals first. This is done by cutting the deck, a simple but official rule that determines the dealer for the opening hand.
This page explains how cutting for deal works in cribbage, including how ties are resolved and how the deal continues in later hands.
For a full game walkthrough, start here:
What Does “Cutting for Deal” Mean?
Cutting for deal means:
- Each player cuts the deck
- The player who reveals the lowest card becomes the dealer
This process is used only to determine the first dealer of the game.
How to Cut for Deal in Cribbage
Follow these steps:
- Shuffle the deck
- One player offers the deck to the other to cut
- Each player cuts the deck and reveals one card
- The player with the lowest card becomes the dealer
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Free Cribbage Cheat Sheet (Printable)
New to cribbage? Download this free printable and keep it beside you while you play — covers scoring combinations, pegging examples, round order, and common beginner mistakes.
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Card Values When Cutting
When cutting for deal:
- Ace is low
- King is high
- Suits do not matter
Only the rank of the card is used to determine the dealer.
What Happens If There’s a Tie?
If both players cut cards of the same rank:
- The cards are returned to the deck
- The deck is reshuffled
- Players cut again
This repeats until the tie is broken.
Who Deals After the First Hand?
Once the first dealer is chosen:
- The deal alternates each hand
- Players take turns being the dealer
Cutting for deal is not repeated after the game begins.
👉 Learn dealing rules: Cribbage Dealing Rules
Cutting for Deal in Three and Four Player Games
The cutting process works slightly differently when more than two players are involved.
Three-player cribbage:
All three players cut the deck simultaneously. Each player reveals one card and the player with the lowest card becomes the first dealer. If two players tie for the lowest card, only those two players re-cut — the third player who cut a higher card is already eliminated from the tie. This continues until one player has the lowest card outright.
After the first hand, the deal rotates clockwise regardless of who won the cut.
Four-player cribbage:
All four players cut. The player with the lowest card deals first. Ties between the lowest cards are re-cut between those players only. After the first hand, the deal rotates clockwise around the table.
Key rule for all formats: Aces are always low and suits never matter when cutting for deal, regardless of how many players are at the table.
👉 Three-player rules: Three-Player Cribbage
👉 Four-player rules: Four-Player Cribbage
Why the Dealer Matters
Being the dealer is one of the most strategically significant positions in cribbage — which is exactly why the cut determines it fairly rather than leaving it to chance or choice.
The dealer scores the crib. Every round, the dealer gets an extra hand to count on top of their own. Over a full game this adds up significantly — the crib is worth an average of 4–5 points per round to the dealer.
The dealer may score his heels. If the starter card turned up after the cut is a Jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points before pegging even begins. The non-dealer gets no equivalent bonus.
Strategy changes completely based on dealer status. Non-dealers discard defensively to starve the crib. Dealers discard aggressively to feed it. Pegging tactics shift too — non-dealers need to peg harder to offset the crib disadvantage.
The deal alternates every hand, which means both players benefit equally from the crib advantage over the course of a game. Winning the cut doesn’t give you a permanent edge — it just decides who goes first.
👉 Learn about the crib: What Is the Crib in Cribbage?
👉 Discard strategy: Cribbage Discard Strategy
Is Cutting for Deal Required?
In casual play, some players skip cutting and choose a dealer randomly.
However, cutting for deal is the official method and is used in tournaments and formal play.
Common Cutting Mistakes
Forgetting that Ace is low. This trips up players who assume Ace is high as in some other card games. In cribbage, Ace is always the lowest card when cutting for deal — so cutting an Ace means you deal first.
Using suits to break ties. Suits are completely irrelevant when cutting for deal. If two players both cut a 7, the suits of those 7s don’t matter at all — the deck is reshuffled and both players cut again.
Re-cutting every hand. Cutting for deal only happens once — before the very first hand of the game. After that, the deal simply alternates between players without any re-cutting. Many beginners don’t realise this and waste time cutting at the start of every hand.
Not shuffling between re-cuts. If a tie occurs and players need to re-cut, the deck should be reshuffled first. Re-cutting from the same deck position is not correct procedure.
Cutting too few cards. When cutting, you should leave a reasonable portion of the deck on each side — typically at least 4 cards from either end. Cutting a single card off the top or bottom is generally not accepted in formal play.
👉 Avoid beginner errors: Common Cribbage Mistakes
Quick Summary
- Cutting decides the first dealer only
- Lowest card deals
- Aces are low
- Ties are re-cut
- The deal alternates after each hand
👉 One-page reference: Cribbage Cheat Sheet
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you cut for deal every hand?
No. Cutting for deal only happens once — before the first hand of the game. After that, the deal alternates between players automatically without any re-cutting.
Does suit matter when cutting?
No. Only card rank matters. Suits are completely irrelevant when cutting for deal. Ties are broken by re-cutting, never by suit.
What if players skip cutting?
That’s acceptable in casual play — you can agree to decide the first dealer any way you like. However cutting for deal is the official method used in tournaments and formal play.
Does the winner or loser deal first in the next game?
There is no fixed rule for this in standard cribbage. Many casual players simply let the loser of the previous game deal first in the next one, giving them the first crib as a slight consolation. Others cut again for each new game. Agree before you start.
What happens if you cut too few cards?
In casual play this is usually just corrected on the spot. In formal or tournament play, cutting fewer than 4 cards from either end of the deck may be ruled invalid and the cut repeated. Check the specific ruleset for any organised game.
Can you cut anywhere in the deck?
Generally yes, as long as you leave a reasonable number of cards on each side — typically at least 4 cards from either end. There is no rule specifying exactly where you must cut, but cutting a single card off the very top or bottom is not accepted in formal play.
Is there an advantage to dealing first?
Slightly — you get the crib in the first hand, which is worth an average of 4–5 extra points. However since the deal alternates every hand, both players end up dealing the same number of times over a full game. The advantage is real but small and evens out quickly.
👉 More answers: Cribbage FAQ