Both are two-player games with a standard deck and a medium level, but they score in different ways. Cribbage adds up to fifteen and uses a pegboard. Gin Rummy asks you to arrange your cards into sets and runs and knock.
| Cribbage | Gin Rummy | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2 | 2 |
| Played with | 52 cards, no jokers | 52 cards, no jokers |
| Type | Adding up | Rummy |
| Level | Medium | Medium |
| How long | First to 121 | First to 100 |
| The goal | Be the first to score (peg) 121 points, scored while playing your cards and by counting your hand afterwards. | Arrange your ten cards into sets and runs, then end the hand when your leftover cards (deadwood) are worth 10 or less. |
| How you win | The first player to reach 121 wins immediately, at any moment in the hand. | The first player to reach 100 points wins the game. |
Choose Cribbage if
- you like adding up: fifteens, pairs and runs, and pegging along a board to 121
- you want points scored while you play, as well as when you count your hand
Choose Gin Rummy if
- you want to build sets and runs from your ten cards
- you like knocking when your leftover cards are worth 10 or less
- you want a game to 100
