Four-Card Noddy and Crib Noddy

Noddy variations contributed by Jonny Groves

Four-Card Noddy

1. Two, three, or four may play. If four play, they may play as partners or as individuals. Partners sit across from each other.
2. First to 61 wins. If a player does reach 61 in the middle of a hand, the game ends immediately, and that player wins.
3. Dealer deals four cards to each player. The one to deal next cuts the deck, and dealer turns over the starter card. If it is a Jack, dealer scores two immediately; otherwise, he scores nothing.
4. The players in order declare the scoring combinations in their hands but do not show their hands. The combinations are the same as the combinations in play (listed in #6). However, combinations of 25 and 31 do not count in hand. However, to get credit for a three card flush, players must hold all three cards in hand. The same is true for four card flushes. However, players may get credit for a five card flush if the start card is of the same suit as the four cards in their hands. Thus, you may use the start card to make a flush only if the flush created is a five card flush.
5. The players then play to 31 as in Cribbage or regular Noddy. As in regular Noddy or Five-Card Cribbage, there is only one round of play to 31.
6. The following combinations score in play:

   Making the count 15	1 per card
   Making the count 25	1 per card
   Making the count 31	1 per card
   Flushes	1 per card
   Runs	1 per card
   Pairs	2
   Triples	6
   4 of a Kind	12

   As in Cribbage or regular Noddy, runs count if there are no intervening cards, and the cards in the run do not have to be played in order. The same holds for flushes. Both flushes and runs have to consist of at least three cards.
   If no player can make the total exactly 31, the one who plays the last card gets 1 point.
7. The deal then passes to the next player.

Crib Noddy (Old Version)

1. Play like Four-Card Noddy above, but deal an additional three cards (in a separate pile) to each player. These three cards, along with the start card, form each player's crib.
2. The players, in the order that they play, first declare the combinations they have in their hands, without > showing their cards, and score for them. Then they play their cards to 31, just as in 5-card Cribbage or Noddy.
3. Finally the players, in the order that they play, count and score the combinations in their cribs.
4. The same combinations in hand also score in the crib. However, for flushes, the start card can used only for four card flushes. Three card flushes count, but all three cards (not counting the start card) must be of the same suit.

Crib Noddy (New Version)

Play like Crib Noddy (Old Version), but deal six to each player. Each player then decides which three cards to keep and which three to put in the crib.