ACC Internet Cribbage

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Guidelines for ACC Internet Tournaments

Above all, the game of cribbage is to be played with sportsmanship, friendliness and respect--of all players, Tournament Directors (TD's), and the hosting site.  The American Cribbage Congress insists on ethical play both over the board and on the Internet.

Mode of Play

ACC Internet cribbage tournaments are traditional style, six-card cribbage hands played between two opponents, with the winner being the first player to reach 121 points.  The ACC does not recognize other variations of cribbage for tournament play and IRP awards, such as doubles, three-handed cribbage, jokers, toss 5's, back up 10 and lowball cribbage.

Tournament Authorization

To be official, an online tournament at eCribbage and Game Colony must authorized by the ACC Internet Cribbage Commissioner. A schedule of all tournaments is available on the ACC website.  Any departures from the published rules and guidelines must be announced at least 3 days in advance with approval of the Commissioner and/or the ACC Vice President of Competition of the ACC Board of Directors.  Announcements must be made on this website, and on the ACC Community Facebook page.  Information provided must include date, time and hosting location, the tournament format and any conditions that vary from the ACC rules/guidelines.  Special event tournaments sponsored by the ACC must also be announced in Cribbage World at least 30 days prior to the ending date of registration to play in each event.

Tournament Formats

There are two types of traditional cribbage tournaments played online:  Best of 3 single elimination tournaments and Grass Roots 9 game style.

Best of 3, single elimination tournaments are similar to the playoffs in live, weekend tournaments.  By winning 2 out of 3 games, the winner of each match advances on the bracket to the next round, and the loser is eliminated.  In the first round, players face one another by random draw.  One or more byes may be awarded randomly during the first or second round to ensure that the number of players advancing to the third round is a multiple of two.  (Note: due to internet glitches, a disqualified player will be replaced by a robot player, or given a bye.)  Each round thereafter reduces the surviving field by half until only undefeated player remains and is declared the tournament champion.

Grass Roots 9 game style tournaments are similar to weekly club play.  In this format, every player plays 9, single game matches against 9 different opponents.  The players are awarded 2 game points for a win, 3 game points for a skunk, and 0 (zero) game points for a loss.  Skunks are not recognized by the software at Game Colony.  Note that "double skunks" are not approved by the ACC, and have no value beyond that of a regular skunk.  Winners are determined by game points, number of wins, and spread points: the sum of spread points for each win, minus the sum of the spread points for each loss, equals the total sum of the spread points.  The tracking of this information is done automatically by eCribbage, and this format is only available there for ACC tournament play.

Host Site

ACC Internet tournaments must be held at an Internet host sites--eCribbage and Game Colony.  These sites are approved by the ACC, and players and TD's must comply with the "Terms of Use and Code of Conduct" of each site, in addition to the ACC Code of Conduct.  Please remember that the ACC is a guest at these sites, which are not owned or operated by the ACC.  Neither the ACC nor its representatives are responsible for the Web content at either tournament host site, or any other external site.

Player Eligibility

Any member of the hosting site may play in ACC Internet tournaments. However, in order to receive Internet Rating Points (IRPs), a player must be a current ACC member in good standing, who has been certified by the ACC Internet Registrar for online play.  See the membership form for online play, and the IRP page for more information. Players who violate ACC rules, the ACC Code of Ethics, or the Terms of Use of an internet host site used by the ACC may be suspended or banned from participation in ACC Internet tournaments, regardless of their membership status. Decisions about a player's participation will be determined by the Internet Commissioner and/or the VP of Competition and/or the ACC Ethics Committee.

Tournament Sign-up Period

The Tournament Directors (TD's) are in the tournament room approximately 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the tournament. At eCribbage, the rules are run 2-3 minutes before start time, and players may join until the TD closes the tourney--either because of the clock, or because the maximum player limit (set by the software, not the TD) has been reached. A new player must also play at least 10 rated social games (either with a player or a computer robot) before being allowed to play in a tournament. 

At Game Colony, tournament participants must be signed up prior to the start of the running of the rules. The rules are run 5 minutes before the scheduled start time. Once theTD has begun to run the rules, s/he is not allowed to add more participants to that tournament. This is to provide the TDs the opportunity enough time to verify that they have accurately entered all participants, and to ensure the tournaments start at the scheduled time. At both sites, it is to your advantage to arrive sooner rather than later.