Sir John Suckling, a British poet and knight, invented cribbage about 1635. Cribbage has survived, with few changes, as one of the most popular games in the English-speaking world. However, as the game developed across the United States, local variations crept in. There was no standardization of playing rules in the tournaments that were beginning to appear all over the nation.
In August 1979, the American Cribbage Congress Inc. (ACC) was founded as a nonprofit corporation to promote the game of cribbage, to develop many programs for the benefit of its members, and to promulgate friendships among cribbage players everywhere. Administering to the needs of cribbage players on the North American continent, the ACC conducts a well-rounded program that includes the following: