Cribbage Scoring
Cribbage points come from three places: card combinations in your hand and the crib (the show), pairs, runs and totals made while playing cards (pegging), and a couple of bonus points. This page lists every score and shows how to count a hand.
- Standard game: first to 121 points wins. A short game is played to 61.
- Card values: ace = 1, number cards = face value, jack, queen and king = 10.
- Highest possible hand: 29 points.
- Skunk: loser has fewer than 91 points. Double skunk: fewer than 61.
Counting the hand (the show)
Each hand is four cards plus the shared starter card, so you count five cards. The same card can count in several combinations.
| Combination | Points | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fifteen: any cards that add up to 15 | 2 per combination | 5 + K, 7 + 8, or 2 + 3 + 10 |
| Pair | 2 | 6 + 6 |
| Three of a kind | 6 | 9 + 9 + 9 |
| Four of a kind | 12 | 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 |
| Run: three or more cards in a row (ace is low; suits don't matter) | 1 per card in the run | 4-5-6 = 3, 4-5-6-7 = 4 |
| Flush: four cards of one suit in your hand | 4 (5 if the starter matches too) | Four hearts in hand |
| Nobs: the jack that matches the starter's suit | 1 | J♣ in hand, starter is a club |
In the crib, a flush counts only if all five cards (the four crib cards and the starter) are the same suit. Nobs counts in the crib too. If the starter itself is a jack, the dealer scores 2 points at once. This is called his heels.
Worked example: 14 points
Hand 4♣ 5♥ 6♦ 6♠, starter K♥.
- Fifteens: 4 + 5 + 6 (using each 6) = 2 fifteens, plus 5 + K = 1 fifteen. That is 3 × 2 = 6.
- Pair: 6 + 6 = 2.
- Runs: 4-5-6 appears twice (once per 6) = 2 × 3 = 6.
Total: 6 + 2 + 6 = 14.
The 29 hand
The best possible hand is three 5s and a jack in your hand, with the fourth 5 as the starter and the jack matching that 5's suit: J♣ 5♥ 5♠ 5♦ with a 5♣ starter.
- Fifteens: the jack with each of the four 5s = 4 × 2 = 8, plus three 5s in each of 4 combinations = 4 × 2 = 8. That is 16.
- Four of a kind (the four 5s): 12.
- Nobs: 1.
Total: 16 + 12 + 1 = 29. If the jack is the wrong suit it is a 28 hand.
Scoring during play (pegging)
Players take turns laying cards and announcing the running total, which may not go over 31. Points are scored by the player who makes each of these:
| Event | Points |
|---|---|
| Total reaches exactly 15 | 2 |
| Total reaches exactly 31 | 2 |
| Pair (same rank as the previous card) | 2 |
| Three of a kind (three of the same rank in a row) | 6 |
| Four of a kind (four of the same rank in a row) | 12 |
| Run of three or more cards in the last plays, in any order | 1 per card in the run |
| Go: last card played before the count would pass 31 | 1 |
Flushes and nobs are not scored during play.
Winning and skunks
The first player to reach 121 points wins the moment they get there, even in the middle of counting a hand. The player who is not the dealer counts first, so in a close race they can win before the dealer gets to count the hand and the crib.
A skunk is a lopsided win. In a 121-point game, if the loser has fewer than 91 points when the winner reaches 121, the loser is skunked. Fewer than 61 points is a double skunk. Some groups add a triple skunk below 31 as a house rule. In some scoring formats a skunk counts as two wins and a double skunk as four, so check the rules you are playing under.
Common questions
What is the highest hand in cribbage?
29 points: three 5s and a jack in your hand, with the jack matching the suit of the starter, which is the fourth 5.
What is a skunk in cribbage?
A win where the loser finishes with fewer than 91 points in a 121-point game. A double skunk is fewer than 61.
How many points is nobs worth?
1 point, for holding the jack that matches the starter's suit, in the hand or the crib.
What is his heels?
If the starter card is a jack, the dealer scores 2 points immediately.
Who gets the go point?
The player who plays the last card before the count would pass 31 scores 1 point. Making exactly 31 scores 2 points instead.
How many points do you need to win?
121 in the standard game, 61 in the short game.
How do you keep score?
On a cribbage board with two pegs per player, or with a score keeper app that adds up each round for you.
No ads, no sign-up, works offline once loaded. It detects skunks and double skunks for you.
These rules follow standard American Cribbage Congress play; house rules vary, so agree on them before you start. For the official rules see the American Cribbage Congress rules. New to the game? Start with how to play cribbage, or print a cribbage score sheet to keep score on paper.