Cribbage Scoring Explained: Every Point in the Game

Nobody forgets how to play cribbage. What slips after a few years away from the board is the counting — was the flush 4 or 5? Does it count in the crib? What exactly is his nobs worth? This page puts every scoring rule in one place: the points you peg during play, the points you count in your hand, what’s different about the crib, and the famous hands worth bragging about.

Keep it open next to the board, or print the free scoring chart and keep that next to the board instead.

Where the points come from

A quick refresher so the scoring has somewhere to live. In two-player cribbage each of you gets six cards and lays two away face down into the crib — an extra hand that the dealer will count later. The non-dealer cuts the deck and the dealer turns the top card face up: the starter. Then the hand has two scoring phases:

1. The play (pegging): you alternate laying cards, keeping a running total that may not pass 31, and peg points for combinations as they happen.
2. The show: you count your four-card hand together with the starter — non-dealer first, then the dealer’s hand, then the crib.

First player to 121 points — twice around a standard board plus one hole — wins on the spot, even mid-count. That’s why the counting order matters: near the end of a close game, the non-dealer counts first and can peg out before the dealer ever touches the crib.

His heels: 2 points before anyone plays

If the starter card turned up is a jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points. The old books call it “his heels” (you’ll also hear “nibs”). It’s the only score that happens between the deal and the play — and it’s easy to forget when the coffee’s being poured.

Scoring during the play (pegging)

You and your opponent alternate playing one card at a time, announcing the running total: “ten”… “seventeen”… “twenty-five.” Face cards count 10, aces count 1. The total may never pass 31. Points peg the moment they happen:

During the play	Points
Your card brings the total to exactly 15	2
Your card brings the total to exactly 31	2
Pair — your card matches the rank of the last card played	2
Pair royal — third card of the same rank in a row	6
Double pair royal — fourth card of the same rank in a row	12
Run of three or more — the last cards played form a sequence, in any order	1 per card
Go / last card — you play the final card of a count when your opponent can’t go	1

Two of those rows deserve a closer look:

• Runs don’t care about order. If the play goes 8, then 6, then 7 — the player laying the 7 pegs a run of three, because the last three cards form 6-7-8. A pair or a stray card in between breaks the chain.
• “Go” in plain words: when you can’t play a card without passing 31, you say “go.” Your opponent keeps playing while they legally can; whoever lays the last card of that count pegs 1 — or 2 if that card lands exactly on 31. Then the count resets to zero and the player who didn’t play last leads the next one.

Scoring your hand (the show)

After the play, everyone counts — non-dealer first, then dealer’s hand, then the crib. You count your four cards plus the starter as one five-card hand. Every distinct combination scores:

Combination	Points
Fifteen — any set of cards totaling exactly 15	2 each
Pair — two cards of the same rank	2 each
Run — three or more consecutive ranks	1 per card
Flush — all four hand cards of one suit	4
Flush with the starter — all five cards of one suit	5
His nobs — the jack matching the starter’s suit	1

The counting habits that keep it painless:

• Count out loud, fifteens first: “fifteen-two, fifteen-four…” then pairs, then runs, then flush and nobs. Same order every time and you’ll never lose your place.
• Every combination counts separately. Three 5s make three different pairs (5♠-5♥, 5♠-5♦, 5♥-5♦) — 6 points, before you even start on the fifteens.
• Double runs are your friend. A hand like 4-4-5-6 holds two separate 4-5-6 runs — one with each 4 — plus the pair. A triple run such as 5-5-5-6-7 holds three runs of three (9) plus three of a kind (6) — 15 points before you even count the fifteens.

Three hands counted step by step

Example 1 — the everyday hand

Hand: K♣ Q♦ J♥ 5♠  ·  Starter: 10♠

• Fifteens: K+5, Q+5, J+5, 10+5 — four of them — “fifteen-two, four, six, eight”
• Run: 10-J-Q-K, four cards — 4
• His nobs: J♥ doesn’t match the spade starter — 0

Total: 12 points.

Example 2 — the double run

Hand: 4♥ 4♣ 5♦ 6♠  ·  Starter: 8♠

• Fifteens: 4♥+5+6 and 4♣+5+6 — “fifteen-two, fifteen-four”
• Runs: 4-5-6 twice, once with each 4 — 6
• Pair of 4s — 2

Total: 12 points. The eight just watches — note that a ten-card starter would have chipped in two more, since any ten-card plus the 5 makes fifteen.

Example 3 — when the starter makes the hand

Hand: 7♠ 8♦ 8♥ 9♣  ·  Starter: 6♠

• Fifteens: 7+8♦, 7+8♥, 6+9 — 6
• Runs: 6-7-8-9 twice, once with each 8 — 8
• Pair of 8s — 2

Total: 16 points. Before the cut, that hand was worth 12 — the starter stretched both runs and added a fifteen. This is why cribbage players develop feelings about starter cards.

The crib: one rule is different

The dealer counts the crib exactly like a hand — fifteens, pairs, runs, and his nobs all work the same — with one exception: the flush. Four crib cards of one suit score nothing. A crib flush only counts when all five cards — the four in the crib plus the starter — share a suit, for 5 points. Worth remembering before you toss two pretty hearts away.

Muggins: the optional rule that ends friendships

Some tables play muggins: if you miss points while counting your own hand, your opponent may call “muggins!” and peg the overlooked points themselves. It sharpens everyone’s counting wonderfully and ruins the occasional Tuesday. In American Cribbage Congress tournaments it’s the one optional rule — the tournament director decides, and it’s announced before play begins. Our advice for the kitchen table: decide before the first deal, out loud, and shake on it.

The 29, the 28, and the impossible 19

The perfect 29. Three 5s and a jack in your hand; the starter is the fourth 5, matching your jack’s suit. It counts:

• Eight fifteens — four ways to pick three 5s, plus the jack with each 5 — 16
• Four 5s — double pair royal — 12
• His nobs — 1

Total: 29. The odds are roughly 1 in 216,580 deals. People frame these.

The 28 — four 5s and any ten-card without the nobs jack — is the runner-up, and rare enough that you’ll remember the evening you count one.

The impossible 19. No combination of five cards can score exactly 19 (nor 25, 26, or 27). That’s why, when your hand is worth absolutely nothing, tradition demands you announce it with dignity: “I have a 19 hand.”

Quick-reference scoring chart

Score	Pegging	The show
Fifteen	2	2 per combination
Thirty-one	2	—
Go / last card	1	—
Pair	2	2 per pair
Three of a kind	6	6 (three pairs)
Four of a kind	12	12 (six pairs)
Run	1 per card	1 per card, per run
Flush (4 cards)	—	4 (hand only, never the crib)
Flush (5 cards)	—	5 (hand or crib)
His heels (jack starter)	2 to the dealer, when the starter is turned
His nobs (matching jack)	—	1

Frequently asked questions

What does “fifteen-two” mean in cribbage?

Every distinct combination of cards that adds up to exactly 15 scores 2 points. Players traditionally count out loud — “fifteen-two, fifteen-four, fifteen-six” — adding 2 for each combination they find. Face cards count 10 and aces count 1. It sounds like a secret language for exactly one evening, and then you’re fluent for life.

What is the difference between his nobs and his heels?

His heels is the starter card itself being a jack — the dealer immediately pegs 2 points when it’s turned. His nobs is holding the jack that matches the starter’s suit in your hand or crib — worth 1 point when you count.

Who counts first in cribbage?

The non-dealer always counts first, then the dealer counts their hand, then the dealer counts the crib. Because the game ends the instant someone reaches 121, counting first is a real advantage near the end of a close game.

Why doesn’t my four-card flush count in the crib?

In your hand, four cards of one suit score 4 points (5 if the starter matches too). In the crib, a flush only counts when all five cards — the four crib cards plus the starter — share one suit, scoring 5 points. Four matching crib cards alone score nothing.

Do runs have to be in order during pegging?

No. If the last three or more cards played can be arranged into a sequence — say 8, 6, 7 — the player completing it pegs the run, 1 point per card. An interrupting pair or an unrelated card breaks it.

What is muggins in cribbage?

Muggins is an optional rule: if you overlook points while counting your hand, your opponent can call “muggins” and peg those missed points for themselves. Plenty of home games skip it, and in American Cribbage Congress tournaments it’s the tournament director’s call, announced before play — so agree before the first deal.

What is the highest possible cribbage hand?

29 points: three 5s and a jack in hand, with the fourth 5 — matching the jack’s suit — as the starter. It counts eight fifteens (16), four of a kind (12), and his nobs (1). The odds are roughly 1 in 216,580 deals. If you ever count one, date the score sheet and keep it.

How many points do you need to win cribbage?

121 points — twice around a standard home board (60 holes per lap), plus the game hole. You need to reach 121, not pass it, and the game ends the instant a player pegs out, even in the middle of counting a hand.

Sources

Scoring on this page is checked against these references, starting with the official tournament rules.

• Cribbage Official Tournament Rules (American Cribbage Congress)
• Cribbage — official rules (Bicycle Cards)
• Six-card cribbage (pagat.com)
• Rules of cribbage (Wikipedia)
• Cribbage statistics (Wikipedia — odds of the 29 hand)

While the board’s out

Cribbage is the perfect two-player evening — and gin rummy scoring is the same counting pleasure at a faster clip. If a third joins, deal them into three-handed euchre. Hosting a full table? Our card game night guide is the checklist. And when the regular crowd is scattered across time zones, here’s how to play with real people online — free, no real money, just cards.