Cribbage Scoring Chart — Every Point Combo at a Glance
The complete cribbage scoring reference. Hand scoring, pegging points, and the crib — every combination explained with examples.
Cribbage scoring is rich and layered — that’s what makes the game great, and what makes a reference chart essential. This page covers every scoring combination for hand counting, pegging, and the crib.
Hand Scoring (Show Phase)
After each round of play, you count your hand. You use your 4 cards plus the shared starter (cut) card to find scoring combinations. Every valid combination scores — and combinations can overlap, so one card can contribute to multiple scores.
| Combination | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fifteen | 2 | Any combination of cards totaling exactly 15 |
| Pair | 2 | Two cards of the same rank |
| Pair Royal | 6 | Three cards of the same rank (3 pairs) |
| Double Pair Royal | 12 | Four cards of the same rank (6 pairs) |
| Run of 3 | 3 | Three consecutive cards (suit doesn’t matter) |
| Run of 4 | 4 | Four consecutive cards |
| Run of 5 | 5 | Five consecutive cards |
| Flush (4 cards) | 4 | All 4 hand cards are the same suit (not counting starter) |
| Flush (5 cards) | 5 | All 4 hand cards + starter are the same suit |
| Nobs | 1 | Jack in hand matches the suit of the starter card |
Card Values for Counting 15s
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| A | 1 |
| 2-9 | Face value |
| 10, J, Q, K | 10 |
Key insight: Face cards (J, Q, K) all count as 10 for 15-combinations. A 5 is the most valuable card in cribbage because it pairs with any 10-value card to make 15.
Hand Scoring Examples
Example 1: A simple hand
Hand: 4♣ 5♦ 6♥ 6♠ | Starter: J♦
| Combination | Cards | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Fifteen | 5 + J = 15 | 2 |
| Fifteen | 4 + 5 + 6♥ = 15 | 2 |
| Fifteen | 4 + 5 + 6♠ = 15 | 2 |
| Pair | 6♥ + 6♠ | 2 |
| Run | 4-5-6♥ | 3 |
| Run | 4-5-6♠ | 3 |
| Total | 14 |
Example 2: The perfect 29
Hand: 5♥ 5♦ 5♣ J♠ | Starter: 5♠
| Combination | Points |
|---|---|
| Eight 15-combinations (each 5+J, each pair of 5s + 5) | 16 |
| Six pairs (four 5s = 6 pair combinations) | 12 |
| Nobs (J♠ matches 5♠ starter) | 1 |
| Total | 29 |
Example 3: Zero-point hand
Hand: A♠ 3♥ 6♦ 8♣ | Starter: 10♠
No cards add to 15, no pairs, no runs, no flush, no nobs. Total: 0 points.
Pegging Points (During Play)
During the play phase, players take turns playing cards onto a running count (up to 31). Points are scored as follows:
| Event | Points |
|---|---|
| Hitting 15 | 2 |
| Hitting 31 | 2 |
| Last card (Go) | 1 |
| Pair | 2 (last two cards same rank) |
| Pair Royal | 6 (three in a row same rank) |
| Double Pair Royal | 12 (four in a row same rank) |
| Run of 3+ | 1 per card in the run |
Run clarification: During pegging, runs don’t need to be played in order — only the last cards played need to form a valid sequence. If plays go 3, 5, 4, that’s a run of 3 (3 points) because 3-4-5 can be arranged consecutively.
Crib Scoring
The crib belongs to the dealer and is scored after the non-dealer’s hand. Crib scoring follows the same rules as hand scoring with one exception:
A 4-card flush does not count in the crib. You need all 5 cards (the 4 crib cards plus the starter) to be the same suit for a flush to score in the crib.
Everything else — 15s, pairs, runs, nobs — scores identically.
Special Scoring Events
| Event | Points | When |
|---|---|---|
| Nibs (His Heels) | 2 | Dealer turns over a Jack as the starter card |
| Nobs (His Nobs) | 1 | Jack in your hand matches the starter suit |
| Go | 1 | Opponent can’t play without exceeding 31 |
| Last Card | 1 | Playing the final card when count hasn’t hit 31 |
| 31 Exact | 2 | Playing a card that makes the count exactly 31 |
| Skunk | — | Winning before opponent reaches 91 (some games count double) |
| Double Skunk | — | Winning before opponent reaches 61 (some games count triple) |
Scoring Order Rules
Scoring follows a strict order each round:
- Pegging — Points scored during the play phase
- Non-dealer’s hand — Counted first (this matters for close games)
- Dealer’s hand — Counted second
- Crib — Counted last (always the dealer’s)
Why order matters: If the non-dealer reaches 121 during hand counting, the game ends immediately — even if the dealer would have scored more. In tournament play, counting order determines many close games.
Common Hand Values to Memorize
| Hand Pattern | Typical Score |
|---|---|
| Nothing | 0 |
| One 15 | 2 |
| A pair + a 15 | 4 |
| Double run of 3 (e.g., 3-4-4-5) | 8 |
| Double run of 4 (e.g., 3-4-4-5-6) | 10 |
| Triple run (e.g., 3-4-4-4-5) | 15 |
| Quadruple run (e.g., 3-3-4-4-5) | 16 |
Pro tip: The average cribbage hand scores about 4.77 points. Anything above 8 is a strong hand. Anything above 12 is exceptional.
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For printable scoring charts, hand calculators, and extended scoring references, cribbagebox.com has a comprehensive Cribbage scoring resource.
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