Cribbage Scoring Chart & Complete Points Guide

Scoring is the heart of cribbage. Unlike most card games where you simply win tricks or make melds, cribbage awards points across three distinct phases — the play (pegging), the show (hand counting), and the crib. Understanding every scoring combination is the difference between a casual player and a competitive one.

This guide covers every point you can earn in cribbage, with examples for each.

Quick Reference: Cribbage Scoring Chart

Use this chart as a fast reference. Each combination is explained in detail below.

Hand Scoring: The Show

After the pegging round, each player counts their hand. You always use your 4 hand cards plus the shared starter card (5 cards total). Here is every combination in detail.

Fifteens — 2 Points Each

Any combination of cards that adds up to exactly 15 scores 2 points. Face cards (J, Q, K) count as 10. Aces count as 1.

You must find every unique group of cards that totals 15. A single hand can contain multiple fifteens.

Example: Your hand is 5-5-5-J with a starter of K.

• 5 + J = 15 (2 points)
• 5 + K = 15 (2 points) — and there are three 5s, so that is three separate combinations: 5₁+K, 5₂+K, 5₃+K (6 points)
• 5 + J appears three times: 5₁+J, 5₂+J, 5₃+J (6 points)
• 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 (2 points)

That is 8 fifteens = 16 points just from fifteens alone.

Tip: Always count fifteens systematically. Start with pairs of cards, then groups of three, then four, then all five. This prevents missed combinations — and in ACC tournament play, your opponent can claim missed points under the muggins rule.

Pairs — 2 Points Per Pair

Two cards of the same rank score 2 points. When you have three of a kind (pair royal), that is actually three distinct pairs = 6 points. Four of a kind (double pair royal) contains six distinct pairs = 12 points.

Why three of a kind = 6 points: Cards A, B, C of the same rank form pairs A-B, A-C, and B-C — that is 3 pairs × 2 = 6.

Runs — 1 Point Per Card

Three or more cards in consecutive rank score 1 point per card in the run. Suit does not matter. Only rank sequence counts.

• Run of 3 (e.g., 3-4-5): 3 points
• Run of 4 (e.g., 3-4-5-6): 4 points
• Run of 5 (e.g., 3-4-5-6-7): 5 points

Runs can combine with pairs to create double runs and triple runs:

Example — Double Run: Your hand is 7-8-8-9 with a starter of 2. The two 8s create two separate runs: 7-8₁-9 (3 points) and 7-8₂-9 (3 points), plus the pair of 8s (2 points) = 8 points from runs and pairs. Don’t forget to check for fifteens too — 7+8 = 15 appears twice (4 more points).

Flushes — 4 or 5 Points

If all 4 cards in your hand are the same suit, that is a flush worth 4 points. If the starter card is also that suit, the flush is worth 5 points.

Critical crib rule: A flush in the crib only counts if all 5 cards (4 crib cards + starter) are the same suit. A 4-card flush in the crib scores nothing.

For a deeper dive into when flushes count in the hand versus the crib, including edge cases and examples, see our complete flush rules guide.

Common mistake: New players sometimes count a flush when 3 of 4 hand cards match the starter. That is not a flush. All 4 hand cards must match first, then check the starter for the 5th.

Nobs — 1 Point

If your hand contains the Jack of the same suit as the starter card, you score 1 point for nobs. This is sometimes called “one for his nob.”

Example: The starter is the 6 of hearts. You hold J♥-4-5-6 in your hand. You score 1 point for nobs (the Jack of hearts matches the heart starter).

Nibs (His Heels) — 2 Points

This is not a hand scoring rule — it happens during the cut. If the starter card turned up is a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs 2 points. This is called “two for his heels” or nibs.

Pegging Scoring: The Play

Before hands are counted, players alternate playing cards to a running total (maximum 31). Points scored during the play are pegged immediately.

Fifteens and Thirty-Ones

• Running total reaches exactly 15 → 2 points
• Running total reaches exactly 31 → 2 points

Pairs During Pegging

If you play a card of the same rank as the card just played:

Runs During Pegging

If the last 3+ cards played (by either player) form a consecutive sequence in any order, the player who completed the sequence scores the run. Suit is irrelevant.

Example: Player A plays 6, Player B plays 4, Player A plays 5. The last three cards (6-4-5) can be rearranged to 4-5-6 — Player A scores 3 for a run.

If the next card extends the run (e.g., Player B plays 7, making 4-5-6-7), Player B scores 4 for the extended run.

Go and Last Card

• Go: If your opponent cannot play without exceeding 31, you score 1 point for “Go.”
• 31: If the running total reaches exactly 31, you score 2 points instead of 1 for Go.
• Last Card: If you play the last card in a round and the total is under 31, you score 1 point for last card.

Note: You cannot score both “Go” and “Last Card” — they are mutually exclusive. “Go” means your opponent stopped first; “Last Card” means you played the final card naturally.

Game Scoring

Beyond individual hands and pegging, cribbage has game-level scoring:

Winning the Game

The first player to reach 121 points (or 61 in a short game) wins immediately. You can win during pegging, during the show, or during the crib count — the moment you hit 121, the game ends. This is called counting out, and it makes the order of counting critical: the non-dealer (pone) always counts first.

Skunks

In tournament play, skunks are significant. They determine standings and can be the difference between advancing or not.

Scoring Examples: Full Hand Walkthroughs

Example 1: Beginner Hand

Hand: 4♣ 5♦ 6♠ J♥ — Starter: 5♣

Fifteens:

• 4 + 5₁ + 6 = 15 → 2 points
• 4 + 5₂ + 6 = 15 → 2 points
• 5₁ + J = 15 → 2 points
• 5₂ + J = 15 → 2 points

Pairs: 5-5 → 2 points

Runs: 4-5₁-6 = 3 points and 4-5₂-6 = 3 points (double run)

Nobs: J♥ and starter is 5♣ — suits don’t match. No nobs.

Total: 8 (fifteens) + 2 (pair) + 6 (runs) = 16 points

Example 2: Strong Hand

Hand: 7♠ 7♥ 8♣ 8♦ — Starter: 9♠

Fifteens:

• 7₁ + 8₁ = 15 → 2 points
• 7₁ + 8₂ = 15 → 2 points
• 7₂ + 8₁ = 15 → 2 points
• 7₂ + 8₂ = 15 → 2 points

Pairs: 7-7 → 2 points; 8-8 → 2 points

Runs: 7₁-8₁-9, 7₁-8₂-9, 7₂-8₁-9, 7₂-8₂-9 → 4 runs of 3 = 12 points

Total: 8 + 4 + 12 = 24 points — an excellent hand.

Example 3: The Perfect 29

Hand: 5♥ 5♦ 5♣ J♠ — Starter: 5♠

Fifteens: Every combination of cards that totals 15:

• J + 5 (four ways) → 8 points
• 5 + 5 + 5 (four ways, choosing 3 from four 5s) → 8 points

Pairs: Four 5s = double pair royal → 12 points

Nobs: J♠ matches the 5♠ starter → 1 point

Total: 16 + 12 + 1 = 29 points — the highest possible cribbage hand. The odds of being dealt a 29 hand are approximately 1 in 216,580.

The Impossible 19

There is no combination of cards that scores exactly 19 points in cribbage. Because of this, saying “I have 19” is cribbage slang for zero points. If someone claims 19, they are telling you their hand scored nothing.

Other impossible hand scores include 25, 26, and 27.

Common Scoring Mistakes

1. Missing fifteens: The most common error. Count systematically — all pairs, then triples, then quads, then all five cards.
2. Counting a 4-card flush in the crib: Crib flushes must include the starter (all 5 cards same suit).
3. Forgetting nobs: Always check if you hold the Jack matching the starter’s suit.
4. Miscounting runs with pairs: A hand like 3-3-4-5 has two runs of 3 (not one), plus the pair.
5. Confusing nibs and nobs: Nibs = Jack turned as starter (2 points to dealer). Nobs = Jack in hand matching starter suit (1 point).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the highest possible cribbage hand?

The highest possible score is 29 points: three 5s and a Jack in hand, with the fourth 5 (matching the Jack’s suit) as the starter card. This gives 16 points in fifteens, 12 for the double pair royal, and 1 for nobs. The odds are roughly 1 in 216,580.

What is the lowest possible hand score?

The lowest possible hand score is 0 points (colloquially called “a 19 hand”). For example: A-3-6-9 with an off-suit starter of K — no fifteens, no pairs, no runs, no flush, no nobs.

Can you score more than 29?

Not in a single hand. However, as the dealer, you could theoretically score 29 in your hand and a high-scoring crib in the same round. The maximum combined score (hand + crib) in a single round is 53 points (29 hand + 24 crib), though this has never been verified in actual play.

Do you count the starter card in a flush?

For hand flushes: the starter is optional. 4 hand cards of the same suit = 4 points, or 4 hand cards + starter of the same suit = 5 points. For crib flushes: the starter is required. All 5 cards must be the same suit or the flush does not count.

Does the order of cards matter for runs?

No. Runs are based on rank sequence only, regardless of the order the cards appear. A hand of 6-4-5 contains a run of 3 just as much as 4-5-6 does.

What is muggins?

Muggins is an optional (but common in tournaments) rule where if you miss points during the show, your opponent can claim those points for themselves. This is why accurate counting matters — every missed fifteen or run is a gift to your opponent.