How to Count a Cribbage Hand
Count your four cards plus the starter in a fixed order so nothing is missed: fifteens first (2 for each combination that adds to 15), then pairs (2; three of a kind 6; four of a kind 12), then runs (1 per card, counting each run separately), then the flush (4, or 5 with the starter), then nobs (1 for the Jack of the starter's suit). Say it as a running total: “fifteen two, fifteen four, a pair is six, and a run of three is nine.”
Play Cribbage NowThe counting order at a glance
| Step | What scores |
|---|---|
| 1. Fifteens | 2 for every different combination of cards that adds to 15 |
| 2. Pairs | 2 for a pair, 6 for three of a kind, 12 for four of a kind |
| 3. Runs | 1 per card; a double run of three is 8, a double run of four 10, a triple run 15, a double double run 16 |
| 4. Flush | 4 for four suited hand cards, 5 with a matching starter; crib needs all five |
| 5. Nobs | 1 for the Jack of the starter's suit |
Card values for fifteens: Ace 1, number cards face value, Jack, Queen and King 10. Ace is low in runs (A-2-3 yes, Q-K-A no).
Why a fixed order matters
Points in cribbage overlap. The same 5 can be part of two fifteens, a pair and two runs, and all of them score. If you look at the hand as a whole you will either miss a combination or count one twice. Going category by category, and inside each category card by card, turns the count into a checklist. The order above is the one most players use and the one CardCouch shows in its itemised breakdown; some players take runs before pairs, which is fine as long as you always do it the same way.
Worked example: 5♥ 5♠ 6♦ 4♣ with starter 6♣
Five cards on the table: 5♥ 5♠ 6♦ 4♣ in the hand and the 6♣ turned up as the starter. Here is every line, with the spoken running total.
| Combination | You say | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Fifteen: 5♥ + 4♣ + 6♦ | fifteen two | 2 |
| Fifteen: 5♥ + 4♣ + 6♣ | fifteen four | 2 |
| Fifteen: 5♠ + 4♣ + 6♦ | fifteen six | 2 |
| Fifteen: 5♠ + 4♣ + 6♣ | fifteen eight | 2 |
| Pair: 5♥ and 5♠ | a pair is ten | 2 |
| Pair: 6♦ and 6♣ | two pairs is twelve | 2 |
| Run: 4♣ 5♥ 6♦ | a run of three is fifteen | 3 |
| Run: 4♣ 5♥ 6♣ | another run is eighteen | 3 |
| Run: 4♣ 5♠ 6♦ | a third run is twenty-one | 3 |
| Run: 4♣ 5♠ 6♣ | and the fourth run is twenty-four | 3 |
| Flush: hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs mixed | none | 0 |
| Nobs: no Jack in the hand | none | 0 |
| Total | twenty-four | 24 |
By category: fifteens 8 (4 + 5 + 6 is the only way to make 15 here, and there are two 5s and two 6s, so four different combinations), pairs 4 (the two 5s, the two 6s), runs 12 (4-5-6 made four ways, one for each choice of a 5 and a 6: a double double run), flush 0, nobs 0. 8 + 4 + 12 = 24. If the starter had been any other 6, or any other 5, the count would be the same 24.
Notice how the fifteens were found: fix the 4♣ (the only 4), then pick one 5 and one 6, two choices each. Working through the choices in order is the only reliable way to find all four. The same pairing logic produces the four runs. A check: pairs and runs together make 16, which is the standard figure for a double double run, so the arithmetic holds.
The mistakes that cost points
- Counting a flush the hand does not have. Three suited cards in the hand plus a matching starter is four of a suit on the table, but not a flush. The four hand cards must match first; the starter can only add the fifth point. See the flush rules.
- Counting a four-card flush in the crib. The crib scores a flush only when all five cards, starter included, are one suit. Four is nothing.
- Missing a fifteen made of three or four cards. 7-8 and 5-K are easy. A-4-K, 2-3-K, 4-5-6 and A-2-2-K are the ones that get skipped. After the two-card fifteens, deliberately try every three-card group, then the four-card ones.
- Double-counting a run. A run scores once, for its full length: 3-4-5-6 is one run of four for 4, not a run of four plus a run of three. A double run like 4-4-5-6 is 8 (two runs of three plus the pair), not 11 or 12. Check against the set figures: double run 8, double run of four 10, triple run 15, double double run 16.
A fifth, smaller one: counting four of a kind as 8. It is six pairs, so 12, as explained in four of a kind in cribbage.
Counting the crib and the order of the show
In the show the non-dealer (pone) counts first, then the dealer counts their hand, then the dealer counts the crib. The crib is counted exactly like a hand, with the starter as its fifth card and the same order, with the one exception that its flush needs all five cards. Counting order matters at the end of a game: if both players could reach 121 in the same show, the pone counts first and wins. The full set of combinations and values is in the scoring guide, and the printable scoring chart puts them on one sheet for the table.
How CardCouch counts for you
On CardCouch every hand and the crib are counted automatically, pone first, and the breakdown lists fifteens, pairs, runs, flush and nobs as separate lines. Nothing is missed and nothing is overclaimed, so there is no muggins rule. If you are learning to count, say your total before the breakdown appears and compare.
Frequently asked questions
What order do you count a cribbage hand in?
The usual order is fifteens, pairs, runs, flush, nobs. Any fixed order works; what matters is going through every category every time so nothing is skipped. Saying the count out loud as a running total (fifteen two, fifteen four, a pair is six) keeps the arithmetic honest.
Does the starter card count in my hand?
Yes. In the show your four cards and the starter are counted together as five cards for fifteens, pairs, runs and nobs. The only exception is the flush, which needs the four hand cards to match first; the starter can only add the fifth point.
How do you count fifteens with three or four cards?
Every different group of cards that adds to exactly 15 scores 2, however many cards are in it. Ace counts 1, court cards 10. So A-4-K is a fifteen, 2-3-K is a fifteen, and A-2-2-K is a fifteen using four cards. The easy ones are two-card fifteens like 7-8 or 5-K; the three- and four-card ones are the ones people miss.
What is a double run and how much is it?
A run of three with one of its ranks paired, such as 4-4-5-6. It contains two separate runs of three (one with each 4) plus the pair: 3 + 3 + 2 = 8. A double run of four (3-4-4-5-6) is 4 + 4 + 2 = 10. A triple run (4-4-4-5-6) is three runs plus three of a kind: 9 + 6 = 15. A double double run (4-4-5-6-6) is four runs plus two pairs: 12 + 4 = 16.
What happens if I miscount at a real table?
In a friendly game you just correct it. If the muggins rule has been agreed beforehand, points you fail to claim can be taken by your opponent, so an undercount costs you twice. CardCouch counts every hand automatically, so there is no muggins and no undercount; the itemised breakdown is a good way to check your own counting.