Four of a Kind in Cribbage
Four of a kind scores 12 points in cribbage. It is not a bonus of its own: four cards of one rank contain six different pairs, and every pair is worth 2, so 6 × 2 = 12. Three of a kind is three pairs for 6, and a pair is 2. The 12 counts the same in your hand (with the starter), in the crib, and in the play when the four cards are laid one after another.
Play Cribbage NowPairs at a glance
| Cards | Pairs inside | Points | Traditional name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pair (2 of a rank) | 1 | 2 | pair |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | pair royal |
| Four of a kind | 6 | 12 | double pair royal |
The same figures apply in the show and in the play. Rank is all that matters: suits play no part in a pair.
Why four of a kind is 12
Cribbage never scores “a set”. It scores every pair you can pick out of the cards, and a pair is any two cards of the same rank. Call four 7s A, B, C and D. The pairs you can pick are AB, AC, AD, BC, BD and CD: six of them, each worth 2, which is 12. With three 7s the pairs are AB, AC and BC, so 6. With two there is one pair, so 2.
That is why the old names are what they are: a pair royal for three of a kind and a double pair royal for four. The points are built from pairs, and the full scoring guide lists them beside fifteens, runs, flushes and nobs.
In the hand and the crib
In the show each hand, and then the crib, is counted with the starter as a fifth card. So three 9s in your hand with a 9 turned up as the starter is a full four of a kind: 12 points, exactly as if you held all four. The crib is counted by the same rules, so four of a kind there is 12 for the dealer.
Four of a kind leaves one card over, and that card usually does little, because four matching ranks cannot form a run (a run needs different ranks) and only some ranks make fifteens. The exception is the whole reason the 29 hand exists: four 5s make 15 four ways (any three of them) for 8, pair up for 12, and each 5 makes 15 with a ten-card for 8 more, so 5-5-5-5 with a ten-card is 28. The Jack of the starter's suit adds 1 for nobs: 29.
A smaller example: you hold 8♣ 8♦ 8♥ K♠ and the starter is the 8♠. Four of a kind is 12. There are no fifteens (8 + 8 = 16, K + 8 = 18), no runs and no flush. The hand is worth 12.
In the play (pegging)
During the play, pairs are scored by whoever lays the matching card, and the cards must be laid one straight after another. Play a 4 on a 4 and you peg 2. If the next card is a third 4, that player pegs 6 for the pair royal. A fourth 4 straight after pegs 12. Each card scores for the pairs it makes with the cards already down, which is the same combination logic as the show.
Anything in between breaks the chain: another rank, a Go, or a count reset at 31. Four 4s add up to only 16, so four of a kind in the play is possible with any rank below 8. With 8s or above the count passes 31 before the fourth card, so the most you can peg is the pair royal. It is rare either way, because to see four of a rank in the play, one player had to keep a pair and the other had to answer it twice. The pegging strategy guide explains why pairing a lead is a risk for exactly this reason.
Two mistakes to avoid
- Counting four of a kind as 8. It is six pairs, not four cards at 2 each. Four of a kind is always 12.
- Looking for a run. Four cards of one rank are the opposite of a run. If you hold 6-6-6-6 the only other points available are fifteens (6-6-... never makes 15, so none here) and nobs is impossible without a Jack.
The full order for counting a hand without missing anything is in how to count a cribbage hand.
How CardCouch counts it
On CardCouch every hand and crib is counted automatically and itemised, so four of a kind shows as a separate Pairs: 12 line next to any fifteens. In the play, the second, third and fourth matching cards peg 2, 6 and 12 as they are laid. Nothing is ever missed, and there is no muggins rule, because there is nothing to claim.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is four of a kind in cribbage?
12 points. Four cards of the same rank contain six different pairs, and every pair is worth 2, so 6 x 2 = 12. The traditional name is a double pair royal.
Why is four of a kind 12 and not 8?
Because cribbage scores pairs as combinations, not as a group. Call the four cards A, B, C and D: the pairs are AB, AC, AD, BC, BD and CD. That is six pairs, each worth 2. Three of a kind works the same way: AB, AC and BC are three pairs, so 6 points.
Does four of a kind count with the starter card?
Yes. In the show your hand is counted with the starter as a fifth card, so three of a rank in hand plus the same rank as the starter is a full four of a kind for 12. The crib is counted the same way.
Can you score four of a kind during pegging?
Yes. If four cards of the same rank are played one after another with nothing in between, the player of the fourth card scores 12. The second scored 2 and the third 6 on the way. A Go, a reset at 31 or any other card in between breaks the sequence.
Do the four cards also score fifteens or runs?
They can score fifteens: four 5s make 15 four different ways (any three of them), for 8 more points. They can never be part of a run, because a run needs different ranks. Four 5s with a ten-card is the famous 28 or 29 hand.