Cribbage Glossary

Complete dictionary of cribbage terms, from common phrases to traditional slang.

B

Count: The running total during pegging (maximum 31), or the act of tallying points in a hand.
Crib: The four cards (two from each player) set aside face-down. The dealer scores the crib after both hands are counted.
Cut Card: See 'Starter'.

Dealer: The player who deals the cards and will score the crib that round.
Double Pair Royal: Four cards of the same rank, scoring 12 points.
Double Run: A run of three cards with one pair (e.g., 4-4-5-6), scoring 8 points (two runs of 3 plus a pair).
Double Skunk: Winning before your opponent reaches 61 points. Often counts as 3 game wins.

Fifteen: Any combination of cards totaling exactly 15, scoring 2 points.
Flush: Four or five cards of the same suit. In hand: 4 matching = 4 points, 5 matching = 5 points. In crib: must be 5 matching to score.

Go: Called when a player cannot play a card without exceeding 31. Opponent continues or scores 1 point.

His Heels: When the starter card is a Jack, the dealer immediately scores 2 points.
His Nobs: See 'Nobs'.
Hole: One point on the cribbage board.

Last Card: The final card played in a pegging sequence. Scores 1 point if not reaching 31 (which scores 2).
Lay Away: To discard cards to the crib.

Muggins: Optional rule where if a player miscounts, the opponent can claim the missed points.

Pair: Two cards of the same rank, scoring 2 points.
Pair Royal: Three cards of the same rank, scoring 6 points.
Peg: To score points using the pegs on the board.
Pegging: The play phase where players alternate playing cards and score points.
Pone: The non-dealer. The pone cuts the deck and plays first.

Run: Three or more cards in sequence regardless of suit, scoring 1 point per card.

Skunk: Winning before your opponent reaches 91 points. Often counts as 2 game wins.
Skunk Line: The 90-point mark on the board. If winner crosses 121 before loser crosses 91, it's a skunk.
Starter: The card turned up after the cut, used in counting but not in pegging. Also called the 'cut card'.
Stinkhole: The 120th hole. Being in the stinkhole means you need exactly 1 point to win.
Street: A section of 30 holes on a cribbage board.

Thirty-One: Reaching exactly 31 during pegging, scoring 2 points and resetting the count.
Triple Run: A run with three of a kind (e.g., 5-5-5-6-7), scoring 15 points.

Underpegging: Scoring fewer points than entitled, either by accident or strategy.