Cribbage Scoring Chart
Every way to score in cribbage on one page: what pegs during the play, what counts in the show, and the numbers worth remembering. Print it and keep it by the board.
Pegging: points scored during the play
| Score | Points | When |
|---|---|---|
| Fifteen | 2 | Your card brings the running count to exactly 15 |
| Thirty-one | 2 | Your card brings the count to exactly 31 (the count then restarts at 0) |
| Pair | 2 | You play a card of the same rank as the one just played |
| Pair royal (three of a kind) | 6 | Third card of the same rank in a row |
| Double pair royal (four of a kind) | 12 | Fourth card of the same rank in a row |
| Run of three or more | 1 per card | The last 3+ cards form a sequence in any order (4-6-5 counts); suits don't matter |
| Go | 1 | Your opponent cannot play without passing 31 and neither can you |
| Last card | 1 | You play the final card of the hand (not added when that card makes 31, which already scores 2) |
| His heels | 2 | The starter card cut is a Jack: 2 for the dealer, pegged at once |
The show: counting your hand and the crib
Count four hand cards plus the starter. Everything stacks: a card can be part of a fifteen, a pair and a run at the same time.
| Score | Points | When |
|---|---|---|
| Fifteen | 2 each | Every different combination of cards that adds up to 15 (face cards 10, Ace 1) |
| Pair | 2 | Two cards of the same rank |
| Three of a kind | 6 | Three pairs |
| Four of a kind | 12 | Six pairs |
| Run of three | 3 | Three cards in sequence, any suits (Ace is low: A-2-3, never Q-K-A) |
| Run of four | 4 | |
| Run of five | 5 | |
| Double run of three | 8 | A run of 3 with one card paired, e.g. 4-5-5-6: two runs (6) + the pair (2) |
| Double run of four | 10 | e.g. 3-4-5-5-6: two runs of four (8) + the pair (2) |
| Triple run | 15 | e.g. 4-5-5-5-6: three runs (9) + three of a kind (6) |
| Double double run | 16 | e.g. 4-4-5-5-6: four runs (12) + two pairs (4) |
| Flush, four cards | 4 | All four hand cards the same suit. Hand only: a four-card flush never counts in the crib |
| Flush, five cards | 5 | The starter matches too. This is the only flush the crib can score |
| Nobs | 1 | You hold the Jack of the same suit as the starter |
Numbers worth remembering
- Game
- 121 points: twice around a standard board. The game ends the moment a player pegs out, even mid-count.
- Counting order
- Non-dealer's hand first, then the dealer's hand, then the dealer's crib. Going first can win a close game.
- Highest hand
- 29: three 5s and a Jack in hand, with the fourth 5 as the starter in the Jack's suit.
- Impossible hands
- 19, 25, 26 and 27 cannot be scored. That is why a hand worth nothing is jokingly called a "nineteen hand".
- Skunk
- The loser has 90 or fewer (under 91): counts as two games in match play.
- Double skunk
- The loser has 60 or fewer (under 61): counts as three or four games, by agreement.
- Cards dealt
- Six each for two players. Each throws two to the dealer's crib and plays four.
cardcouch.com/cribbage: play cribbage free against the computer. The game counts every hand for you and shows the breakdown, which is the quickest way to learn this chart.
Worked example
You hold 7♠ 8♠ 8♥ 9♦ and the starter is a 6♣. Fifteens: 7+8 twice and 6+9 once make three fifteens for 6. The pair of 8s is 2. The runs are 6-7-8-9 twice, once with each 8: a double run of four, 8 for the runs (the pair is already counted). Total: 6 + 2 + 8 = 16. No flush, no nobs.
For the reasoning behind each score, see how cribbage scoring works, the 29 hand, the skunk rule and the full cribbage rules. Once the counting is automatic, the discard strategy guide is where the points are.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a double run in cribbage?
A double run of three (such as 4-5-5-6) scores 8: two runs of three for 6 plus 2 for the pair. A double run of four (3-4-5-5-6) scores 10, a triple run (4-5-5-5-6) scores 15 and a double double run (4-4-5-5-6) scores 16. Fifteens are counted on top of those.
Does a flush count in the crib?
Only a five-card flush. In your hand, four cards of one suit score 4 and the starter makes it 5. In the crib all four cards and the starter must match; a four-card flush scores nothing there.
What order do you count a cribbage hand in?
Most players count fifteens first, then pairs, then runs, then a flush, and nobs last, saying the total as they go: fifteen two, fifteen four, a pair is six. Any order is legal; a fixed routine just stops you missing points.
What is the difference between nobs and his heels?
His heels is the starter card itself being a Jack: the dealer pegs 2 immediately. Nobs is holding the Jack of the starter's suit in your hand or crib: 1 point, counted in the show.