Cribbage Scoring Made Clear for Every Hand
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A beautiful cribbage board deserves more than random peg jumps and a hopeful guess at the final count. Cribbage scoring is fast once you see the patterns, but one missed fifteen, duplicate run, or overlooked jack can swing a close game. Learn the scoring language, count in the right order, and your pegs will move with confidence instead of debate.
The Two Parts of Cribbage Scoring
Every cribbage round has two scoring stages: pegging and counting hands. They use many of the same point values, but they happen at different times and reward different decisions.
Pegging takes place while players lay down cards one at a time, trying not to push the running total over 31. You score immediately for combinations created during play. After all cards are played, each player counts their hand, the dealer counts the crib, and the next deal begins.
The board tracks a race to 121 points. In casual games, the first player to reach or pass the final hole wins on the spot. No need to finish the hand. That is part of cribbage’s charm: a player who looks behind can still steal the game with a big hand, a strong crib, or a perfectly timed peg.
Cribbage Scoring Values at a Glance
Number cards count at face value. Aces count as 1. Face cards - jacks, queens, and kings - each count as 10. Suits do not have a ranking, and an ace is always low. It can make A-2-3, but never Q-K-A.
Most points in a hand come from six familiar patterns:
- Fifteens are worth 2 points.
- Pairs are worth 2 points.
- Runs are worth 1 point per card in the run.
- Flushes are usually worth 4 or 5 points.
- Nobs is worth 1 point for a jack matching the starter card’s suit.
- The final card in pegging can earn points for 15, 31, pairs, runs, or go.
How to Count a Cribbage Hand
Once the starter card is turned, each non-dealer counts their four-card hand with the starter. The dealer then counts their hand and the crib. You are always looking at five cards when counting a hand or crib.
A reliable order keeps you from missing points. Start with fifteens, then pairs, then runs, then flushes, and finish with nobs. Many experienced players use the same sequence aloud, especially when teaching someone new or verifying a tournament hand.
Count fifteens first
Any combination of cards totaling 15 earns 2 points. This can be two cards, three cards, four cards, or occasionally more.
A 5 and a king make 15 for 2 points. So do 7-8, A-4-10, and 2-3-4-6. In a hand with a 5, look closely at every 10-value card. A hand containing 5, 5, 10, and king has four separate fifteens: each 5 can pair with each 10-value card. That is 8 points before you count the pair of fives.
Pairs, three of a kind, and four of a kind
A pair is 2 points. Three cards of the same rank create three separate pairs, so three of a kind is worth 6 points. Four of a kind contains six pairs and scores 12 points.
For example, a hand with 7-7-7-9 plus a starter card does not score only one pair. Each seven pairs with the other two. Thinking in combinations, rather than labels, is the cleanest way to get it right.
Runs can multiply quickly
A run is a sequence of three or more consecutive ranks, regardless of suit. A-2-3 is a three-card run. 9-10-J-Q is a four-card run.
Duplicate ranks create multiple runs. Consider 3-4-4-5. There are two separate 3-4-5 runs because either 4 can complete the sequence. That hand scores 6 points for runs, plus 2 points for the pair of fours, before any fifteens are added.
This is where players most often leave points on the table. With 3-3-4-5, there are also two runs of three. With 3-3-4-4-5, there are four runs of three for 12 points, plus two pairs for 4 more. The cards are not arranged in a neat line, but the combinations are still there.
Flushes and nobs have special rules
A four-card flush in your hand scores 4 points when all four cards share a suit. If the starter card matches that suit, it becomes a five-card flush worth 5 points.
The crib is stricter. A four-card flush in the crib scores nothing. All five cards, including the starter, must match suit for a crib flush worth 5 points. This difference matters when deciding what to toss to your own crib or your opponent’s.
Nobs, sometimes called "his nobs," is worth 1 point when your hand or crib contains a jack of the same suit as the starter card. The jack does not need to be part of a run or fifteen. It simply needs to match the starter’s suit.
Pegging Points: Score Before the Hand Count
During pegging, players alternate laying cards while announcing the running total. Never let that total exceed 31. A player who cannot play says "go," and the other player continues if they can.
When both players are stuck, the player who laid the final card scores 1 point for the go, unless that card made exactly 31. Making 31 earns 2 points instead. The count then resets to zero and pegging continues with remaining cards.
You can also score these combinations as cards are played:
A total of 15 earns 2 points. A pair earns 2, three of a kind earns 6, and four of a kind earns 12. Runs earn their full length, just as they do in a hand. The difference is that pegging runs must be formed by the most recently played cards in uninterrupted order.
If the sequence of played cards ends 6-7-8, the player who laid the 8 scores 3 for a run. If the cards were 6-8-7, the final three cards still form a run and score 3. But if 6-7-9-8 are played, the last three cards are 7-9-8, not a run. The earlier 6 does not reach across the 9 to help.
Pegging rewards restraint as much as aggression. A low card may look harmless, but it can hand an opponent a 15 or open a three-card run. Watch the total, remember which ranks have appeared, and keep a card that can create a go near 31 when possible.
A Full Hand Example
Take this hand: 5 of clubs, 5 of diamonds, 6 of hearts, 7 of spades, with a 4 of clubs as the starter.
Start with fifteens. Each 5 combines with 6 and 4 to make 15, creating two fifteens for 4 points. Next, the pair of fives is worth 2. Then count runs: 4-5-6-7 can be made with either 5, so there are two four-card runs worth 8 points total.
The hand is worth 14 points. It may not look dramatic at first glance, which is exactly why a repeatable counting order matters.
Common Scoring Mistakes That Cost Games
The most common mistake is counting a double run only once. The next is treating three of a kind as 6 points without checking whether those cards also make fifteens or runs. Players also occasionally award a four-card crib flush, which is not legal, or forget that the starter card counts with every hand.
Another classic error happens during pegging: scoring a run from cards that are no longer consecutive in the play sequence. Only the trailing, uninterrupted cards matter. If a player lays a card that makes both 15 and a pair, they score both. Peg every point immediately before the next card is played.
If a hand is disputed, lay the cards out, identify each scoring combination one category at a time, and count again. That approach is faster than arguing from memory and keeps game night friendly.
Make the Board Part of the Ritual
Cribbage is one of the few card games where the score becomes part of the tabletop experience. The pegs tell the story: a quick jump from a double run, a hard-earned go, the final turn around the board. A board with clear tracks and pegs you enjoy handling makes those moments better.
Whether you play weekly with family, bring a travel set to the cabin, or build boards in your own workshop, practice counting real hands until the combinations start to pop. Then choose a board that feels worth passing across the table. Custom Crib Boards gives players and makers room to create something personal, play hard, and brag when the pegs reach 121 first.