A skunk is winning by 31 or more points — the loser finishes below 91. In match play it counts as two game wins; a double skunk (loser under 61) counts three.
Skunks come from tournament and match scoring, where a bigger margin earns more game points:
- Normal win: loser has 91–120 points.
- Skunk: loser has 61–90 points — typically worth two games.
- Double skunk: loser has 60 or fewer — worth three games in many groups and four in others, so agree it before you play.
Where the lines fall
The loser needs 91 points to escape the skunk (121 minus 30) and 61 to escape the double skunk. If you peg out at 121 while your opponent sits on 90, that is a skunk; at 91 it is an ordinary win. Because the game ends the instant someone reaches 121, even in the middle of pegging, the loser’s hand and crib points are often never counted, which is how big margins happen.
Avoiding one
When you are far behind late in the game, the points you peg are counted at once, while hand points may never be reached. Count what you need to get to 91 and look for pegging points that get you there. The scoring behind that count is in the cribbage scoring and strategy guide.
Trindo Games plays single games to 121, so a skunk ends like any other win — there’s no match score to double.