Yes. The game ends the instant a player reaches 121, even in the middle of pegging. Nobody finishes the play or counts hands once someone pegs out.
Points are scored the moment they’re earned, so the game can end on any card: a fifteen, a pair, a go, even the dealer’s his heels before play starts.
This is why pegging strategy changes near the end. If you need 3 points and your opponent needs 20, winning a few pegging points matters far more than keeping a good hand to count later.
If nobody pegs out during play, hands are counted in order — non-dealer first — and the first to 121 wins there.
Which points can end the game
Any pegging score can: a fifteen, a pair, a run, the 2 for 31, or the 1 for the go and the last card. Say you are on 119 and the count is 10. You lay a 5 for fifteen, take 2 points and reach 121. The game is over on the spot. Your opponent’s remaining cards are never played and nobody counts a hand or the crib, however many points they held.
Why pegging points are worth more late
- They are banked at once. Hand points are counted afterwards, and only if nobody has pegged out first.
- The dealer’s hand and crib are counted last, so they are the ones most likely to be cut off by a game that ends earlier.
- A bigger hand does not guarantee the win: if your opponent reaches 121 first, yours is never counted.
A game that ends this way can also be a skunk if the loser is stranded far behind. Pegging tactics are in the cribbage scoring and strategy guide.