Cribbage Scoring and Strategy Guide

Cribbage points come from two places: pegging during play, and counting your hand and the crib afterwards. Knowing exactly how hands score is what makes your discards good.

How a hand scores

Fifteen: every combination of cards totalling 15 scores 2 (face cards count 10, aces 1).
Pair: 2 points; three of a kind (three pairs) 6; four of a kind 12.
Run: 3 or more cards in sequence score 1 per card, counted again for each duplicate (a double run of 3 is 8 with its pair).
Flush: four cards of one suit in hand score 4 (5 with the starter). The crib only scores a flush if all five match.
His nobs: the jack of the starter’s suit in your hand or crib scores 1. A jack turned as the starter gives the dealer 2 (his heels).

Discarding to the crib

When it’s your crib, throw cards that score together — a pair, two cards making fifteen (7-8, 5-10) or cards close in rank. When it’s your opponent’s crib, throw cards that are unlikely to help: widely separated ranks, and avoid giving away fives, which combine with every ten-card for fifteen.

Keep hands with fives and runs; a 5 with a pair of tens is already 6 points before the starter.

For the exact average value of every discard pair, see what to discard to the crib.

Pegging without giving points away

Leading a four or lower is safe: your opponent can’t make 15 with one card. Avoid leading a five (any ten-card makes 15) and avoid playing to a count of 5 or 21, which also let a ten-card score.

Pairs and runs during play score too, so be wary of playing a card adjacent to the one just played unless you can extend the run yourself.

Race to 121

A match spans several hands, first to 121. Near the end, count what you need: the non-dealer counts their hand first, so when both players are close, pegging points and first count can decide it.

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Cribbage Scoring and Strategy Guide

How a hand scores

Discarding to the crib

Pegging without giving points away

Race to 121

More strategy guides