How Many Points Do You Need to Win Cribbage?
Quick answer
You need 121 points to win cribbage: twice around a standard board, plus the game hole. Win while your opponent has 90 or fewer and it is a skunk, which usually counts as two games. A quick game to 61 (once around) is a common home rule.
121 is twice around the board, plus one
A standard board has 60 holes for each player. Two laps make 120, and the next point puts your peg in the game hole: 121. You don't need to land on it exactly. Reaching it or passing it wins.
Skunk calculator: was it a skunk?
Set the loser's score at the moment the winner reached 121. The calculator says whether it was a regular win, a skunk or a double skunk, and the board shows both pegs.
Skunk calculator
The winner has just reached 121. Where is the loser's front peg?
Example: the loser has 85.
Winner: 121 points. Loser: 85 points. 121 to win.
Loser on 85: skunk.
A skunk: the winner reached 121 while the loser was still on 90 or less (a margin of 36). Casual games usually count it as 2 games. ACC tournaments: 3 game points.
Short game to 61: there is no standard skunk line, so agree on one before you start.
A skunk means the loser didn't pass 90
| Loser's score | Result | Casual games | ACC tournaments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91–120 | Win | 1 game | 2 game points |
| 61–90 | Skunk | Usually 2 games | 3 game points |
| 0–60 | Double skunk (house rule) | Often 3 games | Counts as a skunk: 3 |
Most boards mark the skunk line after hole 90. Some home games also add a triple skunk when the loser has 30 or fewer. Agree on extras like these before you play.
The short game: 61 points, once around
For a quicker game, play to 61: one lap of the board plus the game hole. It takes about half as long. The old five-card version of cribbage was always played to 61. There is no standard skunk line in a 61-point game, so settle that before the first deal.
The game ends the moment someone reaches 121
- During pegging: if a card takes you to 121, you win on the spot. The hands are not counted.
- During the show: the pone counts first. If the pone reaches 121, the dealer's hand and crib don't count. This is called counting out.
- His heels: a jack turned as the starter gives the dealer 2 points, and that can win the game too.
To read a board at a glance, see how to use a cribbage board.
If you like Cribbage, try
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Spite & Malice
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Play off your pile before your opponent does. The game Skip-Bo grew from.
Canasta
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Meld sevens of a kind with your partner. Red threes are a bonus.
Questions people ask
How many points do you need to win cribbage?
121 points in the standard game. A shorter game to 61 is common at home, and the older five-card game was played to 61.
Do you have to land exactly on 121?
No. Any score that reaches or passes 121 wins. You don't need an exact count to go out.
What is a skunk in cribbage?
Winning while your opponent has 90 or fewer points, a margin of 31 or more. It usually counts as two games. In American Cribbage Congress tournaments a win is worth 2 game points and a skunk 3.
What is a double skunk?
A house rule: winning while your opponent has 60 or fewer. It often counts as three games. ACC tournament rules have no double skunk; it scores as a normal skunk.
Can you win cribbage during pegging?
Yes. The game ends the moment anyone reaches 121, even mid-pegging or before the other player has counted their hand.