Cribbage Muggins: Taking Missed Points
Quick answer
Cribbage muggins is an optional rule: when a player undercounts their hand, crib or pegging, the opponent calls “Muggins!” and pegs the missed points themselves. Agree to play it before the game starts; the American Cribbage Congress uses it only when a tournament announces it.
Muggins means missed points go to your opponent
Without muggins, a point you forget to count is simply lost. With muggins, your opponent can claim it. It rewards careful counting on both sides of the table.
Take the first hand in the quiz below. The full count is 8: fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, a pair is eight. If the player says “6,” they have missed 2 points. Under muggins, the opponent pegs those 2 points.
How to call muggins
- Let the player finish counting and say their total.
- Check the hand yourself: fifteens, pairs, runs, flush, nobs.
- If points are missing, say “Muggins” and show which cards make them.
- Peg the missed points on your own track.
Some players call this “cutthroat.” In the strictest version, you say nothing and simply peg the missed points after your opponent has finished.
Muggins quiz: what did they miss?
Your opponent counts each hand out loud. Some counts are short and one is right. Find the missed points, then let the engine count the hand in full.
Try it: spot the missed points
Hand 1 of 5. Your opponent shows this hand with the starter and says: “6.”
Hand: Six of hearts, Six of clubs, Nine of spades, Three of diamonds. Starter: Queen of hearts. Claimed: 6.
Answer:
The engine's count: Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, a pair is eight, 8 points. They left out a fifteen (six of hearts + six of clubs + three of diamonds), worth 2 points. Call “Muggins!” and peg those 2 yourself.
Points that are easy to miss: a fifteen made from three or more cards, his nobs, and a four-card flush in the hand. Counting in the same order every time helps: see how to count a cribbage hand.
Muggins applies only if everyone agreed beforehand
- Tournaments: the American Cribbage Congress uses muggins only when the event announces it in advance.
- Hand and crib: the usual scope of muggins.
- Pegging: some groups include it, some don't. Settle it before the first deal.
- Overcounts are not muggins. Just take the extra points back.
Play muggins kindly at the kitchen table
Many friendly games skip muggins and help each other find missed points instead. If you are teaching a new player, leave muggins off until they can count a hand comfortably. In our online game the computer counts every hand and shows each point, so nothing is ever missed.
If you like Cribbage, try
Euchre
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Partners, trump and the two bowers. Take three tricks of five.
Spite & Malice
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Play off your pile before your opponent does. The game Skip-Bo grew from.
Canasta
2–6 players · 60 min · Learn in a game or two
Meld sevens of a kind with your partner. Red threes are a bonus.
Questions people ask
What does muggins mean in cribbage?
Muggins is an optional rule: if a player counts their hand, crib or pegging short, the opponent can call “Muggins!” and peg the missed points for themselves.
Is muggins an official cribbage rule?
It is optional. The American Cribbage Congress uses muggins only in tournaments that announce it in advance. In home games, agree on it before you start.
When can you call muggins?
After the player has finished counting and announced their total. You can’t interrupt a count in progress, because the player may still find the points.
Does muggins apply to pegging?
Some players apply it to points missed during pegging as well, according to pagat.com. Agree on this before the game if you play muggins.
What happens if someone counts too many points?
Overcounting is not muggins. The points are simply taken back and the pegs corrected. Tournament rules deal with overcounts separately; at home, just fix the score.