Cribbage Scoring: How to Count Your Hand
Quick answer
Count your four cards plus the starter. Score 2 for every combination that adds to 15, 2 for every pair, 1 per card for runs of three or more, 4 for a four-card flush (5 if the starter matches) and 1 for the jack of the starter's suit.
An average hand is worth about 4 to 5 points. The maximum is 29.
How to count a cribbage hand, in order
After the play, each player counts their four cards together with the starter card. The pone counts first, then the dealer's hand, then the dealer's crib. Go through the combinations in the same order every time and say the running total out loud:
- Fifteens: 2 points each.
- Pairs: 2 points each (three of a kind is 6, four of a kind is 12).
- Runs: 1 point per card.
- Flush: 4 or 5 points.
- His nobs: 1 point.
Cards can be reused. Every different group of cards that scores counts again.
Try it: count this hand
Hand: Six of clubs, Seven of diamonds, Eight of hearts, Nine of spades. Starter: Nine of clubs.
Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, a double run of four is sixteen — 16 points.
- Fifteen two
- Fifteen four
- Fifteen six
- A pair is eight
- A run of four is twelve
- A run of four is sixteen
Fifteens: 2 points each
Find every group of two or more cards that adds up to exactly 15. Kings, queens, jacks and tens count 10. Aces count 1. A 5 with any ten-card is the most common fifteen, so 5s are the most valuable cards in cribbage.
Work through it by size: first every pair that makes 15 (7+8, 6+9, 5+10), then groups of three (4+5+6, 2+3+10), then four and five cards.
Pairs: 2 points each
| Cards | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Two of a kind | Pair | 2 |
| Three of a kind | Pair royal (three pairs) | 6 |
| Four of a kind | Double pair royal (six pairs) | 12 |
Three of a kind is 6 because three cards make three different pairs. Four of a kind makes six pairs.
Runs and double runs: 1 point per card
Three or more cards in rank order score 1 point each, whatever their suits. Aces are low only: Q-K-A is not a run. If a pair sits inside a run, you can make the run twice:
| Example | Name | Runs + pairs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-5-6 | Run of three | 3 | 3 |
| 4-5-6-7 | Run of four | 4 | 4 |
| 4-5-5-6 | Double run of three | 3 + 3 + 2 | 8 |
| 4-5-5-6-7 | Double run of four | 4 + 4 + 2 | 10 |
| 4-5-5-5-6 | Triple run | 3 + 3 + 3 + 6 | 15 |
| 4-4-5-6-6 | Double double run | 3 × 4 + 2 + 2 | 16 |
The totals above count only runs and pairs. Add any fifteens on top.
Flush: different in the hand and the crib
- In your hand: all four cards the same suit score 4. If the starter matches too, 5.
- In the crib: only a five-card flush counts. All four crib cards and the starter must share a suit, for 5 points.
This is the rule people get wrong most often. You can check it in the calculator below: pick four hearts and a spade, then switch to “Count the crib.”
His nobs: 1 point
If your hand (or the crib) holds the jack of the same suit as the starter, score 1 point for his nobs. Don't mix it up with his heels: 2 points the dealer gets when the starter itself is a jack.
Cribbage hand calculator
Pick any four cards and a starter. The calculator counts the hand the way a good player would say it out loud. Tap any line to see which cards make it.
Pick five cards
Tap four cards for your hand, then a fifth for the starter. Tap a chosen card again to swap it out.
21 points
Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, fifteen eight, fifteen ten, fifteen twelve, fifteen fourteen, three of a kind is twenty, one for his nobs is twenty-one.
- +2: Five of clubs, Jack of hearts
- +2: Five of clubs, Queen of hearts
- +2: Five of diamonds, Jack of hearts
- +2: Five of diamonds, Queen of hearts
- +2: Jack of hearts, Five of hearts
- +2: Queen of hearts, Five of hearts
- +2: Five of clubs, Five of diamonds, Five of hearts
- +2: Five of clubs, Five of diamonds
- +2: Five of clubs, Five of hearts
- +2: Five of diamonds, Five of hearts
- +1: Jack of hearts, Five of hearts
Example hands and their scores
| Hand | Starter | How it scores | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| J♦ 5♠ 9♥ 2♣ | K♦ | Two fifteens (5+J, 5+K), his nobs | 5 |
| 6♣ 7♦ 8♥ 9♠ | 9♣ | Three fifteens, double run of four | 16 |
| 4♦ 5♥ 5♣ 6♠ | 10♠ | Four fifteens, double run of three | 16 |
| 3♣ 3♦ 3♥ 4♠ | 5♣ | Three fifteens, triple run | 21 |
| 5♣ 5♦ J♥ Q♥ | 5♥ | Seven fifteens, three of a kind, his nobs | 21 |
| 7♣ 7♦ 8♥ 8♠ | 9♣ | Four fifteens, double double run | 24 |
| 5♣ 5♦ 5♥ J♠ | 5♠ | Eight fifteens, four of a kind, his nobs: the perfect hand | 29 |
| 2♣ 4♦ 6♥ 8♠ | Q♣ | Nothing adds to 15, no pairs, no run: a “nineteen” | 0 |
Every score above was checked with the same scoring engine that runs our online game.
Points during pegging
Pegging, the play of the cards before the count, scores differently. You get 2 for bringing the count to 15 or 31, 2 for a pair, 6 for three of a kind, 12 for four of a kind and 1 per card for a run among the last cards played. There are no flushes or nobs in pegging, and 1 point goes to the last card before a “go.” See how pegging works for a played-out example, or the full cribbage pegging rules.
Missed points and muggins
If you undercount your hand, the points are simply lost, unless you play muggins. Under muggins, your opponent can call “Muggins!” and take the points you missed. The American Cribbage Congress treats muggins as its only optional rule: a tournament uses it only if it announces it in advance. At the kitchen table, decide before the first deal. More in cribbage muggins rules.
If you like Cribbage, try
Euchre
2–4 players · 20 min · Learn in a game or two
Partners, trump and the two bowers. Take three tricks of five.
Spite & Malice
2–4 players · 25 min · Easy to learn
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
How many points is a hand worth in cribbage?
Anywhere from 0 to 29. The average hand is worth only about 4 to 5 points, and anything over 12 is a good hand. The best possible hand is 29: three 5s and a jack, with the fourth 5 as the starter in the jack’s suit.
What order do you count a cribbage hand in?
By custom: fifteens first, then pairs, then runs, then a flush, then his nobs. Saying it out loud in that order (“fifteen two, fifteen four, a pair is six…”) keeps the running total easy to check.
Can one card be used in more than one combination?
Yes. Every different group of cards counts separately. A 5 can make one fifteen with a 10, another with a jack, and also be part of a pair and a run.
Does the starter card count in my hand?
Yes. Both players and the crib count the starter as a fifth card. The one exception is a four-card flush, which must be all four cards in your hand.
Why is 19 impossible in cribbage?
No mix of five cards adds up to exactly 19 points, so “nineteen” became the joke name for a hand worth zero. Scores of 25, 26 and 27 are also impossible.
Is there a cribbage scoring app?
You can use the calculator on this page on any phone or computer, with no download. Pick the four cards and the starter, and it counts every point out loud. Our free online game also counts every hand for you.