The Ultimate Cribbage Scoring Guide for Beginners

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Everything you need to know about counting points in a cribbage game

Co-authored by Triple S Games and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: July 28, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Scoring Combos
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• Run Scoring
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• Special Hands
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• How to Score
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• Optional Scoring
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• Video

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Cribbage has notoriously tricky scoring that may feel a little intimidating to new players, but there are only a few possible combinations you need to know. If you want to improve your cribbage game and count all your points properly, look no further! We spoke with game experts to help walk through examples of all the different scoring combinations and special hands so you count and score them correctly the next time you play!

Cribbage Scoring Cheat Sheet

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Score points in cribbage by playing a scoring combo during the pegging phase, like making the count exactly 15 or 31, making Pairs, or forming consecutive Runs. When you count points in your hand, score 15s, Pairs, Runs of 3 or more cards, and Flushes of the same suit.

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Section 1 of 5:

Cribbage Scoring Combinations

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   15: 2 points The game experts at Triple S Games note that when you play a card during a game of cribbage that makes the total exactly 15, you score 2 points. You can score these points when you play cards during the pegging phase, and with any combination of cards when you’re counting your hand.

   • Example: If your opponent played a 10 on their turn, you could play a 5 to make 15 and score 2 points.
   • Example: If your hand has 3-5-7-8 and the starter card is a 10, you would score 6 points for 15s (8-7, 7-5-3, and 5-10).

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   Triple S Games are Game Experts based in Salt Lake City, Utah with a YouTube channel explaining over 1,000 board and card games.
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   Pair: 2 points A Pair is 2 cards of the same rank. During the pegging phase, Triple S Games explains you can score a pair by playing a card of the same rank as the last card. If you have a pair in your hand, then you get 2 points during the scoring phase.

   • Examples: 2-2, 7-7, Q-Q
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   Three of a Kind: 6 points A Three of a Kind is 3 cards of the same rank. According to Triple S Games, a Three of a Kind is also known as a “Royal Pair.” When you have a Three of a Kind in your hand or play the third card of the same rank in the pegging round, it scores 3 sets of pairs for a total of 6 points.

   • Example: 4H, 4D, and 4S can make the pairs 4H-4D, 4H-4S, and 4D-4S.
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   Four of a Kind: 12 points A Four of a Kind is when you have all 4 cards of the same rank. You can make a total of 6 combinations of Pairs when you have a Four of a Kind, so it totals 12 points during the pegging round and when you’re counting your hand.

   • Example: A hand with 2S, 2D, 2H, and 2C can be made into the pair combinations 2S-2D, 2S-2H, 2S-2C, 2D-2H, 2D-2C, and 2H-2C.
   • A Four of a Kind is also called a “Double Royal Pair.”
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   Run: 1 point per card A Run is a consecutive set of 3 or more cards in any suit. Triple S Game states, “You get points equal to the number of cards in the run.” During the pegging round, you can play a run out of order and still earn points. When you’re counting your hand, lay the cards out in order so the run is easier to notice.

   • Example: If the last 2 cards that were played during the pegging round were 3 and 2, you could play a 4. Even if the cards are out of order, this completes a Run of 3 (2-3-4) and earns you 3 points.
     • If your opponent then played a 5 on their turn, they would score a Run of 4 for 4 points.
   • Example: If your hand has 5-6-7-8 and the starter card is a 4, you would score 5 points for a Run of 5.
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   4-Card Flush: 4 points A 4-Card Flush is when all the cards in your dealt hand are the same suit. This does not include the starter card, and you cannot use the starter card to make a 4-card flush. You earn 1 point for each card in the Flush for a total of 4 points.

   • Example: 8D-10D-4D-9D
   • You cannot score a 4-Card Flush when you’re counting your crib.
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   5-Card Flush: 5 points A 5-Card Flush is when your dealt hand and the starter card are all the same suit. You earn 1 point for each card in the Flush, so you score 5 points.

   • Example: 3S-AS-7S-JS with a 4S starter card
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   Nobs: 1 point If you have the Jack that matches the suit of the starter card in your hand, you earn a bonus point called Nobs.

   • Example: If the starter card is 8C, then you would score nobs if you have JC.
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   His Heels: 2 points At the beginning of the round when you reveal the starter card, the dealer earns 2 points if the card is a Jack.
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    31: 2 points During the pegging phase of the game, add the values of the cards together as you play them to keep count. If you play a card that brings the count exactly to 31, then you score 2 points and the count resets.

    • Example: If the count is as 23, you could play an 8 to bring it to 31 and score 2 points.
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    Go: 1 point You cannot play a card if it makes the count go over 31 during the pegging phase. If a player doesn’t have a legal card to play, they say “Go” out loud. The other player can play any remaining cards they’re able to before taking 1 point.

    • Example: You played a card that brought the count to 27. Your opponent only has a 5 and 6 left in their hand, so they say “Go.”
      • If you have a 3 in your hand, you must play it first. Then, you earn 1 point for the Go.
      • If you have a 4, play it to bring the count to 31 and score 2 points.
      • If you have a 5 or higher, you would also say Go and take 1 point.
    • When both players say Go, then the count resets and the person who didn’t play the last card starts.
    • If you play the last card of the pegging phase, you also gain 1 point.
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Section 2 of 5:

Scoring Double & Triple Runs

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   Double run of 3 cards: 8 points A double run consists of 2 runs of 3 cards and a pair. Each run counts as 3 points and the pair adds 2 additional points.

   • Example: 8D-8H-9-10
     • 3 points from a Run of 3 (8D-9-10)
     • 3 points from a Run of 3 (8H-9-10)
     • 2 points from a Pair (8-8)
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   Double run of 4 cards: 10 points A double run of 4 cards uses all the cards in your hand and the starter card. There are 2 Runs of 4 cards and a Pair that bring the total points for the hand up to 10.

   • Example: 8D-8H-9-10-J
     • 4 points from a Run of 4 (8D-9-10-J)
     • 4 points from a Run of 3 (8H-9-10-J)
     • 2 points from a Pair (8-8)
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   Triple run of 3 cards: 15 points A triple run has a Three of a kind that can also be used to make runs of 3. There are 3 different run combinations to make along with scoring the Three of a kind.

   • Example: 5-6D-6H-6S-7
     • 3 points from a Run of 3 (5-6D-7)
     • 3 points from a Run of 3 (5-6H-7)
     • 3 points from a Run of 3 (5-6S-7)
     • 6 points from a Three of a Kind (6-6-6)
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   Double double run of 3 cards: 16 points A double double run contains 2 pairs that let you make 2 runs of 3 cards. There are 4 different run combinations and 2 sets of pairs for a total of 16 points.

   • Example: AC-AD-2-3H-3C
     • 3 points from a Run of 3 (AC-2-3H)
     • 3 points from a Run of 3 (AC-2-3C)
     • 3 points from a Run of 3 (AD-2-3H)
     • 3 points from a Run of 3 (AD-2-3C)
     • 4 points from Pairs (A-A, 3-3)
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Section 3 of 5:

Special Scoring Hands in Cribbage

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1. 
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   29 Hand The 29 Hand is called the perfect hand because it’s the highest possible score you can get in the game. To score 29, the starter card has to be a 5. Then, you must have the Jack that matches the starter card’s suit and the 3 remaining 5s.

   • 16 points from 15s
     • 5S-5C-5D
     • 5S-5D-5H
     • 5S-5H-5C
     • 5C-5D-5H
     • J+5S
     • J+5C
     • J+5D
     • J+5H
   • 12 points from Four of a kind (5-5-5-5)
   • 1 point for Nobs
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   28 Hand The 28 Hand is a near-perfect hand that consists of the 5s of each suit and any 10, Jack, Queen, or King. The odds of getting this hand are 1 in every 15,000 hands, so you’re pretty lucky if you get this combo.

   • 16 points from 15s
     • 5S-5C-5D
     • 5S-5D-5H
     • 5S-5H-5C
     • 5C-5D-5H
     • (10, J, Q, or K)+5S
     • (10, J, Q, or K)+5C
     • (10, J, Q, or K)+5D
     • (10, J, Q, or K)+5H
   • 12 points from Four of a Kind (5-5-5-5)
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   Raggedy Ann A Raggedy Ann contains an 8, 7, 6, A, and A. The hand got its name because it looks a little disjointed at first, but it can actually score you a total of 13 points.

   • 8 points from 15s (8-7, 8-6-1, 8-6-1, 7-6-1-1)
   • 2 points from a Pair (1-1)
   • 3 points from a Run (6-7-8)
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   Raggedy Andy The Raggedy Andy hand is a combination of 8, 7, 6, 2, and 2. While it’s not as strong of a hand as the Raggedy Ann, it still earns a total of 11 points.

   • 6 points from 15s (8-7, 7-6-2, 7-6-2)
   • 2 points from a Pair (2-2)
   • 3 points from a Run (6-7-8)
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   “19” Hand If you ever hear someone say their hand has 19 points, it actually means they didn’t score anything. 19 is an impossible combination for a cribbage hand, so some people say it as a joke when they actually have 0 points.
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Section 4 of 5:

How to Score Points in Cribbage

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1. 
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   Earn points on played cards during the pegging round. During the pegging round, players take turns playing 1 card at a time and add to the count. When cards make a scoring combination, the last person who played a card scores the points. When the count reaches 31 or when both players go, it resets back down to 0.
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   Count hands and cribs at the end of the round. After both players have played all their cards, the non-dealer starts counting the scoring combinations in their hand. You can use the 4 cards in your hand plus the starter card to make any possible combinations, except for 31s. After the non-dealer, the dealer counts their hand and then their crib.

   • When you count your hand, try to do it in this order so you don’t get confused or miss points:
     • 15s
     • Pairs
     • Runs
     • Flushes
     • Nobs
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   Score His Heels when a Jack is the starter card. At the start of the round when the starter card is revealed, the dealer immediately gets 2 points if it’s a Jack. The common phrase for this play is “Two for His Heels.”
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Section 5 of 5:

Optional Scoring Rules for Cribbage

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   Steal points that another player missed. If you want to make your game more cutthroat, use the muggins rule for stealing points. If a player forgets to take points during the pegging round or when counting their hand, the other player can score them instead. If you use these rules, be sure to slow down and count your hand carefully so you don’t miss any points.

   • Example: Your opponent has 5, 6, 8, & 1 and the cut card is a Queen. They only count 2 points for a 15 (Queen + 5). You can call out muggins and score 2 points for the 15 they missed (1+6+8).
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   Earn penalty points if there’s a misdeal. Misdeals happen whenever the dealer makes a mistake that could affect the game. When the dealer misdeals the cards, the other player scores 2 points right away. The most common misdeals are:

   • Dealing before the other player cuts the deck
   • Accidentally flipping a card face-up while dealing
   • Dealing cards out of order
   • Dealing too many or too few cards
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