Cribbage Hand Counter
Count a hand at the show, not the cards played in a pegging sequence. Keep the starter separate so flushes and jack bonuses are treated correctly.
Choose four cards and the starter
- Select the four cards kept in the hand, or the four cards in the crib.
- Select the separate starter card.
- Choose Hand or Crib.
- Once all five unique cards are selected, review the total and each contributing combination.
Use the full card identity, including suit. You can choose several fives of different suits, but the same five of spades cannot appear twice. Clear a card before replacing it if you entered the wrong suit.
The starter contributes to fifteens, pairs and runs for either mode. The hand/crib choice changes flush scoring, not who receives heels.
Read the breakdown rather than just the total
Count each distinct fifteen and each pair. For runs, count the longest possible length; repeated ranks can create several different runs of that length. Then check suit and nobs.
A card can belong to several combinations. Using a 7 in a fifteen does not prevent the same card from being used in a run. In contrast, counting the exact same set of cards twice would duplicate a score.
See cribbage scoring for the full distinction between show combinations and points made during play. This counter’s hand total must not include Go, last card, 31 or the dealer’s heels bonus.
Try a 29, a zero and a flush comparison
| Example | Four cards | Starter | Expected result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum hand | 5♣, 5♦, 5♥, J♠ | 5♠ | 29: 16 for fifteens, 12 for pairs, 1 for nobs |
| No scoring combination | A♣, 2♦, 9♥, K♠ | Q♣ | 0 |
| Four hearts, different starter | A♥, 2♥, 6♥, 9♥ | K♣ | Hand 6; crib 2 |
For the maximum hand, the jack with each 5 gives four fifteens. Each choice of three of the four 5s gives another fifteen. Eight fifteens score 16, the six pairs score 12 and nobs supplies 1.
In the flush comparison, 6♥ + 9♥ scores 2 in either mode. The four-heart flush adds 4 only in Hand mode; K♣ prevents a crib flush. These examples are rule-based checks, not measured game results.
What this count does not tell you
A hand count is not a complete score for a deal. Pegging points occur earlier, and the crib is counted separately for the dealer. A high retained hand also does not prove that a discard was strategically best before the unknown starter was revealed.
To play through those decisions, return to the game. To learn the order of the deal, start with the rules.
Sources and example checking
ACC 2025 rulebook, rules 1.6–1.7 and 9; Pagat: the show. Maximum-hand pattern also described by Bicycle. Checked 7 November 2026; examples enumerated independently against the ACC/Pagat rules.