Cribbage Scoring
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Use the correct set of rules for the phase you are in. During pegging, order of play matters. During the show, count combinations among four hand or crib cards and the starter.
Card values for totals are A = 1, number cards = face value and J/Q/K = 10. For pairs and runs, use rank, not counting value: a queen and a king do not make a pair. An ace cannot run around from king to ace to two.
Points during pegging
| Event completed by your play | Points |
|---|---|
| Running total reaches exactly 15 | 2 |
| Same rank as the previous card | 2 |
| Third consecutive card of the same rank | 6 |
| Fourth consecutive card of the same rank | 12 |
| A run of at least three consecutive ranks among the latest consecutive plays | Length of the run |
| Running total reaches exactly 31 | 2 |
| Last card of a sequence ending below 31 | 1 |
Three of a kind scores 6 on the third card, not 6 plus another 2. Four of a kind scores 12 on the fourth card, not 12 plus 6 plus 2. Earlier points already earned remain in the game score.
For a run, the ranks need not arrive in numerical order, but the scoring cards must be consecutive plays in the current sequence and include the card just played. For example, 4–2–3 scores a run of 3 on the 3. Adding 5 extends it to a run of 4.
Do not also score shorter runs contained in that four-card run.
A Go does not let you skip a playable card, and it does not automatically end the sequence while the other player can still play. A reset to zero breaks the scoring sequence: no pair or run crosses that reset. There are no flush points during pegging.
Points when counting a hand or crib
| Combination | Points | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Each distinct set of cards totalling 15 | 2 | All card-set sizes that can total 15 |
| Each pair of the same rank | 2 | Three of a kind contains 3 pairs; four contains 6 |
| Each longest run of at least 3 cards | One per card | Duplicated ranks can make multiple distinct runs |
| Four-card flush in an ordinary hand | 4 | All four kept cards have the same suit |
| Five-card flush | 5 | Four hand/crib cards and starter all share a suit |
| Nobs | 1 | A jack among the four cards matches the starter’s suit |
A four-card run scores 4, not an additional score for each three-card segment. If duplicated ranks create separate longest runs, count each choice of physical cards. Keep suits distinct even when ranks match.
In the crib, four cards of one suit do not score a flush unless the starter also matches. In an ordinary hand, three kept cards matching the starter are not a four-card flush.
Worked counts
| Four cards | Starter | Fifteens | Pairs | Runs | Flush | Nobs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6♣, 7♦, 7♥, 8♠ | K♣ | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| A♣, 2♦, 2♥, 2♠ | 3♣ | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| A♣, A♦, 2♥, 3♠ | 3♣ | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
In the first row, either 7 can join the 6 and 8, giving two separate runs of three. In the second, any of the three 2s can join A and 3, making three runs. In the third, either ace and either 3 can join the 2, making four runs.
Nobs and heels are different bonuses
Nobs is 1 point in a hand or crib for a jack matching the starter’s suit. The jack must be among the four cards being counted.
Heels is 2 points to the dealer when the starter itself is a jack. It is scored when that card is revealed, not added to every hand that uses the starter.
Nobs · 1 in the hand
The jack is in the four cards and matches the starter’s suit.
Heels · 2 to the dealer
The starter itself is a jack. That is heels, not nobs.
If the starter is J♠, it does not award nobs merely by being a spade jack. If your hand contains J♠ and the starter is 5♠, nobs applies.
Go, last card and 31
Think of the final card of each pegging sequence as having one of two endings:
- It brings the count to 31: award 2, with no extra last-card point.
- It leaves the count below 31, and nobody can play again: award 1 for last.
Other combinations made by that card, such as a pair, can still score. “31 for 2” replaces the last-card point; it does not cancel an independently valid combination.
The final card after all eight kept cards have been played follows the same rule. If a player goes out during any scoring event, the game ends rather than continuing to the next phase.
Authoritative references
ACC 2025 rulebook, definitions and scoring chart (printed pp. 12–15), rules 7.2 and 9; Pagat: scoring during play and the show. Checked 7 November 2026. Worked totals were independently enumerated from these rules for editorial checking; this is not a claim that the site’s game engine has passed tests.