Cribbage Flush Rules: What Counts, What Doesn't
The complete cribbage flush rules — 4-card vs 5-card flush, why the crib is different, flush during pegging, and the most commonly misplayed flush situation.
Cribbage Flush Rules
The flush is one of cribbage’s rarer scoring combinations — and one of the most frequently misunderstood, particularly around the crib. Here’s exactly what counts and what doesn’t.
The Basic Rule
| Combination | Points |
|---|---|
| All 4 hand cards same suit | 4 |
| All 4 hand cards + starter same suit | 5 |
| Crib: all 4 crib cards + starter same suit | 5 |
| Crib: only 4 crib cards same suit (no starter match) | 0 |
| Flush during pegging | 0 |
Hand Flush (4 Cards)
If all four cards you hold in your hand are the same suit, you score 4 points for a flush.
Example:
- Hand: 4♥ 7♥ J♥ Q♥ | Starter: K♣
- All four hand cards are hearts → 4-point flush ✓
- The starter (K♣) doesn’t match — but that’s fine for a 4-point flush
You still count the flush even if the starter doesn’t match. The starter mismatch reduces the score from 5 to 4, but does not eliminate it.
Hand Flush (5 Cards)
If all four hand cards AND the starter are the same suit, you score 5 points.
Example:
- Hand: 4♥ 7♥ J♥ Q♥ | Starter: K♥
- All five cards are hearts → 5-point flush ✓
The 5-point flush is worth keeping in mind when you hold a 4-card same-suit hand — there’s a chance the starter completes it for the extra point.
The Crib Flush Rule (Most Commonly Misplayed)
This is where most casual players go wrong.
For the crib, a flush only counts if ALL FIVE CARDS match — the four crib cards AND the starter.
A 4-card crib flush (where the four crib cards are all the same suit, but the starter doesn’t match) scores zero.
Example of a crib flush that DOES count:
- Crib cards: 3♦ 8♦ J♦ K♦ | Starter: 5♦
- All five cards are diamonds → 5-point crib flush ✓
Example of a crib flush that does NOT count:
- Crib cards: 3♦ 8♦ J♦ K♦ | Starter: 5♣
- Four crib cards are diamonds but starter is clubs → 0 points ✗
Why the Different Rule?
The reasoning behind this asymmetry: the crib is made up of cards from both players, and neither player has full control over what suit ends up in the crib. A stricter flush requirement for the crib prevents the combination from scoring too easily when suit is largely accidental.
Flush Does Not Score in the Crib with 4 Cards: Common Confusion
The most typical misplay: a dealer sees that all four crib cards happen to be the same suit, the starter doesn’t match, and pegs 4 points for a “flush.” This is incorrect.
Crib flush requires all 5 cards. Period.
In casual games, this misrule is often played in both directions — either always allowing 4-card crib flushes, or not realising the distinction exists at all. It’s worth establishing clearly before playing.
Flush and Nobs Together
A flush and nobs can both score from the same hand — they’re independent combinations. If you hold a Jack that matches the starter’s suit (nobs = 1 pt) and all four hand cards are also the same suit (flush = 4 or 5 pts), you score both.
Example:
- Hand: 4♣ 7♣ J♣ Q♣ | Starter: 9♣
- All five cards clubs → 5-point flush ✓
- J♣ matches 9♣ (clubs) → nobs, 1 point ✓
- 7♣ + 9♣ = 16 (no fifteen there); 4+Q+… check for fifteens separately
- Flush + nobs = 6 pts from those two combinations alone
Flush During Pegging
Suit is completely irrelevant during the pegging phase. Only the rank and running total of cards matter when playing cards in sequence. A flush cannot be scored during play.
You might play 4♥, 6♥, 9♥ during pegging — same suit, but no flush score. You would score 2 points for reaching 19? No (19+nothing). Score 2 for 6+9=15? No, the count is running total, not individual pairs. The flush simply doesn’t apply here.
Flush Strategy
When to Keep a Potential Flush Hand
A 4-card same-suit hand scores 4 guaranteed flush points. This is worth keeping — but weigh it against alternative holds that might score more through fifteens, pairs, and runs.
A hand of 2♠ 5♠ 8♠ K♠ scores:
- Flush: 4 pts
- 2+K=12 (no fifteen), 5+K=15 ✓ = 2 pts
- Total: 6 pts
Compare to 2♠ 5♠ 8♦ K♣ (same cards, different suits):
- No flush: 0 pts
- 5+K=15 = 2 pts
- Total: 2 pts
The flush adds 4 pts here — significant. Holding four cards of the same suit is genuinely valuable.
Discarding to Protect a Flush
If you hold five cards of the same suit among your six dealt cards, strongly consider discarding the non-matching card (to the crib or keeping the suited set). Sacrificing a slightly stronger non-flush hand to preserve the 4-point flush is often correct.
However, don’t chase a flush at severe cost to hand scoring. If your non-flush cards include a 5 or strong pair, the guaranteed flush points may not outweigh the lost EV.
Flush in the Crib as Pone
When discarding as pone, avoid giving the dealer a 5-card crib flush opportunity by ensuring your two discards are different suits from each other. A single off-suit discard prevents the dealer ever achieving a 5-card crib flush (since your discards are part of the 5 crib cards). This is a minor consideration — prioritise balking in terms of rank combinations — but worth noting when all else is equal.
Summary
- Hand: 4 same-suit cards = 4 pts; 5 same-suit cards (with starter) = 5 pts
- Crib: Must be all 5 cards (4 crib cards + starter) = 5 pts; otherwise 0
- Pegging: Suit doesn’t matter at all
- Nobs compatible: Flush and nobs can both score from the same hand
Watch for flushes in your next hand — play a free game online and put the flush rules to work.