Cribbage Rules: The Complete Official Reference

This is the definitive rules reference for cribbage. Use this guide during games for quick lookups, or read through it to understand every detail of the game.

New to cribbage? Start with our beginner’s guide on how to play cribbage first.

Overview

• Players: 2 (variants exist for 3 and 4)
• Deck: Standard 52-card deck (no jokers)
• Objective: First player to score 121 points
• Scoring tool: Cribbage board with pegs, or pen and paper

Card Values

Note: For runs, cards go in rank order (A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K). Aces are always low — they cannot be used as high cards (Q-K-A is not a valid run).

Setup and Dealing

Determining First Dealer

Each player cuts the deck. The player who draws the lower card deals first. If both players draw cards of equal rank, they cut again.

The Deal

• The dealer shuffles and the non-dealer cuts
• Deal 6 cards to each player, one at a time, alternating
• Place the remaining deck in the center

Discarding to the Crib

• Each player selects 2 cards from their hand and places them face-down in the crib
• The crib belongs to the dealer and is scored at the end of the round
• After discarding, each player has 4 cards in hand

Cutting the Starter Card

• The non-dealer (pone) cuts the remaining deck
• The dealer turns over the top card of the bottom half — this is the starter card
• If the starter card is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 points immediately (called “his heels” or “nibs”)
• The starter card remains face-up and is used during hand counting

The Play Phase (Pegging)

Basic Play

1. The non-dealer plays first, placing a card face-up and announcing its value
2. The dealer plays next, announcing the cumulative total
3. Players continue alternating

Count Rules

• The running total cannot exceed 31
• If you cannot play without exceeding 31, announce “Go”
• When you say “Go,” your opponent continues playing cards until they also cannot stay at or under 31
• After both players say “Go” (or 31 is reached), the count resets to 0
• The player who did not play last leads the next sequence

Scoring During the Play

Run Rules During the Play

• Cards in a run do not need to be played in sequence order
• Example: If cards played are 7, 9, 8 — that’s a valid run of 3 (3 points)
• A run can be extended: if next card is 6, that’s a run of 4 (4 points)
• Runs are broken by pairs or cards that don’t continue the sequence

The Show (Counting Hands)

After the play phase, hands are counted in this strict order:

1. Non-dealer’s hand (with starter card)
2. Dealer’s hand (with starter card)
3. The crib (with starter card)

This order is critically important because the game ends immediately when a player reaches 121 — giving the non-dealer a significant advantage in close games.

Scoring Combinations

Fifteens

Any combination of cards that totals exactly 15 scores 2 points. Each unique combination counts separately.

Examples:

• 5 + 10 = 15 (2 points)
• 5 + 5 + 5 = 15 (2 points)
• 7 + 8 = 15 (2 points)
• 3 + 5 + 7 = 15 (2 points)

Pairs

Two cards of the same rank score 2 points.

• Pair: 2 points (1 pair combination)
• Three of a Kind (Pair Royal): 6 points (3 pair combinations)
• Four of a Kind (Double Pair Royal): 12 points (6 pair combinations)

Runs

Three or more cards in consecutive rank order, regardless of suit.

• Run of 3: 3 points
• Run of 4: 4 points
• Run of 5: 5 points

Double runs: If you have duplicate cards that create multiple runs:

• Double run of 3 (e.g., 3-4-4-5): 8 points (two runs of 3 = 6, plus a pair = 2)
• Double run of 4 (e.g., 3-4-5-5-6): 10 points (two runs of 4 = 8, plus a pair = 2)
• Triple run (e.g., 3-3-3-4-5): 15 points (three runs of 3 = 9, plus three of a kind = 6)
• Double-double run (e.g., 3-4-4-5-5): 16 points (four runs of 3 = 12, plus two pairs = 4)

Flush

• Four cards of the same suit in your hand (not counting the starter): 4 points
• Five cards of the same suit (hand + starter): 5 points
• In the crib: All five cards must be the same suit for a flush to count

Nobs

If your hand contains a Jack of the same suit as the starter card: 1 point (“one for his nob”)

The Crib

• Scored identically to a regular hand, except:
  • A flush requires all five cards to be the same suit
• Only the dealer scores the crib
• The crib is counted last (after both players’ hands)

Winning the Game

• First player to reach 121 points wins
• Players peg immediately when points are scored (during play, counting, or crib)
• The game can end at any point — not just at the end of a round

Skunks and Double Skunks

• Skunk: Winner reaches 121 while loser has fewer than 91 points (counts as 2 wins in tournaments)
• Double Skunk: Winner reaches 121 while loser has fewer than 61 points (counts as 3 wins in some tournaments)

Special Situations and Edge Cases

Misdeals

If the wrong number of cards is dealt, it’s a misdeal. Gather the cards and redeal with the same dealer.

Muggins (Optional Rule)

If a player misses points while counting their hand, the opponent can call “Muggins” and claim those missed points. This rule is standard in tournaments but often not used in casual play. Learn more about the muggins rule.

Stinkhole

The 120th point (one short of winning) is traditionally called the “stinkhole.” Some house rules penalize or forbid winning specifically from the stinkhole on certain plays.

3-Player Cribbage Rules

• Each player is dealt 5 cards
• Each player discards 1 card to the crib
• 1 additional card is dealt face-down to the crib from the deck
• Game is played to 121 points
• Counting order: player left of dealer first, then clockwise, then crib

4-Player Cribbage Rules (Partners)

• Players sit across from their partner
• Each player is dealt 5 cards
• Each player discards 1 card to the crib
• Partners combine their scores
• Game is played to 121 points
• Counting follows the same clockwise order

Quick Reference Card

Ready to put these rules into practice? Play a free game of cribbage now or learn scoring in detail.