What Is a Skunk in Cribbage? Rules, Lines & Strategy
What a skunk means in cribbage, where the skunk line is, how double skunks work, tournament scoring for skunks, and how to pursue or avoid being skunked.
What Is a Skunk in Cribbage?
Short answer: A skunk is when you win a cribbage game before your opponent reaches 91 points. It’s a bonus win condition — in tournaments worth double the match points, in casual games worth whatever you agreed before playing.
The Skunk Line: Hole 91
Every cribbage board has a track of 121 holes. Hole 91 is the skunk line — the threshold a losing player must cross to avoid being skunked.
| Position | Significance |
|---|---|
| 1–60 | First lap / first two streets |
| 61 | Double-skunk line |
| 61–90 | Third street — skunk danger zone |
| 91 | Skunk line — safe from a standard skunk |
| 91–120 | Fourth street / endgame |
| 120 | The stinkhole — one point from winning |
| 121 | The game hole — victory |
If you win (reach 121) and your opponent is at 90 or below — they’ve been skunked.
Types of Skunks
Standard Skunk
- Opponent scores fewer than 91 when you hit 121
- Casual play: typically double stakes or special penalty (agree before game)
- Tournament play (ACC): 2 match points instead of 1
Double Skunk (Lurched)
- Opponent scores fewer than 61 when you hit 121
- Much rarer — requires an extremely lopsided game
- Casual play: triple stakes or agreed penalty
- Tournament play (ACC): 3 match points
Lurch
“Lurch” is the traditional term for a double skunk. It comes from the original card game terminology and is still used by experienced players. You may hear “they were lurched” to describe a severe blowout.
Tournament Scoring: Why Skunks Matter
In ACC-sanctioned tournaments, match points accumulate across all games in a session:
| Result | Match Points |
|---|---|
| Standard win | 1 |
| Skunk win (opponent under 91) | 2 |
| Double skunk win (opponent under 61) | 3 |
| Loss | 0 |
A session of 9 games where you win 5 with 2 skunks earns 7 match points. Winning 7 without any skunks also earns 7 match points. Skunks are therefore equivalent in value to winning an additional game — they’re enormously significant in close standings.
See Tournament Strategy for how skunks change late-game decision making.
Pursuing a Skunk
If your opponent hasn’t crossed 91 and you’re closing in on 121, you may want to pursue the skunk rather than just winning:
- Play offensively — maximize pegging points and hand value every round
- Sacrifice hand safety for crib value — as dealer, a riskier discard that boosts your crib may be worth it
- Peg aggressively — take risks you wouldn’t normally take to maximize points this round
- Don’t coast — a comfortable lead can evaporate if you play defensively while they claw back to 91
The key window: if opponent is at 75–88 and you’re near 110, you’re within striking distance. Push hard.
Avoiding Being Skunked
When you’re behind and opponent is closing in on 121, the strategic priority shifts completely:
Goal: Reach 91 before they reach 121.
- Accept worse hand decisions if they get you points faster
- Peg aggressively even at risk of giving opponent points — you need points more than protection
- Don’t worry about optimizing hand value; worry about volume of points
- Once you cross 91, the skunk threat is gone — you can then refocus on normal optimal play
If you’re at 85 and opponent is at 115 with the deal, your window is likely one hand. Make it count.
Casual House Rules for Skunks
The ACC standard isn’t universal in casual play. Common house rules include:
| Rule | Description |
|---|---|
| Double game | Skunk counts as 2 games won in a match |
| Play again free | Skunked player gets to play one more game at no extra stake |
| No skunks | Skunks are simply ignored — every game is equal |
| Buy back | Skunked player can “buy back” into a match series |
Always agree before the first card is dealt.
The Skunk in Culture
The skunk became embedded in cribbage culture partly because the board makes it so visible. Unlike in a points-based game where you’d have to calculate the margin, cribbage players can see at a glance whether the loser is below the skunk line when the winner pegs out. That visibility — plus the traditional board stripe marking hole 91 — made the skunk a natural part of the game’s social fabric.
For how board position interacts with skunk strategy and endgame decisions, see Positional Play.
Try to avoid getting skunked — or skunk your opponent — in a free online game.