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Cribbage Rules, Scoring Board and Hand Counter

Cribbage is a card game for two to four players, won by being first to peg 121 points. You score for fifteens, pairs, runs and flushes in the cards you play and hold. Use the free online board to peg points and the hand counter to total any hand, then read the rules below.

How to play cribbage

These steps describe the usual two-player game with a standard 52-card deck. The three- and four-player changes follow below.

  1. DealThe dealer gives each player six cards, one at a time, face down.
  2. Discard to the cribEach player puts two cards face down into the crib, a spare hand that the dealer will score at the end of the hand.
  3. Cut the starterThe non-dealer cuts the deck and the dealer turns up the top card. If it is a jack, the dealer pegs 2 straight away (his heels).
  4. The play to 31Starting with the non-dealer, players take turns laying one card face up and calling the running total, which may not pass 31. Score 2 for making exactly 15 or 31, 2 for a pair with the previous card, 6 for three of a kind, 12 for four, and 1 per card for a run. If you cannot play without passing 31, say go; your opponent scores 1 for the last card, or 2 for hitting 31. The count then starts again from zero.
  5. Count the handsWhen all cards are played, the non-dealer counts their four cards plus the starter, then the dealer does the same.
  6. Count the cribThe dealer turns over the crib and scores it as a five-card hand with the starter. Only a five-card flush counts in the crib.
  7. Move the pegsEach score moves your front peg forward by the points won; the back peg jumps ahead of it, so the gap always shows the last score.
  8. Swap dealers and reach 121The deal passes to the other player and a new hand begins. The first player to reach 121 wins at once, even in the middle of a hand.

Cribbage scoring chart

Hand and crib scoring. Face cards count as 10 and aces as 1 for fifteens.
CombinationPoints
Each different group of cards that adds to 152
Pair2
Three of a kind (three pairs)6
Four of a kind (six pairs)12
Run of three or more1 per card
Four-card flush in the hand4
Five-card flush (hand or crib, with the starter)5
Nobs: jack in hand matching the starter's suit1
His heels: starter is a jack (dealer)2
Highest possible hand: 5-5-5-J with the starter 5 of the jack's suit29

Duplicate cards multiply runs. A hand of 7, 7, 8, 8 with a 9 starter holds four separate runs of 7-8-9, worth 3 each. Add two pairs and four fifteens and the hand is worth 24, which is a nice check for the hand counter.

How to play with 2 players

The two-player game is the classic: six cards each, two from each player into the crib, play to 121. Because the crib belongs to the dealer, the dealer throws cards that help it, while the other player throws cards that will not.

Three players

Deal five cards to each player and one card straight into the crib. Each player then adds one card, so the crib has four. Play passes to the left, and a three-lane board keeps the scores apart.

Four players

Partners sit opposite each other and share one score. Deal five cards each; every player puts one in the crib. Play continues around the table as usual.

Want another card game for the same group? Our score sheet for Phase 10 handles up to six players and tracks every phase.

Printable cribbage board and scoring chart

Print board produces a cribbage board template with 121 holes per lane and a short scoring chart, in black and white on one page. Stick it to card, push in golf tees or pins, and you have a board. Print chart prints only the scoring chart, which is handy to keep beside new players.

Skunks

If the winner reaches 121 before the loser passes 90, the loser is skunked, and many groups count that as two games. Finishing below 61 is a double skunk. The online board marks both lines.

Last reviewed October 22, 2026. Rules written in our own words.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play cribbage?

Each player gets cards and gives some to a shared crib. A card is cut as the starter. In the play, you take turns laying cards, keeping the running count at 31 or below, and score for fifteens and pairs. Then each hand and the crib are counted. Pegs move on the board; first to 121 wins.

How do you play cribbage with 2 players?

Deal six cards to each player. Both players choose two cards to put face down in the crib, which belongs to the dealer. The other player cuts for the starter, then you play and count as usual. The deal passes after each hand, so the crib alternates. First to 121 points wins.

How many holes are on a cribbage board?

A standard board has 121 holes in each player's lane, counting the final game hole, which matches the 121 points needed to win. Three-player boards add a third lane. Our online board shows the same 121 points, so you can peg without counting holes by hand.

How many points is four of a kind in cribbage?

Four of a kind scores 12 points in a cribbage hand, because it counts as six pairs at two points each. Three of a kind scores six. Fifteens can add more points on top, so use our hand counter to check every combination in your hand and the starter card.

How do you score cribbage?

Count 2 points for each combination of cards adding to 15 and 2 for each pair. Runs of three or more score one point per card. A four-card flush scores 4, or 5 with the starter, and nobs, a jack matching the starter's suit, scores 1. Pegging also scores during the play.

How many points do you need to win cribbage?

The standard game goes to 121 points, which is two laps of the board. A quick game goes to 61, which is one lap. Our board lets you choose either target and marks the skunk lines, so everyone can see when a game is turning into a runaway.

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