How cribbage scoring works
Cribbage is scored on a pegging board as you play: points for combinations during the play, then for each hand and the crib, with the first to 121 winning.
The deal and the crib
Two players are dealt six cards each, and each discards two into the crib, which belongs to the dealer. A card is cut from the pack and turned up as the starter; if it is a jack, the dealer pegs 2 (his heels). The deal, and with it the crib, alternates every hand.
Pegging during the play
Players take turns laying cards and calling the running total, which may not pass 31. You peg 2 for making the total exactly 15, 2 for a pair, 6 for three of a kind, 12 for four of a kind, 1 a card for a run of three or more, 2 for hitting exactly 31, and 1 for the last card (a go) when neither player can play.
Counting the hands
After the play the non-dealer counts first, then the dealer, then the dealer counts the crib. Each uses the starter as a fifth card: 2 for every combination that adds to 15, 2 for each pair, 1 a card for runs, 4 for a four-card flush in the hand (5 with the starter), and 1 for the jack of the starter's suit (his nobs). In the crib only a five-card flush counts. The highest possible hand is 29.
121, and why the order matters
The game is 121 points, twice around a standard board; 61, once around, is the short game. A player wins the moment they reach the last hole, even in the middle of a hand, which is why the non-dealer counting first matters so much near the end.
Skunks
A player who wins while the opponent has fewer than 91 points has skunked them, and a skunk often counts as two games. Many tables also call a double skunk when the loser has fewer than 61.
Partners
Four players can play as two teams of two, each dealt five cards with one discarded to the crib. Partners share one score.
What Score All does with these rules
A pegging board, not a score sheet
Cribbage is scored as you go, so there is no hand form: each side has peg buttons for +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6, +8 and +12, and a count button for any other number from 1 to 29. Peg during the play, then peg each hand and the crib. Undo takes back a wrong peg.
121 or 61, and pegging out
The game ends the instant a side reaches 121 (or 61 in the short game), even in the middle of a hand, just as it does on a board. Each side shows how many points it still needs.
Whose crib it is
Tap Next deal after each hand and the crib passes to the next dealer. The headline always names whose crib it is, which settles the most common argument at the table.
Skunks
With skunks on, the app calls a skunk or a double skunk when the game ends, so the loser cannot quietly forget it. Play two players or two teams of two, and share the score on a live link or a TV.
Cribbage scoring FAQ
What is the highest hand in cribbage?
29: three fives and a jack in hand, with the fourth five, of the jack's suit, cut as the starter.
What is a skunk in cribbage?
Winning a game to 121 while the opponent has fewer than 91 points. It often counts as two games.
How many points is a game of cribbage?
121, twice around a standard board. The short game is 61.
Who counts first in cribbage?
The non-dealer, then the dealer, then the crib. If the non-dealer reaches 121 first they win, even if the dealer's hand would have taken the dealer further.
Is there a free cribbage board app?
Yes. Score All works as a cribbage board on any phone for free, with peg buttons, whose crib it is, and a live link or TV display for the score.
Can I peg a 29 hand?
Yes. Use the count button and enter any number from 1 to 29.
Does it work for a 61-point game?
Yes. Pick the short game to 61 when you start and the board ends at 61.