Skunks in cribbage

What is a skunk in cribbage?

In a game to 121 you skunk your opponent by winning while they still have fewer than 91 points. That is the skunk line, and many boards mark it with an S. If the loser has fewer than 61 points, it is a double skunk.

A skunk traditionally counts as two games instead of one, which matters in a match played to a number of games or in a league. Clubs vary on the details: some award one extra game point, some count a double skunk as more again, and some ignore double skunks altogether.

In the short game to 61 the same idea applies at a lower line: a loser who finishes under 31 has been skunked.

In Score All, skunks are a switch. When the game ends, the app checks the loser's total and calls a skunk or a double skunk in the game's header, so it never depends on somebody remembering to look.

Where it applies

Related: Cribbage scoring · The skunk rule in other games

This rule is a switch when you set up a game, so the scoreboard applies it for you. All scoring rules →