Cribbage Rules
These pages cover cribbage scoring and play, rule by rule. Start with the how to play cribbage guide if you're new or jump to a specific question. Every answer and rule is based on American Cribbage Congress rules and includes examples to help you follow along.
- How to Play Cribbage
- The full game from the first cut to 121: deal, discard, the play, and the show.
- How Do You Play Cribbage with 3 or 4 Players?
- What changes with three or four players: the deal, the crib, partnerships, and turn order.
- How Many Points Is 4 of a Kind in Cribbage?
- Three of a kind scores 6 and four of a kind 12, in hand, crib, or play; the pair count explains both.
- What Is the Best Hand in Cribbage?
- The best hand counts 29: three 5s plus a jack, with the matching fourth 5 cut; 28 is next.
- Are Aces High or Low in Cribbage?
- Aces are always low and count 1: ace-2-3 is a run, queen-king-ace never is.
- How to Score a Cribbage Hand
- Every point in a cribbage hand: fifteens, pairs, runs, flush, and nobs, with a fully worked count.
- How Do You Count Fifteens in Cribbage?
- Why 7-7-8 makes two fifteens: how pairs and triples multiply fifteens, with worked counts.
- Who Counts First in Cribbage?
- The show runs in a fixed order: non-dealer, dealer, then crib, and it decides close endgames.
- Does a Flush Count in the Crib?
- A crib flush needs all five cards in one suit; four score nothing. The exact rule, with examples.
- How Do Go and 31 Work in Cribbage?
- The cribbage go rule explained: when to say go, who pegs the point, why 31 scores 2, who leads after the reset, and what happens on a mistaken go.
- How Do You Peg Out to Win in Cribbage?
- Reaching 121 ends the game on the spot, in any phase, exact count or not.
- Why Is 19 an Impossible Hand in Cribbage?
- Nineteen is a score no hand can make, which is why players announce a zero hand as "a nineteen hand."
By the Nobs Cribbage team Last reviewed 2026-08-02