Official Cribbage Rules (Page 5 of 8) in pdf

Alberta 55 plus – Cribbage Rules

9. The Show

Players now retrieve the cards that they put down during the play and score for

combinations of cards held in hand. First the non-dealer’s hand is exposed, and

scored. The start card also counts as part of the hand when scoring combinations.

All valid scores from the following list are counted.

15: any combination of cards adding up to 15 pips scores 2 points. For example

king, jack, five, five would count 8 points (four fifteens as the king and the

jack can each be paired with either five). You would say Fifteen two, fifteen

four, fifteen six, fifteen eight. In this case you would also peg Two for the

pair (of fives), making 10.

Pair: A pair of cards of the same rank scores 2 points. Three cards of the same

rank contain 3 different pairs and thus score a total of 6 points for pair royal.

Four of a kind contain 6 pairs and so score 12 points.

Run: Three cards of consecutive rank (irrespective of suit), such as ace-2-3,

scores 3 points for a run. A hand such as 6-7-7-8 contains two runs of 3 (as well

as two fifteens and a pair) and so would score 12 altogether. A run of four

cards, such as 9-10-J-Q scores 4 points (this slightly illogical – you might expect

it to score 6 because it contains two runs of 3, but it doesn’t. The runs of 3

within it don’t count – you just get 4), and a run of five cards scores 5.

Flush: If all four cards of the hand are the same suit, 4 points are scored for

flush. If the start card is the same suit as well, the flush is worth 5 points.

There is no score for having 3 hand cards and the start all the same suit. Note

that there is no score for flush during the play – it only counts in the show.

One For His Nob: If the hand contains the jack of the same suit as the start card,

you peg One for his nob.

Nineteen: It is impossible to score nineteen in hand or in crib. Nineteen is

proverbially used as a term to indicate a worthless hand.

Note that when scoring a hand, the same card may be counted and scored as part

of several different combinations. For example if your hand is 7 8 8 K and the

start card is 9 you score Fifteen 2, fifteen 4 and a pair is 6, and a run is 9 and a

run is 12 – 12 holes to peg, with each of your 8s forming part of a fifteen, a pair

and a run.

After non-dealer’s hand has been shown and the score is pegged, dealer’s hand is

shown, scored and pegged in the same way. Finally the dealer exposes the four

cards of the crib and scores them with the start card. The scoring is the same as

for the player’s hands except that a flush in the crib only scores if all four crib

cards and the start card are of the same suit. If that happens, the flush scores 5.

Revised February 2017

Page 5 of 8

Official Cribbage Rules Page 5