Scoring in Cribbage is dependent on the amount of points a player accumulates during each round. The objective of the game is to score the most points possible by playing cards at the right time in order to beat your opponents’ peg to the end of the board.
Each time a round ends the score is tallied and added to a cumulative total. This is reflected in the player’s total score (next to their avatar) and is also represented by the pegs around the Cribbage board.
Scoring Combinations:
Fifteens: Any combination of cards that adds up to 15 earns 2 points.
Thirty-One: Reaching a total of exactly 31 during the play phase scores 2 points.
Pairs: Two cards of the same rank score 2 points. Three of a kind scores 6 points, and four of a kind (a "double pair royal") scores 12 points.
Runs: A sequence of three or more consecutive cards, regardless of suit, scores 1 point per card. For example, a run of three cards scores 3 points.
Flush: All four cards in your hand being the same suit scores 4 points. If the starter card is also the same suit, you score 5 points.
His Heels: If the starter card is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 points, known as “two for his heels.”
Nob: Holding the Jack of the same suit as the starter card scores 1 point.
Last Card: The player who plays the last card in the play phase earns 1 point.
In Cribbage, scoring is all about identifying and maximizing these combinations in your hand and during play, making the game both strategic and rewarding.
Crib Discard Strategy
Deciding what to discard into the crib is one of the critical parts of every round of cribbage daily. Not only does it directly impact how many points you score at the end of the round during the scoring phase, but the cards you keep also can give you an upper hand to gain additional points during the play phase.
The most basic strategy for discarding cards into the crib is to keep the four cards that give you the most points at the end of the game. If you do that you’ll have a good chance of scoring points each round; however, there are some more advanced strategies that can further improve your cribbage game that you’ll learn over time.
The three main additional factors that you can take into account when discarding are the crib (who has the crib that round), the starter card, and where the players currently are on the board.
The Crib Owner
When discarding into the crib, you want to pay attention to who owns the crib that round. If it is your crib, putting in cards that earn points can help you such as a pair, combinations of 15 or card that could potentially form a run (5-6, 8-9, J-Q). When it is your opponent’s crib you want to discard cards that do not help them as much. You may want to trend away from discarding combinations that give your opponent points.
There are some additional factors that you can think of during this section
The Starter Card
As you are thinking about what card to discard, a next step in strategy is to consider what the starter card may end up being in terms of what you are discarding. With a 52 card deck, the probability of cards coming up can help you determine what cards to keep in your hand. Keep in mind during this that all face cards are worth 10 (and can potentially help you hit 15s for 2).
With 16 cards in the deck worth 10 (10,J,Q,K one of each suit), just a bit over 30% of the deck is worth 10 points. With that in mind, keeping a 5 in your hand can be very helpful.