How to use the cribbage hand calculator
- Enter your four cards as rank and suit, such as `5H 5D 5S JC`. Use A, 2 to 10, J, Q and K with the letters C, D, H or S.
- Enter the starter card that was cut.
- Tick the box if you are counting the crib, because a flush scores differently there.
- Read the total and the table that shows each fifteen, pair, run, flush and nobs.
Formula
Fifteens: 2 points for each different group of cards that adds up to 15 (ace 1, face cards 10)
Pairs: 2 points for each two cards of the same rank. Runs: 1 point per card for each run of three or more in sequence
Flush: 4 for four cards in the hand, 5 with the starter (crib: 5 only). Nobs: 1 for the jack of the starter's suit
Only the longest run size counts, and each different set of cards that makes a run scores on its own. The 29 hand is the highest possible score.
The 29 hand and a 24 hand
The hand 5H 5D 5S JC with the starter 5C scores 29. The four fives and the jack make 8 fifteens (each five with the jack, 4 of them, plus each group of three fives, 4 of them) for 16 points, six pairs of fives for 12 points and 1 for the jack of clubs matching the starter in suit.
The hand 7H 7D 8S 8C with the starter 9D scores 24: 8 points for four fifteens (7 + 8), 4 points for two pairs and 12 points for four runs of three (7, 8, 9).
How the hand is counted
In cribbage the hand is counted after the play, using the four cards in your hand and the starter card, which counts as part of every hand. Fifteens are found by adding the values of every possible group of cards: aces count 1, face cards 10 and the rest their number, and each group that adds to 15 scores 2. Pairs score 2 each, so three of a kind is three pairs (6) and four of a kind is six pairs (12).
Runs need three or more cards in order, regardless of suit, with ace low and king high, so Q K A is not a run. Each card in a run scores 1 point, and when you hold a pair inside a run each different way of making the run counts. A flush needs four cards of one suit in the hand, for 4 points, or all five including the starter for 5. In the crib, only a five card flush counts. Nobs is a jack in the hand of the same suit as the starter, for 1 point, and the rulebook says it counts in the hand or crib.
Source
The scoring follows the rulebook of the American Cribbage Congress, fetched on October 13, 2026: the definitions of fifteen counts, runs, a four card flush counting only in the hand, a five card flush counting in the hand or crib, and nobs counting in the hand or crib. The tool was checked against an independent brute force count of 14 hands, and the 29 hand is the highest score.
A turned up jack as the starter gives the dealer 2 points at the cut. That is not part of the hand count and is not included. Points scored while playing the cards, called pegging, are also not included. Use the score keeper to track a whole game and the probability calculator to explore the odds of cards. For a different kind of scoring, see the Scrabble score calculator.
Typing cards
Cards can be separated with spaces or commas, or written together as 5h5d5sjc. Ten is written 10 or T and suit symbols are accepted too. The tool checks for exactly four cards in the hand and one starter, and for cards that appear twice, because a deck holds only one of each card.
Assumptions and limits
- Hands are four cards plus one starter card, from one standard 52 card deck.
- The crib is scored like a hand except that a flush needs all five cards.
- Pegging points and the dealer's 2 points for a jack turned as the starter are not included.
- A run counts only at its longest length, and ace is always low.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest cribbage hand?
The highest is 29 points: three fives and the jack of the suit of the starter, with the fourth five as the starter. The default example in the calculator is that hand.
How are runs counted when there is a pair?
Each different way to make the run scores. A double run, such as 7 7 8 9, is two runs of three, which is 6 points, plus 2 for the pair.
How does a flush score in the crib?
In the crib, a flush counts only if all five cards, including the starter, are the same suit, and it scores 5. In the hand, four cards of one suit score 4, and 5 with the starter.
What is nobs?
Nobs is a jack in your hand with the same suit as the starter card. It scores 1 point.