Cribbage Plain-English guide
Best Cribbage Hands and How They Score
Explore high-scoring cribbage patterns, including the 29 hand, double runs, pairs, and multiple fifteens.
Check a cribbage total →The perfect 29 hand
Hold three fives and a Jack. If the starter is the fourth five and matches the Jack's suit, the hand scores eight fifteens for 16, six pairs for 12, and one for nobs: 29.
Double runs build quickly
A three-card sequence with one duplicated rank creates two runs plus a pair. Depending on the surrounding cards, these structures can combine with fifteens for strong totals.
Count combinations, not just patterns
High-scoring hands often reuse the same cards across several legal combinations. Count each distinct fifteen, each pair, every run, then any flush and nobs.
FAQ Quick answers
Common questions.
Is there a 19-point cribbage hand?
No. Nineteen is an impossible hand score, which is why '19 hand' is traditional cribbage shorthand for a zero-point hand.
Can the crib score 29?
No. The card and suit requirements that create a 29-point hand cannot produce the same total under the crib's flush rules.