Games Rules Explained

Cribbage, a closer look

Cribbage Pegging: How the Play Works

Pegging is the play phase of cribbage, where players take turns laying cards and announcing a running count that can never go over 31. You score as you play: 2 for making 15 or 31, 2 for a pair, 6 for three of a kind, 12 for four of a kind, 1 per card for a run, and 1 for a go or the last card. The non-dealer always leads.

1Who leads and how the count works

After both players have thrown 2 cards to the crib and the starter is turned, the non-dealer lays the first card face up in front of themselves and says its value. Each player keeps their own cards in their own pile; you do not play onto a shared stack. Aces count 1, face cards count 10, and every other card counts its number.

The players then alternate, each laying one card and announcing the new total. If the non-dealer leads a 4 and the dealer plays a 9, the dealer says "13." The count may never go over 31. You score pegging points the moment you lay the card that earns them, and you move your peg right away.

2Scoring during the play

Every card you lay is checked against the cards just before it. A single card can score in more than one way at once: a card that makes the count 15 and also completes a run scores both.

What you doPoints
Make the count exactly 152
Make the count exactly 312
Pair: same rank as the card just played2
Pair royal: third card of that rank in a row6
Double pair royal: fourth card of that rank in a row12
Run of 3 or more, in any order1 per card
Go: last card played when neither player can continue1
Last card of the whole play (not at 31)1

3Pairs, pair royal, and double pair royal

Pairs in the play go by rank only. A jack pairs with a jack, not with a queen, even though both count 10. If you play a card of the same rank as the card just laid, you peg 2. If the next player lays a third card of that rank, they peg 6 for a pair royal. A fourth in a row pegs 12 for a double pair royal.

The cards must come one after another. A 7, then a king, then a 7 is not a pair, because the king sits between them. The count limit also stops long chains: four 9s add to 36, so a double pair royal of 9s is impossible within one count.

4Runs in the play

A run in the play is three or more cards of consecutive rank among the most recent cards laid, with no other card mixed in. The cards do not need to be played in order. If the last three cards are 7, 5, 6, the player who laid the 6 scores a run of three. If the next card is a 4 or an 8, that player scores a run of four.

A run is broken by any card that does not belong to it, including a duplicate. With 4, 5, 4, 6, the last three cards (5, 4, 6) still make a run of three, so the 6 scores 3. With 3, 4, king, 5, there is no run, because the king breaks the chain between the 3-4 and the 5. Only the cards counted back from the latest card are checked.

  • 7, 5, 6: run of three for the 6
  • 7, 5, 6, 8: run of four for the 8
  • 4, 5, 4, 6: run of three for the 6 (the last three cards)
  • 3, 4, K, 5: no run

5Go, last card, and resetting the count

If you cannot lay any card without going over 31, you say "go." Your opponent must then play every card they can that keeps the count at 31 or less, scoring any pairs, runs, or 15s along the way. When neither player can play, the player who laid the last card pegs 1 for the go. If that last card made exactly 31, they peg 2 for the 31 instead, and no separate go point is added.

The count then resets to zero. The player who did not lay the last card leads the new count. Play continues until both players have laid all 4 cards. If one player runs out of cards, the other keeps laying their remaining cards alone, still scoring anything they make. Whoever lays the very last card of the play pegs 1 for last card, unless it made 31.

Once all eight cards are played, the play is over. Pick up your own cards and go on to the show, where the non-dealer counts first.

6Pegging tips

Avoid leading a 5, since any ten-card lets your opponent make 15. A 4 or lower is a safe lead, because no single card can take the count from 4 to 15. Be careful leaving the count at 21, which invites a ten-card for 31. When you pair your opponent's card, remember they may have the third one for a pair royal.

7Worked examples

Full play with 31 and a reset

Non-dealer: 7♠ 7♥ 4♣ 6♦. Dealer: 7♣ K♦ 5♠ 9♥.

  1. Non-dealer leads 7♠: "7." No score.
  2. Dealer plays 7♣: "14, and a pair for 2." Dealer 2.
  3. Non-dealer plays 7♥: "21, and a pair royal for 6." Non-dealer 6.
  4. Dealer plays K♦: "31 for 2." Dealer 4. The count resets, and the non-dealer leads because the dealer played last.
  5. Non-dealer leads 4♣: "4."
  6. Dealer plays 5♠: "9." No score.
  7. Non-dealer plays 6♦: "15 for 2, and a run of three for 3." Non-dealer 11.
  8. Dealer plays 9♥: "24." The non-dealer is out of cards, so this is the last card: dealer pegs 1. Dealer 5.

Non-dealer 11, dealer 5

Play with a go and an out-of-order run

Non-dealer: 8♣ 6♥ 9♠ J♦. Dealer: 7♦ 5♠ 10♣ Q♥.

  1. Non-dealer leads 8♣: "8."
  2. Dealer plays 7♦: "15 for 2." Dealer 2.
  3. Non-dealer plays 6♥: "21, and a run of three (8-7-6) for 3." Non-dealer 3.
  4. Dealer plays 5♠: "26, and a run of four (8-7-6-5) for 4." Dealer 6.
  5. Non-dealer holds 9♠ and J♦; either would go over 31. "Go." The dealer's 10♣ and Q♥ would also go over, so the dealer pegs 1 for the go. Dealer 7. The count resets, and the non-dealer leads.
  6. Non-dealer leads 9♠: "9." Dealer plays 10♣: "19." No score.
  7. Non-dealer plays J♦: "29, and a run of three (9-10-J) for 3." Non-dealer 6.
  8. Dealer's Q♥ would make 39, so the dealer says "go." The non-dealer has no cards left, so the non-dealer pegs 1 for the go. Non-dealer 7. The count resets.
  9. Dealer plays Q♥ alone: "10." It is the last card of the play, so the dealer pegs 1. Dealer 8.

Non-dealer 7, dealer 8

A run broken by a duplicate

Cards laid in order: 4♣, 5♠, 4♦, 6♥

  1. After 4, 5, 4, the last three cards are not a run, and the 4♦ is not a pair with the 5 before it. No score.
  2. The 6♥ makes the count 19. Counting back from it, 5-4-6 is a run of three. The full four cards are not a run because the 4 appears twice.
  3. The player of the 6 pegs 3.

3 for the 6

Questions people ask

Who plays first in cribbage pegging?
The non-dealer always leads the first card of the play. After a go or a 31, the player who did not play the last card leads the new count.
Do runs have to be in order when pegging?
No. The cards can be laid in any order, as long as the most recent cards form an unbroken sequence. 7, 5, 6 is a run of three for whoever played the 6. Any card outside the sequence breaks it.
How many points is a go in cribbage?
A go is worth 1 point to the player who laid the last card before neither player could continue. If that card made exactly 31, the player pegs 2 for 31 and gets no extra go point.
Do you get a point for last card in cribbage?
Yes. Whoever lays the final card of the play pegs 1 for last card, unless that card brought the count to exactly 31, which already scores 2.
What is a pair royal in cribbage?
A pair royal is three cards of the same rank played one after another during pegging. The player who lays the third card pegs 6. A fourth card of that rank in a row is a double pair royal, worth 12.
Can a jack and a queen make a pair in cribbage?
No. Pairs are by rank, not by counting value. Two jacks are a pair; a jack and a queen are not, even though each counts 10 toward the total.

Sources

Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.

  1. Cribbage (six-card), pagat.com. Read September 28, 2026.
  2. How to Play Cribbage, Bicycle Cards. Read September 28, 2026.

The full Cribbage rules