What's the highest possible cribbage score?

The Game Room
1

121, of course!

But what’s the highest possible score in one hand? 29, with a 5 5 5 J and a 5 as the starter card suited to the J.

That’s the highest score for a single hand, but what about with His Heels, the crib, and the play combined? Let’s make it even simpler for now though. What’s the highest score that one can get during the play? The best that I can come up with is the non-dealer getting a run of 3, a run of 5, a 15, a run of 7, and a GO for 18 points. I’m not sure how one could get 2 points for a 31.

If the starter card is an 3, 5, or 7, then the non-dealer’s hand would be A 3 3 5 7 – a pair for 2, and 2 combinations of 15 for 4, so 18 + 6 = 24. That’s far from perfect hand of 29, and that’s not counting the crib.

So two questions:

What’s the highest hand in the play?

What’s the highest hand for His Heels, play, the hand, and the crib?

2

Highest hand + crib is 53. 555J in the hand, 5 nobs as the starter, and 4466 in the crib. No idea for the play.

3

Well, if you’re holding 555J and the opponent has J72A, the play could go like this:

(starting with the other player) J - J (pair for 2) - 7 (go) - 2 - A
(restarting from 0) 5 - 5 (pair for 2) - 5 (three-of-a-kind for 6, fifteen for 2, and last card for 1)

So that’s 11 in the pegging, plus the hand and crib. And only giving up one point.

4

Been playing my whole life and this is the first time I’ve heard the term “his heels.”

Interesting.

5

I’ll try first to answer an easier question: What are the biggest pegging scores? (Some of these assume poor play by opponent.)

Dealer Pegs 30 versus 12
(7 7 4 4) (7 7 4 4)
7; 14 FOR 2; 21 for 6; 28&Go FOR 13; 4; 8 FOR 2; 12 for 6; 16&Go for 13

With that hand, Pone gets 12, so Dealer nets only 18 in the pegging. Here’s a way for Dealer to net 23:
Dealer Pegs 26 versus 3
(3 5 4 9) (3 4 4 4)
3; 6 FOR 2; 11; 15 FOR 5; 19 for 2; 23 FOR 6; 27&Go FOR 13; Go for 1

There are several ways for Pone to peg 24. Here’s a way where Dealer only gets to peg 3:
Pone Pegs 24 versus 3
(6 4 4 4) (5 4 9 10)
6; 11; 15 for 5; 19 FOR 2; 23 for 6; 27&Go for 13; Go FOR 1

6

Also called “nibs”, it’s only used when the starter is a Jack.

7

There’s really a “nibs”?! Do you get a point for that?

I was playing with my dad once, and he’s much, much better than me. I can’t recall exactly what I had to play, but I was basically just trying to cheat and get a spare point since getting skunked looked likely. I played a Jack in some way and said, “plus one point for…uh, nibs!” That didn’t fly. I may or may not have been skunked, but I’m sure I lost big.

8

Nibs, or heels, is when the starter card is a jack, and it’s worth 2 points.

Nobs is when a jack is the same suit as the starter, and is worth 1 point.

9

Two points go to the dealer if a Jack turns up as the starter.

10

Often called “Right Jack” as opposed to “Wrong Jack” which is worth nothing.

Does anyone know why a hand of A-A-6-7-8 is called a Raggedy Ann?

11

The link directly above your post suggests an explanation.

12

My dad who had played for 65 years has never used that term. It was just jack. I wonder if it’s a regional thing.

13

I think I’ve solved the puzzle. No proof offered but I might bet if the odds looked good. :smiley:

The Highest Score is 78.
Dealer hand = 20, Crib = 29, Dealer pegs 29; Pone hand = 20, Pone pegs 12.
You win 78 to 32.
You get 3 3 4 4 5 5 and throw the 5 5 into your crib.
Pone gets 3 3 4 4 5 J and throws 5 J into your crib.
Starter is the right 5.
During the pegging you get two pairs, two double pairs royal, and a go.
Pone pegs two pairs royal.

Although you score 78, your net profit is only 46. This can be improved to 68.

Dealer hand = 21, Crib = 24, Dealer pegs 24; Pone hand = 0, Pone pegs 1.
You win 69 to 1.
You get 4 4 4 5 6 6 and throw the 6 6 into your crib.
Pone gets K Q T 4 3 6 and throws the 6 3 into your crib.
Starter is 6.
During the pegging you get 15, pair, pair royal, double pair royal, and 31.
Pone pegs only a go.

14

So it looks like that’s the highest possible, which is pretty impressive. With an 8 as a starter, that’s only a 12 point hand.

15

We should get together to play sometime.

16

I thought the Hand = 20 / Crib = 29 / Pegging = 29 was much more impressive, pegging only one less than the possible maximum, but with super hand scores.

And the 69 to 1 is even more special. :smiley:

17

Absolutely. That’s got to be the royal flush of cribbage.

18

BTW, although I used the term “Pone” above, I had to Google for it. (“Non-dealer” just seems too cumbersome; I knew there was a special word but I’d forgotten it.)
When playing with my son, we didn’t even say “His Heels”; we call him “His Watchamacallit.”

What is the etymology of cribbage “pone” anyway?

19

This would be a good one for Cecil or one of his minions. Closest I can find is Latin.

20

That is one unsatisfying explanation. I will endeavor to create a better one out of whole cloth.