What Is the Highest Score in Cribbage? (And Why You Probably Won’t Ever See It
- Jon Mullett
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
Every cribbage player eventually hears whispers of a mythical hand — 29 points. It’s the unicorn of cribbage: legendary, rare, often discussed by players who have never gotten one, and touted by the lucky players who have. I'm 53, have played my share of cribbage games, but unfortunately I'm on the outside looking in. My guess is you are too.
So Fine... the Twenty-Nine!
So what is the highest possible score in cribbage? How rare is it? And if you play long enough, are you guaranteed to get one? The highest possible score in a single cribbage hand is 29 points.
To achieve a perfect 29, the hand must contain:
Three 5s
A Jack
The starter (cut card) must be the fourth 5
The Jack must be the same suit as the starter card
Example hand:
5♣ 5♦ 5♥ J♠ (starter: 5♠)Let’s dig into the math, the odds, and some fun trivia behind the most famous hand in the game.
How Points are Counted
The points break down like this:
Score Type | Points |
Four 15s using the Jack + each 5 | 8 |
Four 15s using four 5s | 8 |
Four of a kind (all four 5s) | 12 |
“His Nobs” (Jack matching cut card suit) | 1 |
Total | 29 |
The Second-Highest Cribbage Hand: 28 Points
The second-best possible hand in cribbage is 28 points.
This occurs when you have:
Four 5s
Any ten-value card (10, J, Q, or K)
But without the suited Jack needed for “his nobs.”
Because there are many more combinations that produce 28 points than the one unique 29-point configuration, 28-point hands occur far more often, but are still difficult to get.
The Math - the Odds of getting a 28 or 29 point hand
For me to say your odds of YOU getting a 29 hand is (insert misleading number here) is misleading. Why? Because I can't quantify your skill level. If there is one thing I know, it's that people are unpredictable, unreliable and inconsistent - and therefor uncalculatible.
So I will factor skill two ways:
You are perfect (you always play the optimal cards to get a 28 or 29 for each hand)
You are chaotic (that is to say, in an infinite state of confusion and disorder)
Make sense? Best case scenario versus worst case scenario. Somewhere in between are your odds.
Mathematically, there are 12,994,800 possible hands in cribbage (with cut card). In the OPTIMAL scenario you always play the best cards to get a 28/29 hand. The RANDOM scenario assumes you discard cards at random (even if you are dealt a 5, 5, 5, J).
OPTIMAL SKILL LEVEL - odds of getting a 29 point hand
OPTIMAL SKILL LEVEL - odds of getting a 28 point hand
RANDOM SKILL LEVEL - odds of getting a 29 point hand
RANDOM SKILL LEVEL - odds of getting a 28 point hand
As you can see, skill plays a big part of calculating your statistics of getting the perfect hand.
OPTIMAL | Odds |
29 points | ~1 in 215,000 |
28 points | ~1 in 15,000 |
RANDOM | Odds |
29 points | ~1 in 3,250,000 |
28 points | ~1 in 171,000 |
Why the gap is so big: random discard often “wrecks” the rare setups (like keeping three 5s), while skilled discard preserves them whenever they appear.
Statistics are pliable
Statistics can prove anything you want them to. If you don't like these odds, then chnage a variable. Skill level is just one variable. Before you go spouting these odds make sure you specify these odds are per HAND, not per GAME. Statistically there are 8-12 hands per game. So if you want to calculate the odds of getting a 28 or 29 hand in a game ... have at it!
Is There Any Strategy to Get a 29?
Short answer: unless you are a complete moron, not really.
Long answer: there are a couple of small things you can do.
1. Never Break Up J-5-5-5
If you’re dealt three 5s and a Jack, keep them. Always.
It’s the only starting hand that can become 29.
2. Hope the Starter Is the Right 5
You need:
The fourth 5
And it must match the Jack’s suit
So even after being dealt the perfect setup, the odds are still tiny.
3. Don’t Chase It
Trying to “play for 29” usually makes your hand worse.It’s a fun dream — not a real strategy to consistantly win at cribbage.
A Few Fun Cribbage Statistics
Some entertaining numbers from cribbage math:
About 7.8% of all hands score zero points.
Scores 19, 25, 26, and 27 are impossible in cribbage.
The maximum points in one dealer turn (hand + crib) is 53.
Most cribbage players never see a 29 in their lifetime. And that’s part of the charm.
The perfect hand is the game’s version of a shooting star — rare enough that when it finally appears, the whole table remembers it forever. Cribbage is one of the few card games where statistics and folklore mix perfectly.
Jon Mullett
Cribbage King
(303) 653-5112
