In other card games, a flush usually means any five cards of the same suit. Cribbage uses a stricter definition that depends on whether the hand is the player's own or the crib.

Card Games

Cribbage flush

A flush in cribbage is a scoring combination where all cards in a hand are of the same suit, worth 4 points, plus 1 extra point if the starter card also matches that suit.

Hand flush score: 4 points for four suited cards, plus 1 if the starter matches, for 5 total¹⁴
Crib flush score: Only 5 points if all five cards (including the starter) are the same suit; a four-card crib flush scores nothing¹³
Applies to: Standard cribbage hand scoring; the crib has a stricter rule¹²

Key points

A hand flush scores 4 points for four suited cards; a matching starter adds a fifth point for 5 total.¹⁴
A flush is scored independently of pairs, runs, and fifteens — it is a separate scoring category in cribbage.¹²
The starter card is not counted among the four cards of a hand flush; it only adds a bonus point if it matches the suit.¹⁴

Flush scoring by hand type

How the flush is scored in different parts of a cribbage game.
Hand type	Cards needed	Points
Player's hand	4 suited cards	4
Player's hand with matching starter	4 suited cards + starter	5
Crib	5 suited cards (including starter)	5
Crib without matching starter	4 suited cards only	0

Where this term is used

Card games

Not the same as

Cribbage rules — the full set of rules for playing cribbage, not just the flush scoring rule

Card games Cribbage points Explains how points are awarded for all scoring combinations in cribbage. Card games Cribbage scoring rules Covers the detailed rules for scoring hands, including flushes, pairs, and runs. Card games Cribbage board rules Describes how the cribbage board is used to track scores during a game. Card games Cribbage terms and phrases A glossary of common cribbage terminology beyond scoring terms. Card games Cribbage points to win Explains the target score and how players reach it to win a game. Card games Funny cribbage terms A lighthearted look at slang and humorous phrases used by cribbage players.

Sources

Rules of cribbage en.wikipedia.org Provides the official scoring rules for flushes in both the hand and the crib.
Cribbage en.wikipedia.org Confirms the flush scoring rules and the distinction between hand and crib.
The Play of the Cards pagat.com Details the stricter crib flush rule, where only a 5-point flush counts.
Cribbage bicyclecards.com States the 4-point hand flush and the 5-point total with a matching starter.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.