In other words, the player reaches the winning score of 121 points while their opponent scores 90 points or less. It means that one player wins by 31 points or more. So what is a skunk? Getting a skunk, as the word suggests, is not very pleasant. The dealer also scores points from the cards in their crib. Players can score points during the card-playing phase and after it with the cards in their hands. Points are scored by making certain combinations of cards, such as pairs, runs, double runs, quadruple runs, 5-card flushes, and cards that add up to 15.

After discarding four cards into the 'crib,' gameplay proceeds with each player taking turns to play a card from their hand until all cards have been played. The game begins with the dealer dealing six cards to each player, face down. The goal in cribbage is to be the first player to reach 121 points, the highest possible score. After flipping over a starter card, you score your hand just like in a regular game of cribbage. You give yourself six cards plus two to the crib and discard a pair of cards.

There is a variation of this game that one player can play it is called Solitaire Cribbage.

However, in some tournament rules, getting a skunk or double skunk can be worth extra points in the match.

In most casual games, skunks are not worth anything except bragging rights.

Getting a 'skunk' in cribbage means you beat your opponent by 31 points or more, and a 'double skunk' is when a player scores 61 points or more.

One exciting aspect of Cribbage, sometimes used in tournament play, is 'skunks.' Read on to learn more about what skunks are and how they affect the rules of cribbage.

Cribbage play rules