Hand vs. crib: the flush difference
Most hand-counting rules are the same in the crib. The important exception is a four-card flush.
Use the same five cards
Keep 8 of Diamonds, 3 of Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds and 5 of Diamonds. Turn 5 of Clubs as the starter.
| Combination | Hand | Crib |
|---|---|---|
| Two Jack–five fifteens | 4 | 4 |
| Pair of fives | 2 | 2 |
| Four Diamonds | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 6 |
The hand's four Diamonds score a flush even though the starter is a Club. The crib needs the starter to match too. A five-card flush would earn five in either mode.
Count it as a hand Count it as a cribThe starter stays separate
Three matching cards in your hand plus a matching starter are not a four-card hand flush. The four original hand cards must match. Keeping the starter in its own slot makes that distinction visible.
Source: ACC 2025 rulebook, scoring chart. See the full scoring guide for the other combinations.