Play Cribbage to Win

by Dan Barlow

It's a race around a board that takes luck and skill--and if you're hoping to reach the "finish line" first, here are the rules, the skill-building quizzes, and the cleverest tactics needed to win. If you've never played before, you'll get an explanation of the game's basics and scoring--who goes first, dealing and discarding the cards, and moving the pegs, all with expert tips to put beginners on the right track from the start. The detailed coverage focuses on such topics as what to do when the cut is irrelevant (when the dealer will lose if he doesn't peg out); strategies in the play of the hand; ways to speed up the game; and almost any potential situation you'll encounter. And, for those who already play, there's some advanced advice to take you to the next level, plus information on the American Cribbage Congress, which runs tournaments and clubs.

96 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Cameron Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great little primer on learning how to play Cribbage. Cribbage is a fun, fairly quick game that it seems fewer people are playing with the advent of computer games and other forms of entertainment.
It is a great game for the husband-wife to play or even just two friends. However, it plays quite a bit different than most card games and scoring can be difficult to understand at first. Once the player figures out the scoring, Cribbage is a very fun and challenging game.
I wish that Cribbage would make a big comeback in popularity. I believe that many people would really enjoy the game if they just took the time to learn. In a manner, I believe that Cribbage went by the wayside like radio, old-time music, and other card and board games. The previously mentioned are making a resurgent headway. I believe that it would be very enriching and positively fantastic to see Cribbage make a big come-back, too. Cribbage is that fun to me.

Cam

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I learned to play cribbage, and played occasionally, and thought the game was mostly luck. Until I started grading AP calculus exams. In the evening, a lot of the exam readers would play cribbage. And I noticed that most of them - especially the old navy veterans - beat me repeatedly. By a lot. So I concluded that there was much more to this game than I thought there was.

This is the book I got. It was perfect for someone making the transition to knowing the rules and having some basic strategy (I figured out on my own not to lead a '5' and to put good things in my crib and bad things in my foe's crib) to understanding some of the depths of the game. It covers discarding strategy, strategy during the play, and endgame strategy. It has its share of bulleted lists, but they are not daunting and they make sense.

On amaz*n, some reviewers complain that it doesn't have strategy tables. But for someone in my position, that was fine. I didn't want to pour over strategy tables. It was one of those rare books that did exactly what I wanted it to do.

So, as I implied above, I would recommend this book to any cribbage beginner that is ready not to be a beginner anymore. I'd say play a few games of cribbage first, before reading this book, and then read it more than once.

[Sandybear76]

no wonder we gave up cribbage. too much math and counting