General

What makes a good cribbage player?

2024-03-13

Once you know the rule and the flow of the game, crib is a lot of fun. There is enough luck involved so that anyone can win if you are dealt favourable hands and good cuts — but good crib players will win more often through good decision making to optimize their chances.

There is more to a good cribbage player than picking the right cards, though. Beyond strategy, flow-of-play and style add to the overall experience.

Qualities of a good cribbage player

• Quality decision-making in selecting hands
• Strategic selection of cards in the pegging round
• Speed of decision-making
• Accuracy of counting points
• Speed and fluidity of counting points
• Maintaining the flow of turns
• Navigating the board
• Use of cribbage phrases & banter
• Quality shuffling
• Sportsmanship
• Overall style of play

Elaborations:

• Is it your cut or theirs?
• What are the odds of getting a favourable cut?
• Get a sense of the “odds” for common decisions.

Strategic selection of cards in the pegging round

• Set good bait. e.g. Consider 10s are 30% of the deck... use this to bait your opponent into playing into your hand. “Assume they play a 10”.
• Be mindful of runs, and 3-of-a-kinds.
• Keep an eye on the count... 15s and 31s.
• Watch their reaction to the cut for cues into their hand.

Speed of decision-making & counting

• Quickness communicates skill and experience. Quick decisions are impressive and promote a smooth and brisk gameplay.
• Be careful not to miss things for sake of speed, though! Especially in muggins.

Accuracy & flow of counting hands

• Count your hand in a systematic and rhythmic way to keep things clear. For both you, and your opponent.
• Count 15s first, then runs, pairs, and flushes. Finish with the Right Jack. How you articulate the count matters.
• e.g. “15-2, 15-4, 5-6-7 and a pair for 9”

‌Maintaining the flow of turns

• Know who’s crib it is & who’s “go” it is in pegging.
• Reach for the deck for the cut when it’s their crib. Lead with first play in pegging. Count first.
• Attention and mindfulness make for a smoother and more enjoyable game. Even better to keep things straight despite conversation and distractions.

Quality shuffling

• There is a tendency for like-cards to collect in crib. Shuffling well mixes up the deck for a fresh next round.
• Keep the bottoms of the deck guarded while shuffling. Seeing a bottom card can affect odds and probability for card selection and pegging. e.g. “I saw a 5 at the bottom, so less chance I’ll get stung leading with this 10”.
• Avoid misdeals as best you can.

Sportsmanship

• Overall, these tips are for going from good-to-great. They are by no means essential. By getting better and more mindful of these aspects of the game, you’ll become a better player, have more fun, and become more enjoyable to play with. But don’t take things too seriously. Prioritize sportsmanship over everything else.

By making sound decisions based on expected value and probabilities, you will increase your odds of winning. The rest adds to the experience. A good game of cribbage should feel like a dance — moving with the rhythms and phases of the game.

What else would you add?

Good crib!