As mentioned in an earlier post, cribbage is my favourite card game. Obviously, luck is involved to the extent that even a skilled player cannot win anywhere close to 100%. If you can win 58%, you are really doing well. In this series of articles, I would like to share some tips that might improve your winning percentage.
My first tip is to play according to the board position.
To this end, DeLynn Colvert devised the Rule of 26 in his famous cribbage book. This is a good starting point. Using the theory, if you are the dealer at the start, your goal is to play conservatively. For example, if you have a 5 and your opponent throws a K, don't throw a 5 as your opponent might pair your 5 to get two points. The theory tells you that your opponent needs 2 points more badly than you do, so don't take it!
On the flip side, if you are pone, play a bit aggressively. If you have 2 A's in your hand, think about saving them at the end. You never know if you get lucky and get a pairs royal or even a double pairs royal. Now, this strategy might burn you if your opponent leaves a 2 and 3 to form a run of 3 but the Rule of 26 justifies the pone to take this risk in the long run of games.
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