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 like to share some tips that might improve your winning percentage.
Tip 1: Know your relative position and play accordingly:
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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