The Crib Section was formed about 10 years ago and takes part in the Three Counties Club Crib League (TcccL).

The TcccL was started in 1984 to promote a social evening of the game of cards, Crib. It is played between social clubs in the local area on a Wednesday evening, starting in Sep/Oct and ending in May/June. The teams taking part have at least six players and up to a maximum of 14 players. The games played are, 6 singles and 3 doubles all the best of 3. Each game won earns winning team 1 point, giving a maximum of 9 points on any one evening.

At the end of the season all the clubs get together for a presentation night to award the various winners and runner-ups with trophies.  The awards are for the League, Singles, Doubles, and the Knock-out Competitions – Team, Singles and Doubles.

Our greatest success came in 2004 when we won the League for the first time, although we have come close a few times.  Wednesday’s aren’t just about playing cards, they’re about having fun, excitement, cheap booze and good company.  So if you’re interested in joining the Team or just want to learn more about the game, please contact us.

Crib Facts – Did you know . . . . .

Origins

Cribbage is generally agreed to have been invented by English poet Sir John Suckling in the 1630s. However it is a fairly straightforward development of an earlier game called Noddy, Suckling's main contribution being the 'crib' that gives the modern game its name. It was originally played with five cards rather than six, as is now the standard, but the play and strategy are almost identical and the five-card game still survives, especially in the UK.

Amusing, but quite possibly specious historical note: James Masters writes:

Suckling apparently distributed large numbers of packs of marked cards to the aristocratic set and then went around the country playing them at Cribbage for money, managing to earn himself around £20,000 (about £4 million in today's money).

The so-called cribbage board predates Cribbage by many hundreds of years and has been used for scoring many other games, especially pub games. However in the last few centuries the traditional board has been indelibly associated with Cribbage, and customised boards like the '29' have been developed especially for it.

 Facts

• The highest possible hand at Cribbage is 29 points (shown at the top of this page). It comprises all four 5s and the Jack of nobs. Nobody you know has ever scored a 29. In tournament play there is usually a special award for a 29, whether it be cash or merely glory. A 28, which comprises four 5s and any ten-card but the nob Jack, is also worthy of special mention.

• There are several 'impossible totals' - point counts which cannot be made with any hand. The lowest such total is 19 - hence the expression 'a nineteen hand', or 'I have nineteen', almost universally (perhaps sarcastically) used to describe a zero-point hand.

• Cribbage has given the English language a number of expressions which it is hard to imagine doing without, including "level pegging", "what a turn-up/a turn-up for the books", "streets ahead", and "pegged out".

• The fact that the crib alternates with the deal means that on average, the lead should also change hands with each deal - which means it ain't over till it's over!

• The optional 'Muggins' rule allows your opponent to claim points, which you fail to score in your own hand or play. While this certainly forces you to pay attention to the play and count your hand carefully, there are arguments against it: it tends to slow down play, as you tend to count everything twice for fear of missing points. It also seems rather unfair to make you pay a double penalty (not only do you not get the points, your opponent gets them) for what is after all a simple mistake, not bad play. This is especially discouraging for beginners, who ironically are most likely to lose points this way. Muggins is usually played in tournaments, serious club play and between old friends who enjoy arguments.  Thankfully Muggins is not used in the League.