If you are looking for your new favorite pastime, cribbage is the game for you. The game requires only a standard pack of cards and a wood cribbage board, so get ready to unplug and tune in to the people around you. Return to simpler times with this legendary game of luck and skill.
History of Cribbage
Cribbage is said to have been invented by soldier and poet Sir John Suckling in the 17th century. The rules of the game have changed very little – the sign of a strong gaming foundation. So, sharpen your pencil (math is involved!) and unwrap a fresh deck of cards to begin a timeless tradition of cribbage skunks, pegs, and muggins.
The objective of cribbage is to be the first player to obtain the highest number of pegged points on the wood cribbage board. A game to 61 is acceptable to some, while others will only accept a match challenge to 121. Cribbage boards are designed to allow play to both 61 and 121. A wood cribbage board designed with continuous tracks to 121 is a clean, one-way track to victory.
Why is Cribbage Popular?
Cribbage has been popular since its origin. While it started in England, the game traveled with the settlers to the colonies and spread through the United States as the country expanded westward. Today, cribbage is most popular in:
- England
- New England
- Midwest
- Northwest
- Canada
As the colonists traveled to the New World, they played cribbage. The popular card game has also traveled with submariners on a variety of successful missions, including World War II on the USS Wahoo. The tradition continues with the “lucky cribbage board” which remains on the oldest active submarine in the fleet, currently residing in the wardroom of the USS Bremerton.
Cribbage even comes with its own terminology. If you find someone using a cribbage term in casual conversation, you have found your kind of person! Befriend them immediately and set up your favorite wood cribbage board for a quick game.
Common Cribbage Terms
- Pegs
- Skunk
- Pone
- Muggins
3 Solid Reasons Cribbage Will Be Your Next Obsession
- Cribbage can be a strong family tradition.
- Is it luck or strategy? You must play to find out.
- Cribbage is the perfect travel companion.
Family traditions are made around a cribbage board.
In simpler times, families joined together around the dining room table, engaging in board games and playing cards. Cribbage is the perfect blending of both and encourages social interaction and healthy competition. Fathers handing down a wood cribbage board to their sons, and mothers cheering on their daughters as they skunk their siblings.
In some families, the best memories are made around the pegs and holes of the wood cribbage board. Children can learn quickly and be part of the fun. You can start them young with an affection for math as they learn to recognize numbers and count.
When can kids start learning cribbage? As soon as possible! Teaching math and critical thinking skills are life lessons that are best learned in a family-friendly environment. Children quickly become obsessed with their success and forget all about the devices that can’t seem to find the WIFI in the cabin by Lake Ray Hubbard.
Is cribbage a game of luck or strategy?
The simple answer is… yes. The hand you are dealt is as important as the strategy you employ each hand. Being able to pay attention, not only to your hand but the cards dealt to the other player, is a skill for sure. As the cards are revealed, a skilled player sees the opportunities laid out before them. A lucky player is dealt the best cards.
As cards are drawn, and pegs move around the course, a player can go from a point feast to a skunk in just one hand. Of course, the perfect hand (a 5 of each suite and a Jack) awards 29 points, and the odds of turning over this sequence are infinitesimal. But should the odds be in your favor, will you consider that luck or strategy?
Cribbage is the perfect travel companion.
Types of Travel Cribbage Boards
- Pocket-size cribbage board
- Folding cribbage board
- Ultralight cribbage board
A wood cribbage board can include hidden compartments underneath that hold the pegs and even a standard pack of cards. Travel cribbage will be a total game-changer in England – it is the only game you can legally play in pubs for money! So, take some of that skill – or luck! – and put some coins in your pocket to pay for extra time in your favorite brewhouse.
What is the Perfect Wood Cribbage Board?
The perfect wood cribbage board is the one that tells the stories of your past, your present, and your travels. A high-quality wood cribbage board engraved with the lake where you spent your summers as a child is a remarkable reminder of game nights with the family. The detailed etching of Ireland on your wood cribbage board commemorates the spring you followed your heart, spending many a night in the local pub with newfound friends playing cribbage.
Nautical Wood Cribbage Boards Enhance Décor
Last but certainly not least, you will become obsessed with cribbage because the nautical wood cribbage board looks exceptionally cool. The lake art will become a centerpiece in your home that encourages additional nautical pieces, creating a lifestyle that supports and inspires the competition and friendship found around a cribbage board.
There are many reasons to pick up the new obsession of cribbage, but the prevailing theme surrounding this pastime is FUN! A competitive spirit, keen observation, and the ability to recognize a muggins situation for extra points are rare and desirable skills.
All is fair in love and cribbage, so get your friends and family around the table, unplug all devices, and shuffle up and deal!