So, I decided to get into Cribbage. It always seemed like one of those classic games that grandpas are super good at, and I wanted in on that action. I figured, “Why not learn and then maybe surprise my own grandpa with a game?”
First thing I did was hit up the internet. Needed to get the basic rules down. I watched a couple of videos, read a few articles – you know, the usual. It seemed simple enough at first, counting points and all that, but there are definitely some tricky bits.
I grabbed a deck of cards – thankfully, I had one lying around. I started practicing on my own, just dealing out hands and trying to figure out the best plays, the best discard. I even downloaded one of those Cribbage apps to play against the computer, the app really helps me out with my weakness and mistakes.
- The Deal: Getting used to dealing six cards each and then choosing which two to discard to the crib was the first hurdle.
- The Play: Then came the actual playing of the cards, trying to hit 31 without going over, scoring those pairs and runs. That took some practice, for real.
- The Show: And finally, counting up all the points in your hand and the crib at the end… yeah, that’s where I kept messing up at first!
I played a bunch of games against the app. Started out getting totally crushed, obviously. Slowly, I started to get the hang of it. I started recognizing patterns, like which cards were good to keep and which ones to toss in the crib, depending on whether it was my crib or my opponent’s.
After a couple of weeks of playing almost daily, I finally felt like I was ready to challenge a real human. My grandpa, who is a Cribbage pro from way back, was the obvious choice. I paid him a visit, pulled out my deck of cards, and I managed to surprise him!
We played a few games. Let me tell you, he still wiped the floor with me, haha. But it was close! I even won a couple of hands, which felt pretty good. He gave me some pointers, showed me a few strategies I hadn’t even thought of. He could be so proud of me.
Now, the important thing for me is practicing! I will keep on practicing, and hopefully someday I could beat my grandpa!