Today's results so far

*** This hand was suggested by Gougie00
87*-75  ?
52%
52%
23%
23%
14%
14%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
0%
0%
Total votes: 241
Gougie00Time to go for a 24?
Rosemarie44

Joined: March 2016 (2152 votes)

Tuesday 3:05 AM
Eight points to start. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!
JQT

Joined: October 2008 (4417 votes)

Tuesday 3:18 AM
In most board positions, I believe that Toss (6 6) would be the proper way to proceed here and 'split' this arrangement, but the score today gives us an opportunity to maybe think outside the box. 🎁 🔄 😎

We are very likely to WIN this game, regardless of how we discard during this deal, and that may indicate an opportunity for us to "go big" and seek a SKUNK. 🛶 🦨 🏹

It all depends on the stakes: In any setting in which a SKUNK translates into more chances to win game points, especially if a SKUNK is worth double, I would readily Toss (2 Q). Pegging as the Dealer with (5 5 6 6) will often be very lucrative, and against an Opponent holding all "X" Cards for example, we'll peg two Fifteen-Twos along with two Thirty-Ones, for an easy additional Eight Points. 🎱 🍓 🌼

The relative score gives us a very good chance, after we Toss (2 Q), for the SKUNK, even if we don't obtain a Cut Card for Sixteen or Twenty-Four Points. There are Ten Cuts (4444, 55, 7777) that yield Ten Points or more, and that means we'll enjoy a very nice "tailwind" will occur 10/46 equals 0.217 or nearly 22% of the time. 🥗 🍇 🍷

Let's Toss (2 Q) today, and reach for the proverbial fences. After the Ace Cut, we're stuck with only Four Points, but we're still on-track to WIN. If we peg poorly, and if we also draw a 'blank' in our Crib, it may be time to begin worrying. 😯 📍 🎑
Eolus619 says: Morning JQT…your reply to an eight lead is ? thx
JQT says: After an 8 Card Lead: 8 (8), we can 'play off' with a 5 Card Reply (13), which seems automatic here given our Dual-PAIR Hand, as now, after a Deuce 2 Response (15-2), we can 'play off' again with another 5 Card Reply (20), however; as the Dealer, we might try an Offensive Maneuver via: 8 (8) 6! (14) because here, after a 7 Card Response (21-3), since Pone may be holding all higher-ranking cards, it might now proceed 5 (26=4) "go" 5 (31=4)! In the first scenario, we try to minimize the damage, and maybe Pone won't score more than a few points during the pegging, and maybe we will proceed to do as well or better defensively; in the latter scenario, it's possible that as the Dealer, we could out-peg Pone by a margin of Eight-to-Four or maybe even better, but it would probably be at the risk of giving up as much as we get. The good thing is that the score, and our very favorable position on the board here, allows us to use either approach; and perhaps ironically, the first or more defensive idea may actually be preferred in order to try to SKUNK our Opponent! ☕ 🦨 🥃
JQT says: The stakes I often played for were: $0.10 (ten cents) per point, plus $2.00 per game, all Doubled for a SKUNK, and Doubled AGAIN for a Double SKUNK, and finally, $20.00 for FIVE WINS IN A ROW (reset count after 5th win)! This meant that a close game of say (121-118) would pay $2.30 and a good save at say (121-91) would pay $5.00 but at (121-90) now as a SKUNK 🦨 it would pay $10.20 and therefore, while a single point only cost ten cents if the loser made it to Fourth Street, that single point 'shy' of Hole 91 would cost an additional $5.20 or fifty-two times ten cents! If today's puzzle were to occur with such stakes, we would probably hold (5 5 6 6) UNLESS we had Three or Four WINS in-a-row, at which time it would probably be worthwhile to be more conservative and seek securing the WIN above obtaining a SKUNK. When playing for stakes that involves any kind of multiple payoff for a SKUNK, you quickly find out that most of your income (or losses) comes from SKUNKING (or being SKUNKED by) your Opponent! 💸 📍 👀
Eolus619 says: thanks John
mrob2199

Joined: February 2009 (1625 votes)

Tuesday 3:20 AM
I might play this differently if it were a playoff match but I’m assuming it’s a regular tournament or grass roots game so I’m going to play for a skunk-we have 6 points to start with so even if the cut doesn’t help we will still be in good position to win-but if we get a 4 or 7 cut the skunk comes into play-and the 556 in our hand has excellent pegging potential
Eolus619 says: Rob..morning…are you replying to an “ X” lead with a five or a six ..thx I have been playing a six in anticipation of Pone playing another “X” and then me playing a five for 31-2 and preventing Pone from pairing my first five..However, holding two fives, I do see the reason for playing a five on the first “X”.
mrob2199 says: I’ll definitely play a 5 on their C lead- if they also have 2 fives that’s just bad luck
Eolus619 says: thx❗️
Falseclaimofgame_

Joined: February 2023 (86 votes)

Tuesday 3:36 AM
Don’t over think it.
tevdodd

Joined: May 2021 (25 votes)

Tuesday 3:51 AM
Letting my heart win today. We're in good position, might as well keep the keep with the most potential. I do NOT expect this to be the "right" or "proper" answer today and tomorrow I'll likely throw 26 or 66 like everyone else.
dec

Joined: April 2008 (6755 votes)

Tuesday 3:51 AM
Did you mean both hand counts? I could see twenty four points or more on all combined counts. Seeing opponent is wicked short I could see a contribution there. dec
domandcarol

Joined: August 2023 (68 votes)

Tuesday 4:56 AM
Keeping max points in hand although holding out hope for the big score was tempting.
mfetchCT425

Joined: February 2009 (1559 votes)

Tuesday 5:26 AM
Keeping the combined 8 points.
Inushtuk1

Joined: July 2016 (1755 votes)

Tuesday 5:49 AM
The answer is No for me. But I might have gotten 24 in my Crib until that Ace cut.
Inushtuk1 says: Going for the 24 hand is what Pone should be doing with this same hand. Not the Dealer. Let's just stay the course. Of course that's easier for me to say. I don't play in GRT or ACC tournies. A skunk does not give our little group any bounus score. We play for averages only. Now if I was in first or second place in the standings, and it was a very close race, facing that other opponent at the table, that might change things.
Eolus619

Joined: June 2020 (1662 votes)

Tuesday 6:07 AM
The discard from these six cards seems to me to be very board and game situation dependent. Today it’s 6-6 for reasons explained above. For those interested in Ras’s counsel on sacrificing points when a 5-5 can be discarded he says

“ Only the 5-5 to own crib is worth a sacrifice in the hand of up to four points if retaining hand potential for twelve points or more. Notice that the 5-5 averages nearly nine points to own crib. It is wise to sacrifice up to two points in the hand to discard any of those choices with**”….below is the link to his **groups

https://www.cribbage.org/NewSite/tips/rasmussen6.asp
JJx7fan

Joined: December 2023 (73 votes)

Tuesday 6:07 AM
I thought this was a good comprise between going for the 24 and playing it safe with the 8 pts.
james500

Joined: June 2013 (4248 votes)

Tuesday 6:22 AM
I'll kick myself if we cut a 4 or 7, but we probably won't.
Inushtuk1 says: Might be a very good Crib for you with that (6-6) tucked away there.
wasa

Joined: November 2014 (3307 votes)

Tuesday 6:44 AM
Play the hand, not the cut. No reason to keep 5-5-6-6 at this board position IMHO.
RubyTuesday

Joined: January 2019 (1170 votes)

Tuesday 7:49 AM
I thought 5 5 6 6 might be fun.
MiketheExpert

Joined: April 2021 (1311 votes)

Tuesday 7:58 AM
It was tempting to keep (5 5 6 6) with such a commanding lead, and shoot for the stars. This will likely be the "correct" play to throw the pair. If my odds of skunking were just a little better, or if there was some extra incentive, I may try it from around this point. I think from hole 90 it would be worth it. (5 5 6 6) can also do some pretty good damage on the pegging end against certain hands, let alone the lucky cuts for 24 or 16 points.
Sgt Pegger

Joined: July 2017 (594 votes)

Tuesday 8:07 AM
This is a hand that really depends on whom I'm playing and is this a play-off match or a regular game.
guideontheside

Joined: July 2020 (557 votes)

Tuesday 8:07 AM
I'm with JQT here. (By the way, wasn't receiving the emails for a while, so wasn't here - what happened???)