Saturday 3:06 AM

Tossing 2-2 to our crib today and holding a hand 5-7-9-T that has more cuts for improvement over 2-2-7-9. It always comes down to expected averages or win/loss percentages based on board position.

Saturday 3:06 AM

A strong discard and 7-2-2 eleven to peg with.

Saturday 3:13 AM

Like yesterday 5 to the Crib

Saturday 3:23 AM

I will go with the defensive pegging and crib potential for a sizable hand. We are a little behind seeing they probably had the first deal of the game. dec

Saturday 4:02 AM

It appears that we were First Non-Dealer of this game, and that we garnered Two Points above the Ten-Point Average, while our Opponent also performed well as First Dealer scoring Three Points above the Sixteen-Point Average.

And as First Non-Dealer, we tend to adopt an Offensive Posture right from the get-go, in order to try to become the first player to become the Dealer 'at or beyond' Hole 18, the First Street 'Par' Hole, a challenging and difficult task, and yet a goal we have nearly already accomplished.

So much for the History Lesson. It's often quite easy to 'ferret out' such relevant information this early in a game, and I'll use it to keep my 'foot on the accelerator' and maintain an Offensive Posture, but we should always tend toward "Looking Forward" to judge our Relative Position in Cribbage, and not focus too much on what's behind us.

We can 'split' this bunch nicely into starting off with at least Four Points after either Toss (2 2), Toss (7 9), or Toss (5 T), and while I'm not too sure how to sort those first two choices, I initially prefer the last choice as the best. And maybe if we need a Hail Mary (which in this position, we do not), we could even consider Toss (5 7).

Getting a 5 Card into our Crib usually becomes a much more potent 'Force Multiplier' than stowing a PAIR into The Box, although a PAIR of Deuces is actually a pretty nice discard, and no doubt that it will be a discard favored by many players. It would be much nicer, however, if that 9 Card were also a Spade Suit!

What is even more compelling to me, however, is what those Deuces might do for us during the PEGGING! In fact, as Dealer with Keep (2 2 7 9), we have both a two-card "Magic Eleven" in the form of (2 9), and a three-card "Magic Eleven" in the form of (2 2 7)! And we also have a "Sweet Sixteen" that might be easily overlooked in the form of (7 9).

After Toss (5 T), what remains is a very nice pegging hand, indeed! Pegging tactics such as these that involve three of our four cards are overlooked by many players, and sometimes even difficult to see by a computer program. But it is also in keeping with my "Style of Play" to lean toward stashing a 5 Card, or cards that 'add up' to Five, in my Crib, i.e., it 'works' for me.

And speaking of "work": That three-card "Magic Eleven" might 'work wonders' for us after any Ten Card (or "X") lead by Pone, as we can respond with our 7 Card, and then later attempt to self-PAIR with our Deuces for (31-4). And the "Sweet Sixteen" could be summoned in the rare instance when Pone leads a 5 Card, say when holding (5 5 X X) or (5 X X X), as we aim to have Pone 'hit' a Count of Twenty-Four, and then grab (31-2), all by respectively playing our 9 Card and our 7 Card in quick succession.

Therefore, I'll take the 'Road Less Travelled' today and shall instantly Toss (5 T) and project confidence by my sudden decisiveness, and the Queen Cut makes me look forward eagerly to see "What's in the Box" as I await for my Crib Fortune to appear!

Saturday 5:14 AM

hey Ras..i keep a printed copy of all your discard tables in a folder including the one where you use stars to rate the value of dealer crib discard combinations ...i send the 5-10:and tip my cap to your decades of keeping track of scant empirical data

Saturday 6:40 AM

Rosemarie says what I thought.

Saturday 7:16 AM

510 seems the best throw available. Deuces also highly-rated; however, in this particular case, 57910 is only guaranteed 2 points. Generally, if holding a five only adds 2 points to the hand, it is better served being placed in the crib.

Saturday 7:24 AM

Strongest discard to our crib in this hand makeup. I like Jazzselke’s (Dan’s) note above about the 5 in our hand. Also this hold should peg much better than the other options as JQT points out above.

Saturday 8:10 AM

I'm playing offense here, so will take any points offered. And I'll play my 7 on any face card lead; this forces the 5 out of play and likely will allow me to play my Deuces for 31-4 after a second face card from the pone runs the count to 27.

Saturday 10:07 AM

With the flow

Saturday 12:47 PM

The pair wasn't helping my hand, so I hope it helps the crib.

Saturday 1:37 PM

Didn't need to look at who submitted this puzzle. 3 card magic 11. X-5 to crib. Must have been Ras!!

Saturday 8:29 PM

Have nothing to defend sitting at hole 12. RAS is thinking offense when looking at the pegs, when looking at the six cards dealt, and once seeing the starter card, and will take any pegs offered. Nice to note that just more than half (51% at this posting) have chosen the pegging cards wit the 3-card eleven and a "sweet-16". See JQT's post as to how these might work in the actual pegging sequence. Was interested in seeing HalscribCLX analysis. Looks like no chance of that this day.