October 31, 2024

*** This hand was suggested by Ras2829
0*-0  ?
45%
45%
19%
19%
16%
16%
10%
10%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Total votes: 265
Gougie00

Joined: March 2008 (5936 votes)

Thursday 3:10 AM
Another Yuck Sandwich. I'll try it this way.
JQT

Joined: October 2008 (4282 votes)

Thursday 3:10 AM
We ended last month with a puzzle by RAS, and there were days when RAS posted shortly after 3 a.m. Pacific Time, many hours before first light. And here we are on Halloween, at the end of another month, with another RAS Puzzle, the day after RAS has posted at 6 p.m., once all daylight has vanished. "Hand of the Day" is drifting toward becoming "Cribbage After Dark" and I must say, I like it! 🎃

Today, we are all 'dressed up' in our costume as the First Dealer, and we have dealt ourselves four Small Cards, A-2-4-4, alongside two Middle Cards, a 6-7 duo. Pretty Spooky, I know! Yesterday's RAS Puzzle featured a tough decision over whether or not to Toss (6 7) to our Opponent; could it be, in some cosmic time warp, that today's RAS Puzzle should have us in a quandary over whether to Toss (6 7), this time into our own Crib? ☕

Both Toss (A 2) and Toss (2 7) poke their little noses out from inside their clever masks, as well. And Toss (A 4) and Toss (2 6) might also enjoy their day in the sun, so how do we approach this charming puzzle, one that is cloaked in mystery, and wrapped within an enigma? We do it piece-by-piece. 🎁

While they rarely can guide us, due to being very rare, let's look at some extremes anyway: Toss (6 7), Toss (4 4), Toss (A 7), and Toss (4 6) can all become Twenty-Four-Point Cribs. (*) POP QUIZ: Ironically, only one Dealer Discard today cannot exceed the Lowest Maximum of any two cards of Fourteen Points; can you guess what that may be? Think about it, and we'll recap this later. It may surprise you. 🧮

We have five ways of starting out with the certainty of Four Points, and these are: Keep (4 4 6 7) and Toss (A 2), Keep (A 4 4 6) and Toss (2 7), Keep (A 4 4 7) and Toss (2 6), Keep (2 4 4 7) and Toss (A 6), and let's not forget Keep (A 2 4 4) and Toss (6 7), which gets help after ANY Cut Card. We leave nobody out. 👑

The Maximum Hand takes a little bit more teasing and 'sussing' to pull out, but that's why they pay me the "Big Bucks" to wake up early and do all of these petty calculations for my Fellow Cribbageurs; and today, we have (4 4 6 7), able to leap tall buildings, grab a cow and a spoon, and jump clear over the moon with Sixteen Points after Four Cuts (5555). Next, we see that both (2 4 4 6) and (A 4 4 6) can attain the exquisite status of Fourteen Points, while both (2 4 4 7) and (A 4 4 7) can only hope to become worth a very respectable Dozen Points. 🛒

If we are observant, we see that some of the same discards are showing up as interesting 'facilitators' in helping us in myriad ways, namely Toss (A 2), Toss (A 7), and Toss (2 7), with Toss (6 7) also 'lurking' around in the fringes. And the idea that emerges most is none other than Keep (A 4 4 6). This Hand has an Expected Average that actually exceeds all of the others BY OVER HALF-A-POINT! Know a good thing when you see it. 🍨

Let's grab the two most insidious cards and send them packing into our Crib and Toss (2 7) today! Sure, these two odd fellows have a Crib Value that is lower than that of Toss (A 2), and Toss (6 7), and Toss (A 4), but such is life. 🍁

After the 7 Card Cut, we now have Six Points in our Hand, and who knows how much could be in our Crib?! Only one other Discard Idea could have started us off with more 'static' points today, and I'll bet you can all readily see that Keep (A 4 4 7) and Toss (2 6) was it. Yes, we all saw that. 👁‍🗨

(*) POP QUIZ ANSWER: The only discard that can never exceed the Lowest Maximum of Fourteen Points today is Toss (A 4)! How did you do? Probably very good, if you remember that I asked this very same question very recently. 🎭

Wordle 1,230 3/6

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jmudge

Joined: July 2020 (849 votes)

Thursday 5:04 AM
jmudge says: (There was supposed to be a ::sad trombone:: in there somewhere.)
Djgoat

Joined: December 2023 (94 votes)

Thursday 5:13 AM
I guess I'm with the majority so far. Obviously there are a few ways to go but this one had good potential.
Jazzselke

Joined: March 2009 (2715 votes)

Thursday 5:54 AM
Like keeping the A44 together for a possible face-card cut, and a potential 14 hand with the turn of a 5.
hecklebush

Joined: February 2022 (295 votes)

Thursday 6:22 AM
Well, I learn something new on occasion, and today, thanks to JQT, I've discovered that I'm a "Cribbageur." So, this cribbageur kept the 4-4-6-7 and gave his crib the A-2. CribPro left me with a score of (12-4) - my opponent pegging nothing and having a junk flush for 4 points. I'll be off in less than an hour to play, IRL, with my fellow friend and cribbageur. We'll play several "races to three" at $5 a pop, mindful of the "house rules" that can easily add up to more than that. Happy Halloween everone!
Assman

Joined: May 2024 (193 votes)

Thursday 6:25 AM
Another excellent puzzle by Ras, this one is an opening hand puzzle. i’ve been coached to try to maximize my hand and the crib when I’m the dealer which oftentimes is somewhat of a balancing act. This puzzle shows the many options and variations that can be available to cribbage player. I considered tossing 4-4 and A-2 but I settled on this. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Not super happy with the starter, oh well, gonna grab myself a coffee.
Eolus619 says: Hello..i posted to you in a separate thread below..over come by muddled thinking and fat fingers
dec

Joined: April 2008 (6583 votes)

Thursday 7:06 AM
A defensive pegger and a fifteen multiplier. dec
Eolus619

Joined: June 2020 (1534 votes)

Thursday 7:18 AM
Morning my fellow cribbageur!..I take no issue with your discard choice ..but just an observation. As to “ i’ve been coached to try to maximize my hand and the crib when I’m the dealer ”…as you make your way on your cribbage journey you will find it a bit more nuanced than that. What to do is board dependent. AND since the dealer has a considerable pegging advantage..considering the combined nhand+crib + pegging value is worthwhile ..Also , the flip side of that , is you will find the crib can sometimes just get the “crumb leftovers” AND keeping max points may not be the best path ..again depending on board position. Ras has a class on that very subject in his video series ..Week 5 part one .. https://vashoncribbage.weebly.com/strategy.html

and A-4 may be the answer today..the random cut card will decide that..but you should be alert to the fact that it is in group #3 of Ras’s highest average dealer discards .all the best

https://www.cribbage.org/NewSite/tips/rasmussen6.asp
Eolus619 says: whoops ..should have posted this in Assman’s thread ..sorry
Assman says: Hi Eolus, thank you for the guidance. I checked out Ras' top 30 discards. Very helpful. I think I would probably choose a different discard next time having reviewed the chart. Thank you again.
wasa

Joined: November 2014 (3182 votes)

Thursday 8:44 AM
I wanted to keep the A-4-4 together (for the chance of a X cut), and A-4-4-6 adds up to 15 so I start with 4 points, the same as keeping 4-4-7.
kal79

Joined: April 2024 (206 votes)

Thursday 8:49 AM
Trying A-2 but considered 6-7 and 2-7 as well. A few different combinations have the commenters split so far, so it’s tough to tell if there’s a “right” answer today! I don’t love any of these crib discards as dealer, so my focus was turned more to optimal hand value, which drew my eye to 4-4-6-7. This hand and crib improves on every cut but an X, and we have a “jackpot” cut of a 5 in the hand that would yield us 16. It’s tough to believe we’ll get any help in the crib with an A-2 discard, but I’m hoping the upside in the hand offsets this. After the cut, we have eight in the hand and I will play defense pegging.
MarktheShark

Joined: January 2024 (262 votes)

Thursday 8:52 AM
Surprised to see so many deciding to keep the better pegger (A-2), as I did, than the better melder (2-7). Expected many more 2-6 pitchers.
Sgt Pegger

Joined: July 2017 (463 votes)

Thursday 9:39 AM
Swing for the fence on this one.
RubyTuesday

Joined: January 2019 (1075 votes)

Thursday 11:20 AM
2 7 to my crib, for reasons others have explained better than I can.
Ras2829

Joined: November 2008 (5349 votes)

Thursday 7:34 PM
Superior hand score potential and the presence of 3-card "eleven from heaven" (A-4-6) gives holding A-4-4-6 the edge in any strategy, particularly so if choosing defense and peg avoidance as dealer of hand one. Dealer needs 7 points out of first deal to have 50/50 chance to win. Play the 6 on any X-point lead, forcing a five off the play, likely to advance the count to 26, play the four for 30, hear the "go", and score 31-2. Play off the lead although would pair a four spot if offered. The better hand score and the defensive pegging edge of A-4-4-6 are more than enough to offset any real or imagined advantage of other cards. Do appreciate all comments even those contrary to mine. That's my story and am sticking to it!
Ras2829 says: WOW!!! My vote boosted this choice to a whoppin' 15%.