October 7, 2025

*** This hand was suggested by Kenlyn66
55-60*  ?
88%
88%
4%
4%
2%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Total votes: 299
james500

Joined: June 2013 (4445 votes)

Tuesday 4:05 AM
Maybe the situation is more urgent than I realise, but I'll try 7-9 instead of the double run or some arrangement of 6-9-9-?

Cribbage Pro Scrimmage
7th Oct 2025
🏆Score: 121 to 113
🌋SP: 1640
📅Streak: 113
https://www.cribbagepro.net/scrimmage/633/3333658/1

1. 3-Q
2. 4c-K
3. 5-K
4. A-8?
5. K-K
6. 8-10?
7. 3-Qc?

The app recommends 7-8, Q-Q and 7-8 as better alternatives for hands 4,6 and 7.
fentesk says: It turns out I played hands 4, 6, and 7 the way the app scores as better (7-8, Q-Q, and 7-8) and lost 116-121, so your approach was better today. There was a full additional hand 8 that dealer won the game with my outscoring non-dealer 24-8.
tevdodd says: For what it's worth, I saw hand 4 at 68-48* with a 7-8 discard. Hand 6 at 90-79* with a Q-Q discard and 101*-95 with a 3-Qc discard. Ultimately the 4 point crib put me exactly out for a 121 to 103 win.
fentesk says: Good info. Looks like I was at 84-74* at Hand 6, and 95*-89 at Hand 7 and the lack of pegging points did me in (though it seems if I went Q-3 on Hand 7 I could have won 121-104 after first show on Hand 8 as my total Hand 7 as dealer only brought 13 vs 20.
fentesk says: *oops, potentially 121-101. So paths exist for more aggressive and more defensive pegging today.
HaydenSr says: good scrimmage today. got into some pegging runs, maybe a little more than i wanted to but out pegged brutal 37-30. finished the game at 121*-99. i dicarded hand 4 A-8, hand 6 6-Q and hand 7 3-Qc
sharp21

Joined: January 2010 (437 votes)

Tuesday 4:13 AM
Need to slow the dealer down. Not giving any points away
Inushtuk1 says: Hi sharp21. You gave away at least 2 I'm afraid.
Emerald Coast Cribbage Club says: any cards whose sum total 5 will guarantee at least 2 points. (you may not need the 5 for the 2 points)
RedTailRogue

Joined: December 2021 (1267 votes)

Tuesday 4:13 AM
I hate giving points away but it paid off.
feralba24

Joined: December 2024 (116 votes)

Tuesday 4:28 AM
Rosemarie44

Joined: March 2016 (2317 votes)

Tuesday 4:28 AM
There is such potential in holding this hand. Every card increases the value of this hold - 10-16 points.
Gougie00

Joined: March 2008 (6270 votes)

Tuesday 4:32 AM
Damn the torpedoes!
dec

Joined: April 2008 (6956 votes)

Tuesday 4:42 AM
This keep. This is a win now. dec
Eolus619

Joined: June 2020 (1862 votes)

Tuesday 4:51 AM
The “26” is an average , but it is the guideline we use.
55-61*..65*-76..81-86*..91*-102..107-112*
I think I have a better chance ( and need) to get to 111 than to keep current dealer @ 105 or less four hands from now ..I may be wrong. Playing D & discarding 7-9 certainly is a valid approach.
Inushtuk1 says: Thanks Bruce for the yellow zone reference yesterday. I guess his point was to be the next Dealer *beyond* that yellow zone; not *in* it. that always confused me
Eolus619 says: welcome mike ..btw ..schell still posts on the ACC facebook page
Inushtuk1 says: Good to know Bruce. Thanks again.
Inushtuk1 says: With regards to the Schell Mailbag #5 reference from yesterday, I reread the leading a 5 on Defense with 5-7-8-9 from Laurence Samet. Makes sense, and JQT said he learned that from Halscrib. Now what would be the lead on Offense? Is it still the 5? I'd appreciate hearing from all you great peggers please.
scottcrib says: Mike, see here for a specific answer to your question: http://www.cribbageforum.com/Leading5.htm
Inushtuk1 says: Thank you so much Scott. My understanding from that article at the bottom is that the 5 is a perfectly good lead on offense, and defense; and eliminates the mid-card run sequence, which so often favours the Dealer rather than us.
Inushtuk1 says: Hi again Scott. Leading the 5 on Defense with 5-7-8-9; what if Dealer dumps his 8? Now what? What if Dealer dumps his 8, and we are on offense? All other opinions are welcome.
Inushtuk1 says: Scratch the what if we are on offense part. I figure we have to pair the 8. We need all the help we can get, and will have to risk a trip.
domandcarol

Joined: August 2023 (247 votes)

Tuesday 5:01 AM
I’m thinking (1st problem) discarding to slow down dealer also slows me down too! We’re only half way through so not time to hold back.
Djgoat

Joined: December 2023 (370 votes)

Tuesday 6:02 AM
Tough call and a bad break with the cut but since we're still on 2nd street I decided to go for it.

Cribbage Pro Scrimmage
7th Oct 2025
🏆Score: 121 to 109
🌋SP: 1730
📅Streak: 6
https://www.cribbagepro.net/scrimmage/633/8363472/1
tevdodd

Joined: May 2021 (397 votes)

Tuesday 6:18 AM
I see 10 pts of cushion in their crib as we push towards our positional hole. I am as confident with this as most posters were yesterday. After the 5 cut we have our positional hole in hand, so we play this hand defensively knowing the 6+ crib is likely to put them closer to on par entering the next hand. Lead the 6.
tevdodd says: I'll listen if someone wants to make the argument for leading the 5 here.
tevdodd says: Scratch that, I'll just lead the 5 here myself :)
Emerald Coast Cribbage Club says: What is the follow up to the 5 lead? The fact we don't see any 10 value cards at all our opponent is almost guaranteed to get a free 15 for 2 by leading the 5. Also holding the 5 till the end risks having it paired up.
tevdodd says: I'll give up the 15 to stay out of the midcard run scenario I can't get away from. I'm pushing the count to 22 with a 7 if they take the 15. Can definitely be argued I'm overthinking this one because we can reply the 5 if it goes 6-(8)-? with 2 7s in our hand.
Inushtuk1 says: Hi tevdodd. What say you about HalsCrib's 7 lead on defense? But the 6 was not far behind.
tevdodd says: Obviously the 8 reply scares the s- outta me, but I did not give enough respect to the negative deltas from today's hand with regards to a potential hold from our opponent. 6 is still the correct lead, imo (Yes, I've talked myself out of the 5)
MarktheShark

Joined: January 2024 (600 votes)

Tuesday 6:26 AM
Positionally (55-60*), our par holes were (60-70*). We are 5 holes short and Dealer is 10 holes short. I will play my position (and the odds) and keep my 10+ point hand, expecting to be at my next par hole (70*) before Dealer can reach his (86). A defensive pitch, such as 7-9, will only keep me short and out of position.
BennieO

Joined: August 2025 (55 votes)

Tuesday 7:19 AM
The defensive discard options aren’t so appealing. Throwing 9-9 is made safer by us holding one of the 6s in hand, and a 6 on the cut will boost our hand to 16 points.

Cribbage Pro Scrimmage
7th Oct 2025
🏆Score: 121 to 118
🌋SP: 1505
📅Streak: 295
https://www.cribbagepro.net/scrimmage/633/7389935/1
Inushtuk1

Joined: July 2016 (1883 votes)

Tuesday 7:25 AM
An easy decision on Offense. At dec's example yesterday of 101-99*; I'd probably go with 5-6-7-9(7-9h). On defense after the cut, I think the 6 is the better lead, and the 5 a close second. Willing to be proved wrong though.
SallyAnn3

Joined: March 2020 (1337 votes)

Tuesday 8:24 AM
A mentor taught me not not fear tossing a pair of 9's from a decent hold, so now I just do it without lamenting. It's no worse than any every toss-- they all can turn into a dozen.
Emerald Coast Cribbage Club

Joined: September 2025 (9 votes)

Tuesday 8:45 AM
Throwing the pair here is better than throwing connecting cards. We are behind in position. We either need to peg our way into position or shoot for the moon. This particular hand probably will not yield much in the way of pegging. Therefore, let's shoot for the moon. When in the pegging phase avoid playing the 5 and 6 in the same cumulative phase. If you lead a 6 next card should be a 7. If you lead a 7 next card should be the 6. We will garner more information as the cards get played but the likelihood of our opponent have a hand full of faces is high since we don't see any for ourselves. I'm going to lead from the pair. If a face is played to make the count 17 I will play my 5.
ryman554 says: Actually, looking at Marks response, we are *ahead* in position here...
MarktheShark says: "ahead" and "behind" are two words difficult to use correctly in cribbage. That is why I tend to show what our par holes were/are. Here, we are physically "behind" Dealer and, yes, we are "behind" in position (short of our par hole), but we are closer to our par hole than Dealer is to his. So, we are in better shape than Dealer is. After the random 6 cut, we will be beyond our par hole, so we will be "ahead" in position (past our next par hole) even though we will still be physically "behind" Dealer. After the 6 cut, we have the advantage (more likely to reach the game hole first) even though we are behind Dealer.
MarktheShark says: For those who do not play or understand position, oversimplified, simply remember that you want to be dealing from holes 70* and 96*. Arrange your aggressive and defensive pitches and pegging plays to reach those par holes and keep your opponent short. (Rule of 26: 18*-44*-70*-96*-game)
Sgt Pegger

Joined: July 2017 (779 votes)

Tuesday 8:45 AM
Well with this special delivery of cards we're going to be giving them something so we may as well shoot for the best possible outcome while still holding onto something of substance.
sterno

Joined: December 2020 (537 votes)

Tuesday 11:32 AM
Today is a case of double run fever....
ryman554

Joined: January 2025 (249 votes)

Tuesday 11:32 AM
Toss 97 or 99. I hate tossing the 99, but, holding a 6 already, I feel safer tossing the 99 than 97.

That cut of a 6 helps me a lot more (I hope!) than the crib. Our goal now is to keep dealer well short of 86, so peg mostly defensively, tho I'd like at least 2 here...
HalscribCLX

Joined: February 2008 (5798 votes)

Tuesday 11:50 AM
At 55-60* playing an Offense strategy for the pegging the dynamic expected averages and Win/Loss %s are:

________________Our
Offense___Hand__Pegs_Crib____Total___W4 %____W5 %
5-6-7-7____11.87+1.48+(-5.70)=7.65____12.0____37.6
5-6-7-9_____8.00+1.30+(-4.36)=4.94_____5.6____26.0
5-6-9-9_____8.39+1.48+(-6.30)=3.57_____6.1____26.1

Offense______L4 %____L5 %
5-6-7-7_______17.3____40.1
5-6-7-9_______14.5____47.1
5-6-9-9_______17.6____50.2

5-6-7-7 is best for expected averages by 2.71pts. and is very much best for Win %s and significantly lowest for Loss %s. So, I'll select the 9-9 to discard.

After the 6 cut I'll lead a 7 and play Defense:

Lead___________Dealer's Pegging Points
7_____________________(-2.44)
6_____________________(-2.48)
5_____________________(-3.21)
Assman

Joined: May 2024 (537 votes)

Tuesday 12:35 PM
Pedal to the metal. 🤘🏽