Yesterday's results

*** This hand was suggested by Inushtuk1
0*-0  ?
68%
68%
15%
15%
3%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Total votes: 328
Inushtuk1Let's go back in the CHOD Time Machine to Jan11th, 2018, and Ras's comments near the bottom of the page, and Coeurdelion's reply.
JQT

Joined: October 2008 (4348 votes)

Tuesday 3:01 AM
Toss (5 5) and Toss (5 6) are not correct, and neither is Toss (A 9) or Toss (6 J). 🎠

Puzzle Composer is maybe trying to get us to 'cozy up' to Toss (5 J), and while it's probably close, I'll stick with Toss (6 9). ♋
Rosemarie44

Joined: March 2016 (2085 votes)

Tuesday 3:50 AM
Considered 5-J. I wanted to keep a strong hand and still have points going into my crib. This is it.
mrob2199

Joined: February 2009 (1573 votes)

Tuesday 4:08 AM
No need to play for the home run 4 cut here-it would still yield a 10 point hand for us-like keeping the double 5 in case pone has one-the 69 discard often turns into a 6 point crib, and a 9 cut hits both hand and crib
Gougie00

Joined: March 2008 (6002 votes)

Tuesday 4:37 AM
High Potential for a big hand but the 2 starter throw water on that fire. Gotta peg a little here.
Jazzselke

Joined: March 2009 (2754 votes)

Tuesday 5:05 AM
Close call but I do not want to split the fives here. (Ras does indicate in the 2018 puzzle that he would throw 5X only if the X = a Jack).
Falseclaimofgame_

Joined: February 2023 (52 votes)

Tuesday 5:13 AM
It’s not a late game Hail Mary situation. Don’t overthink it.
SallyAnn3

Joined: March 2020 (1104 votes)

Tuesday 5:45 AM
My first thought was 6/9, but I like keeping 6's with 5's. Should follow the advice I always gave my students about sticking with your first choice!
SallyAnn3 says: I should have never left the island (of Malta) lol. Am all alone today :(
dec

Joined: April 2008 (6670 votes)

Tuesday 5:52 AM
Don't go for it on fourth down. Take the two points in the crib and go for the ten thru fifteen point cuts. dec
Sgt Pegger

Joined: July 2017 (529 votes)

Tuesday 6:42 AM
As I looked at the choices, I kept thinking "what's the catch here".
Djgoat says: I thought the same.
Eolus619

Joined: June 2020 (1592 votes)

Tuesday 7:32 AM
I must admit to ..in the very very beginning I was tossing the 6-J ..yes that’s right ..6-J..then Jazz gave me his Amazing Grace lecture and “ once I was lost and now I am found”…turned into tossing the 6-9 & this has been my answer since. Thx Jazz..saving me from myself can be an arduous cribbage task❗️
Inushtuk1 says: The Amazing Grace lecture? Do tell more Bruce.
Eolus619 says: Well Mike..it is not as deeply moral as the hymn lyrics!!..but his tutoring did point out the fact that I was way off in my cribbage thinking [ so once lost in my decision making] and Jazz set me straight as what to do [ now I have been shown/found the correct solution]
Inushtuk1 says: Can I get an Amen?
Eolus619

Joined: June 2020 (1592 votes)

Tuesday 7:35 AM
btw …at the very bottom of the 1/11/2018 comments ..DCH’s own resident wordsmith ..JQT..posted this comment ..which I repost because it seems very worthwhile to do so.

JQT says: "If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me the Gettysburg Address." -Leo Rosten. He also wrote, "Truth is stranger than fiction; fiction has to make sense." I like that one! Finally, Leo also said, "The writer wants to be understood much more than he wants to be respected or praised or even loved. And that, perhaps, is what makes him different from others." -Leo Rosten
wasa

Joined: November 2014 (3241 votes)

Tuesday 7:41 AM
Decided not to toss myself 5-5 of J-5 and keep the combined 8 sure points.
Assman

Joined: May 2024 (262 votes)

Tuesday 8:20 AM
I’m not going to get fancy here coming out of the gate. Can’t win the game on the first hand, but it can be lost.
james500

Joined: June 2013 (4182 votes)

Tuesday 9:11 AM
6-9 for me, but 5d-6 and J-5 are interesting.
MarktheShark

Joined: January 2024 (331 votes)

Tuesday 11:09 AM
A-9, 5-X, 6-9? Dealer should play defense first deal. I suspect A-9 leaves the poorest defensive pegger.
Ras2829

Joined: November 2008 (5406 votes)

Tuesday 11:30 AM
If choosing defense as should be the case when dealing first hand of game, the 6-9 discard is right on. Play off the lead although would 15-2 any X-pointer if led. There are places on the board which would call for offense with these cards. In that case, the discard should be 5-J. When choosing offense, only peg points scored by self are computed and are always +, and the value of the average crib score with 5-J in the box rules the day. When choosing defense, only pegs scored by opponent count and are always subtracted. Understanding that will give you greater insight as to what + or - indicates on pegging totals. If choice of strategy is optimal, the total pegs may be preceded by + or - as the total is results. About 1/3 of the time, strategy will determine different discards. About 70% of the time, the discard will remain the same whether choosing offense or defense.
Ras2829 says: BTW, what is described above as to offense, defense, or optimal s fully utilized by HalscribCLX. Understanding this relative to the work of the cribbot will give you an understanding of peg totals not previously known. If choosing offense, peg total will always be preceded by +. If choosing defense, peg total will always be preceded by -. When choosing optimal, pegs are net and may be + or - (net pegs those scored by self with those scored by opponent deducted).
Inushtuk1 says: Hi Ras. Your first statement above explains my reason for submitting this puzzle at this score. Because back on Jan.11th 2018 you said that the higher average of (5-J) made it the proper choice no matter the strategy. I just wanted to make that clear. it seems to me that (6-9) should always be the choice if the X is anything but a J. If it is a J then on Optimal or Offense the (5-J) is the best choice. The A-5-6-9 has more pegging flexibility with the (5-6) Magic Eleven and the (A-6-9) Sweet Sixteen. Suppose we were on Offense before the cut and then wish to switch to Defense. In that case we could peg thus on an X-Card lead: X(10)-A(11)-5(16)-9(25)-GO-6(31-2).
Inushtuk1 says: If Pone has the common 5-X-X-X hand, and has dumped his 5 at the count of (11) to avoid making the count(21), we will out peg the Pone 4-1; all the while adopting a defensive posture.
MiketheExpert

Joined: April 2021 (1275 votes)

Tuesday 12:40 PM
On most days sitting at the table, I would probably discard the also-ran (6 9), but I'm curious to see how the (5 J) may fare on defense as dealer first hand, so I picked it. Still have a 6-pt hand after the cut today, with a much superior crib throw, so it may work out pretty well.
MiketheExpert says: Oops, still only 4 pts, my mistake.
RubyTuesday

Joined: January 2019 (1115 votes)

Tuesday 1:46 PM
6 9 to my crib. I expected the rest of you to have all come up with clever reasons why that wasn’t the best throw!
HalscribCLX

Joined: February 2008 (5546 votes)

Tuesday 1:59 PM
At 0*-0 playing a Defense strategy for the pegging the dynamic expected averages and Win/Loss %s are:

_______________Pone's
Defense___Hand_Pegs____Crib_Total____W9 %____W10 %
A-5-5-J____8.76+(-1.87)+4.94=11.83____41.7____54.3
A-5-6-9____6.78+(-2.04)+6.76=11.50____41.6____53.9
A-5H-9-J___6.37+(-1.93)+6.55=10.99____39.3____52.4
5-5-6-J____9.67+(-2.11)+3.10=10.66____39.3____51.9

Defense_______L9 %____L10 %
A-5-5-J________25.8____20.9
A-5-6-9________26.6____21.5
A-5H-9-J_______25.7____22.4
5-5-6-J________26.1____22.8

A-5-5-J is best for expected averages by 0.33pt. and is slightly best for Win %s and lowest for Loss %s. So, I'll select 6-9 to discard.

After the 2 cut I'll play Defense to the lead.