From the Introduction to Cribbage for Experts
When my Uncle Thaddeus was in the Navy, he made it to the finals of his ship’s cribbage tournament. In the deciding game, he was one hole from victory while his opponent, Admiral Jones, was 26 holes away. The Admiral dealt, and Uncle Thaddeus saved this hand: 4-7-10-10. "I have a pair," he announced, but Admiral Jones refused to concede. The cut was a Jack, moving the Admiral within 24 holes of victory. Uncle Thaddeus led his 7, and the Admiral played an 8: 15 for 2. Now my uncle played his 4, and the Admiral paired it. With nothing left but 10's, Uncle Thaddeus had to say Go. The Admiral had two more 4's, scoring 27 for 6, and 31 for 14. He went 26 holes without my uncle moving, and won the game!
Uncle Thaddeus was stunned. Within three months he had been Court-Martialed, his wife had left him, and his hair had fallen out. He ended up on skid row, a pathetic wino. The moral: if you fall asleep during the pegging, you may be awakened by a nightmare.
Luck plays a big role in cribbage. You know it, and I know it. You can’t control the cards you’re dealt, and you can’t control the cut. But pegging is a different matter! In many games, the cards run fairly even, and you’ll win more than your share of these games by outpegging your opponent. This book will help you develop strategies for doing just that. Not on every hand; that would be impossible. But often enough to win a few of those close games that always seem to get away. And maybe even some of those not-so-close games.
