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Cribbage for Experts (and Future Experts
Your opponent always gets better cards than you do? Then your only hope is to outpeg her in the play of the hand. Dan Barlow, former National Open Tournament champion shows you how, with detailed strategies for the opening lead, the endgame, and everything between, all in reader-friendly conversational style. "Regardless of your cribbage skill, if you're interested in improving, you shouldn't miss this gem."-Games Magazine
- GenresNonfiction
93 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2004
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 25, 2018
Book is almost exclusively about pegging strategy in the traditional 2-player game. It contains lots of very detailed analyses and exercises. There is virtually no coverage of either discard strategy or board position (rule of 26). The book is so short that organization is (fortunately) not very important.
The experience and credentials of the author are unassailable.
This is _not_ a book of "rules of thumb" that will make your game better if you just follow them slavishly. In fact the most typical analysis results in something like "it depends". Strategy should be different at the end of the game. Strategy will often be different depending on whether -mostly for other reasons- you are playing"offense" (maximize your score) or "defense" (minimize the other player's score). And predictability should be avoided at all costs, even to the point of occasionally making a slightly unusual (or even once in a great while just plain "crazy") play just to keep your opponent off balance by not being completely predictable.
The general idea seems to be that Cribbage is a lot like Poker: a considerable element of the "luck of the cards", combined with more emphasis on reading the played cards and reading the other player than on the cards you hold.
The main recommendations seem to be "pay attention" and "think slowly and carefully", fleshed out with enough detail that they can't just be brushed aside as irrelevant bromides.
The experience and credentials of the author are unassailable.
This is _not_ a book of "rules of thumb" that will make your game better if you just follow them slavishly. In fact the most typical analysis results in something like "it depends". Strategy should be different at the end of the game. Strategy will often be different depending on whether -mostly for other reasons- you are playing"offense" (maximize your score) or "defense" (minimize the other player's score). And predictability should be avoided at all costs, even to the point of occasionally making a slightly unusual (or even once in a great while just plain "crazy") play just to keep your opponent off balance by not being completely predictable.
The general idea seems to be that Cribbage is a lot like Poker: a considerable element of the "luck of the cards", combined with more emphasis on reading the played cards and reading the other player than on the cards you hold.
The main recommendations seem to be "pay attention" and "think slowly and carefully", fleshed out with enough detail that they can't just be brushed aside as irrelevant bromides.
July 21, 2020
Really technical with the ins and outs strategy of squeezing every point out of pegging. On the opposite side, Dan gives you pointers abs example hands on how to limit your opponents pegging points. Every point counts and his theory is you can often come out ahead by playing the right cards and pegging more than your opponent by having a proper lead card, responding right to the opponents lead, eliminating guesswork and having the right strategy. Great for intermediate and better players, might be a little too technical for a beginner.
March 21, 2019
Very good, in-depth book on a wonderful game. A must-read for all serious players. Multiple readings may be necessary.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews