Cribbage!

from Sage Forest Designs

Good Stuff...

The Origin
On the U.S.S. Wahoo
Skunked?

Links to More Stuff...

What are the Odds?
Child Play
Cribbage Glossary
Sr. Cribbage Glossary
Cribbage Spillage
(words that rhyme with Cribbage)

Origin of the Game

Playing cards have been with us for over 600 years. Cribbage has been played for over 300 years. The author, Douglas Anderson, of All About Cribbage, tells his readers that Sir John Suckling, the inventor of Cribbage, "cut quite a swath in his day. He spent several years in France and Italy and returned to England in 1630 to be knighted by the King." Suckling inherited his father's fortune when he was only 18, and in addition to being a poet, he was also a soldier. Rich, handsome, and generous, Suckling was also very popular and was regarded as the best card player and bowler in Britain, if not all Europe. In 1641 he led a conspiracy to rescue a friend who was jailed in the Tower of London, and when the plot was discovered, Sir John fled to France. A year later - unable to return to his beloved England - the unhappy poet took poison and died.

On the U. S. S. Wahoo

During World War II, Cribbage became a traditional game for American submariners to play while passing the time on patrol for Japanese ships. In 1943, the famous sub U.S.S. Wahoo was beginning a dangerous patrol 10 miles north of Shantung Promontory in the Yellow Sea. Waiting for action, the legendary captain "Mush" Morton played Cribbage with executive officer Richard H. O'Kane. He dealt him a "Perfect 29" hand! The superstitious crew felt the 29 was a strong omen of good fortune for the patrol, and indeed it was. As witnesses to the event, the officers present in the ward room signed the cards in the winning hand. Within hours of the perfect hand, CDR. Morton and his Wahoo dealt Japan a double blow. Cargo ship Zogen Maru and transport Kowa Maru were sent to the bottom by Wahoo's torpedoes. The chart was brought to the ward room where CDR. Morton mapped out the course for the rest of the day and into the evening. After breakfast on 21 March, another session of cribbage began. With CDR. Morton dealing again, and much to his chagrin, O'Kane picked up a near perfect 28 point hand. Shortly after this game, the Japanese merchant ship Nittsu maru was sighted and dispatched with torpedoes from Wahoo's after torpedo room.

Skunked" Playing Cribbage?

Cribbage was a popular passtime for the ranch hands in central Montana, especially in those winter periods that kept everyone close to a warm stove. Rick, "Pegs", Mason boasted that no man could beat him in a double game (120 points) of Cribbage. In an inebriated state, Pegs said he'd eat a skunk given to him by any man who could first best him in the game, then catch him a skunk for dinner. With nothing to loose he was taken up on the challange by every hand in the bunkhouse. Pegs was taking them on and amazingly was winning every comer quite handily. Then came the young man Carl. Now, Carl was just a kid and didn't know anything about the game - but, he sure knew how to catch a skunk. With 5 minutes of tutoring from the loosers, Carl was ready. Within a short time the pegs were at 115 to 94. Carl's luck had actually been remarkable - even though he was loosing. It was Peg's crib and the hand was dealt. The play was flat, but Peg took 4 points before the hand was played out. Time for Carl to add'em up. He laid down three 5's and a Jack of Hearts. The start card with a 5 of Hearts. Carl had the perfect hand of 29 points - putting him out before Pegs had his chance. It was four days before Carl caught up with a skunk, another sixteen before he saw Pegs again. No problem, that Skunk would keep, frozen, for a long time.

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· michael97236@student.clackamas.edu ·