So you’ve been playing cribbage for just long enough to wonder why there is an “S” on your cribbage board. Or you got destroyed one game and your opponent said they “skunked” you, but you have no idea what that means. It sounds bad right? Nothing is more gratifying than skunking your opponent and nothing stings more than getting skunked.
So what is a skunk in a cribbage? A skunk is when a cribbage game is won by between 31 and 60 points. A double skunk is when a game is won by 61 and 90 points. The extremely rare triple skunk is when a game is won by 91 points or more.
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So why does a skunk in cribbage exist? What purpose does it serve in casual play versus tournament play? We will break down what you need to know about skunks in cribbage as well as double skunks and triple skunks.
What does a “skunk” and “double skunk” mean in cribbage?
Getting skunked in cribbage (or getting “lurched” if you are British) is not only worse than just losing, it could also mean more in terms of match points. If a player loses by 31 or more points in a game of cribbage, that is called a skunk.
While it is mostly just for bragging rights in casual play, some leagues like the American Cribbage Congress recognize a skunk as worth 3 match points instead of just the normal 2 match points for a win.
Over time, the concept of a “double skunk” where a player is beaten by more than 61 points came about, but it doesn’t have any added significance in terms of tournament play. It just adds insult to injury of already getting handily beaten.
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There is even mention of a “triple skunk” where a player is beaten by 91 points but this would be dang near impossible. If an opponent can’t even score 30 points before the other player reaches 121, they either are intentionally bad or have the worst luck of all time.
Why is there an S on a cribbage board?
Almost all cribbage boards have pegholes grouped in fives so determining if a skunk has occurred is as easy as counting six groups of pegholes between your current score and the end.
Some cribbage boards will actually mark the skunk lines (and sometimes even double skunk lines) with an “S” or just a line. Some have even more unique designs but they all mean the same thing. If you see a mark between peghole 90 and 91, then that is your board’s way of marking the skunk line.
When do skunks matter and should you even worry about them?
For casual play, skunks and double skunks usually don’t matter at all except for the bragging rights of having skunked your opponent or the shame of being skunked. Some people count skunks as two games won if they are playing a match of multiple games.
But in tournament play, getting skunked or skunking your opponent could play a big part in winning. Some leagues give added weight to games won by skunking. The American Cribbage Congress tournament rules state that games won by skunking are worth 3 game points instead of the normal 2 just for winning.
That extra game point could be a big deal at the end of the tournament in determining the winner.
How to avoid being skunked in cribbage
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Avoiding being skunked in cribbage can quickly become the goal of a game if you get way behind and your opponent is sure to peg out before you do.
If you are the pone (ie. not the dealer), you will get to score your hand first so as long as your opponent is not within pegging range of the end of game, you can probably just try to keep the biggest hand you can make and try to score your way across the skunk line.
If you are the dealer and you are last to count your hand, you might want to focus on pegging opportunities instead of trying to get the biggest hand. Change up your discard strategy to focus on cards that may let you peg yourself across that skunk line before your opponent counts his hand and wins.
If you are more than six points away from the skunk line, you may be straight out of luck and a skunk is inevitable so you might as well try to keep the biggest scoring hand possible hoping that your opponent doesn’t peg out before you get a chance to count your cards.
What’s that smell?
Skunks, double skunks and triple skunks are all a fun added dynamic to the game of cribbage and most of the time they mean nothing other than an objective way to say your whipped up on your opponent or got whipped.
They do come into play with some tournament scoring so salvaging a skunk to keep your opponent from getting an extra game point could be a big deal. Analyzing the possibility of a skunk early enough to devise an optimized strategy to avoid it could prove useful if you are playing competitive cribbage.
Want more cribbage?! Check out our Ultimate Cribbage Guide with FREE downloadable cheat sheets!
Source: https://t-tees.com
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