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Dan Barlow:

I keep 3-6-6-9. I need 5+ points, so I must keep 6-6-9 or 6-9-9. I keep the 3, not for the two points, but as an out card to avoid a run. I'll be leading a 6 as there are only two cards dealer can peg with, the remaining 9s. If he has a 9 he may peg out, but nothing's 100% safe. Keeping (and leading from) the 6s rather than the 9s gives me the option of pairing without making the count 21 in the unlikely case that dealer has a 9 and scores 15-2.

John Chambers:

I would not keep the 7 because you don't need 10 or 16 points, but you do need to keep at least five points. I would keep the 3-6-6-9. Why? If you lead the 6, in order for your opponent to get points they have to either pair the 6, in which case you have the third 6 which puts you out, or they have to 15 your 6 with a 9 and you can pair for two points.

DeLynn Colvert:

I'm doing this a little differently. Keep 3-6-9-9, lead a 9, and if dealer gets a 15-2, play the 3. Of course you must play defense.

George Rasmussen:

I would retain 6-6-7-9 and discard 3-9. I would lead the a 6 as I have that lead covered pretty well. If it gets paired, I score six points and win. If a 3 is played, I drop the second 6 for 15-2. If a 9 is played on my 6 lead for 15-2, I pair the 9 for 24. Who knows? Holding the 7, I might get a go on the count of 24 and score 31-2. Even though these cards are tightly bunched, it does not seem that holding a single small card improves my chances.

Michael Schell:

Finding six points is easy enough, but what's most likely to keep dealer from pegging out? Let's review some of the general principles for endgame pegging defense. Granted, these often conflict, but they'll get us started here:

• Any A through 6 is inherently dangerous because it can get trapped into a high run or triple (A through 3) or into a 15-6 at the end of the pegging (4 through 6)
• Space your cards out if you can
• Keep a covered lead

I like leading from a pair, since if dealer pounces on it, I'll win immediately with a triple. Should I lead from 6-6 or 9-9 though? I feel more comfortable with a 6 because of this:

⁹  _K  ^?

What do I do now? If I play the second 9, my 3 gets forced out if dealer says go, leaving me with a naked 6 against dealer's three-on-one. If I play a 6, there's a small but fatal chance of giving up a 31-4. If I drop the 3 making the count 22, it's vulnerable to dealer's 4-5. So I think I'll lead a 6 from 6-6-9. Now the question is between spacing my cards out by keeping the 3 with that, or else avoiding a vulnerable low card by keeping a second 9. Did I mention that endgame pegging principles often conflict? I'll guess that 3-6-6-9 is best. That way if dealer drops a ten-card on my 6 lead, I can keep the count under 21 with my 3.

Phyllis Schmidt:

I keep 3-6-6-9, lead a 6 and stay away.

Peter Setian:

The dealer should try to peg out, as opposed to trying to play defense, as if I don't have enough points to count out. My first instinct is to keep 3-6-6-9 and lead a 6. Strictly trying to hold the dealer from pegging out, I would keep the 3 as an out card, in case the dealer strategically plays something like an 8 on my lead. (I could also see keeping 6-6-9-9 and leading a 9.)

HALSCRIB:

The humans will keep enough points to count out and so will I. I like 3-6-9-9 best, with 6-6-9-9 a close second. I'll lead from the pair of 9s, and will drop the second 9 on a ten-card reply. If that forces out my 3 for 31-2, I'm not as concerned as some of the humans of my lone 6 getting into trouble. Dealer would need to have 5-5-7 or 5-7-8, or alternatively 4-5 (or the very unlikely 6-6) with no A, 2 or 3 to trap my 6 into a big enough peg to win:

⁹  _K  ^9 3 (31-2)    ₄  ⁶  _5 (15-5)

⁹  _K  ^9 3 (31-2)    ₇  ⁶  _{5 (18-3)  8 (26-5)}

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Panelists

Dan Barlow won the 1980 National Open Cribbage Tournament, and made the 1985 All American Cribbage Team. His cribbage strategy articles appeared in Cribbage World for many years, and can be seen on the ACC Web site. He also provides strategy tips at MSN Gaming Zone. He has written seven books on cribbage, two of which have been glowingly reviewed in Games Magazine. All, including his latest book Winning Cribbage Tips, are available at The Cribbage Bookstore.

John Chambers was one of the original founding members of the ACC. He is a Grand Master, winner of seven major tournaments, and author of Cribbage: A New Concept, He also directs three annual tournaments: the Ocean State Cribbage Classic, New England Peer Championship and Charity Cribbage Challenge.

DeLynn Colvert (1931–2019) is the highest rated tournament player in the history of organized cribbage. He was a five-time National Champion, author of Play Winning Cribbage, and the ACC's only Life Master - Six Stars. He directs the Montana Championship and Montana Open, both held annually in Missoula, and served for many years as President of the ACC and longtime editor of the monthly magazine Cribbage World.

George "Ras" Rasmussen is a Life Master - Two Stars, a four-time All-American, the national Grass Roots Division 1 champion in 2009, a former state champion in Virginia, Montana and Washington, and holds a Gold Award and a President's Award. He also directs the Washington State Championship, held each year in Centralia, WA. His articles on cribbage are available on the ACC Web site.

Michael Schell is a pioneer of modern cribbage theory, which synthesizes traditional concepts of expert play with new computer-informed insights and analysis. He has published Cribbage Forum since 2000. Schell holds a Bronze Award, is a Washington State Champion (2001), and was one of the principal architects of ACC Internet Cribbage.

Phyllis Schmidt is a charter member of the ACC, and has been playing cribbage for about 40 years. She is a Life Master - One Star, a Senior Judge, a National Champion (1992) and winner of the ACC Tournament of Champions (2005). She attends about 30 tournaments a year.

Peter Setian has played cribbage for over 20 years, and has been a member of the ACC for about 14 years. During that time, he has won seven major tournaments and earned his Life Master rating. He plays in about eight tournaments per year, including the ACC Tournament of Champions and the annual Grand National. He enjoys participation in Grass Roots Club #72.

HALSCRIB is widely regarded as the world's strongest computer cribbage player. Its opinion was solicited using a special analysis version of the program. Since HALSCRIB only speaks binary, its thoughts have been translated into English by Michael Schell and its creator, Hal Mueller, a retired mathematics professor and eight-time ACC tournament winner. For more information, see the HALSCRIB home page.