The weekly cribbage chaos continued, and once again the battle at the top of the standings is tighter than a nervous player holding a double run and pretending they know what they’re doing.
This week Bill Russell remains the top contender, while Collin Evanson and Jack Silvia find themselves in a full-blown cribbage standoff tied for second place, with a whopping 172 points each. Two players, same score, same mission, and probably the same suspicious side-eye every time someone cuts a jack.
Meanwhile, Ed Montesion continues his reign of terror by skunking two more players this week. Apparently, last week’s skunking spree was not enough for him. Club members are encouraged to remain calm, avoid direct eye contact with the F-bombing, 31-plus-point stealing player who is now running this small wildlife relocation program.
The highlight — or lowlight, depending on which chair you were sitting in — was the awarding of the dreaded string of pearls, beautifully gifted to Alicia Knight. For those unfamiliar, this prestigious and mildly humiliating honor is given to a player who loses all six games. That’s right: six games played, six games lost, and one shiny symbolic necklace of cribbage despair. It takes a special kind of commitment to show up, sit down, and donate points to the entire room with such consistency.
But let’s be honest: Receiving the string of pearls is not a failure. It is a fashion statement. It says, “I came, I shuffled, I got absolutely dragged across the board, and I lived to complain about it.” Around here, that deserves respect — and maybe an ice cream at Ben and Bill’s.
As the standings tighten and the skunks continue to multiply, the race for the top three places remains hotter than ever. Bill in the lead, Collin and Jack tied at 172, Ed still out there collecting victims, and the rest of the club just trying to survive long enough to peg a few points and avoid jewelry.
As we welcome back our summer crew, 24 people gathered to play our favorite game! The results of the night are as follows:
First, George Giosmas with a 12/5 +105 card
Second, Louie Larsen with an 11/5 +62 card
Third, Collin Evanson with a 10/5 +57 card
Fourth, Ed Montesion with a 10/4 +22 card
Fifth, Bill Russell with a 9/4 +90 card
Sixth, Doug Werther with a 8/4 +27 card
There were four 24-point hands, three dealt to Ron Ferriera and one to Ed Montesion. Collin Evanson and Byram Devine collected the infamous flush crib, and 10 skunks were suffered Wednesday night. Until next week: Shuffle carefully, count loudly, hydrate if Boston sends any of that heat our way, and remember — in cribbage, the forecast can change fast, especially when Ed sits down across from you.
We regularly meet on Wednesdays at the American Legion in Katama; if you like cribbage, please come join us! We have a pot luck every week at 5:30 pm, and we start playing at 6 pm sharp.
If you’d like more info feel free to email or call for text!
Mary Alice Russell
maonmv@mac.com