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The game of Cribbage
has been around for centuries which means there is alot of history to
cribbage. Although there isn’t any hard evidence to support the claim,
Sir John Suckling (1609 – 1642) is credited for its invention. Sir John
Suckling was knighted by the King in 1630. He inherited his father’s fortune
when he was only 18. According to supporting historical data, Suckling
was somewhat well known for his gaming. He was skilled at both bowling
and cards. Other skills included that of womanizing and dice. On top of
that, Suckling was known for his wit as he was also a poet. Additionally,
Suckling was a soldier.
Suckling was rich,
handsome, and generous. He was also very popular and likeable. There are
stories telling of Suckling’s unethical feat of distributing a large number
of packs of marked cards to the aristocratic masses around England. After
the circulation of the cards Suckling is said to have traveled the country
playing the local gentry at Cribbage for money. He is said to have made
a fortune with his deceptive wins.
Suckling’s lifestyle
eventually led to problems for the knight. In 1642 he allegedly got involved
in a conspiracy plot to free a friend (the Earl of Stafford) from the
Tower of London. He then fled to Paris in an effort to escape the consequences
of this attempt. It was there that Suckling committed suicide by poisoning
himself at the young age of 32. Before Cribbage the game of Noddy or Noddie
was very popular. Cribbage is simply an extension of that well established
Tudor game. The difference between Cribbage and Noddy is that Noddy does
not use a Crib.
In the 17th century
Cribbage (then spelled ‘Cribbidge’) referred to what is now known as “5
card cribbage”. In the game of Noddy only 3 cards were dealt to each player.
Anyone that knows the game of Cribbage will quickly recognize that it
is a game of skill as well as one of luck. The use of subtle strategies
marks the difference between an expert and an amateur.
The stories told about
the invention of Cribbage say that the game was invented in or after 1632.
But the Oxford English Dictionary’s first reference to the word “Cribbage”
was in 1630. That happens to be the year that Sir John Suckling was knighted.
Must have been a very busy year for Suckling! However, it does seem very
likely that Sir John Suckling did codify the rules for the game and he
was responsible for publicizing and spreading the game around – thus leading
to its popularity.
Cribbage is an enjoyable
game and pastime. It requires both skill and luck, which keeps the game
interesting for everyone from beginner to expert. It’s not difficult to
learn but it does take experience to play well enough to determine some
of the most strategic plays.
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