What is the opposite of the perfect cribbage hand? The worst cribbage hand? What is the worst cribbage score you can get in one hand? Several readers have inquired about a trick hand at Cribbage in which player A, on 2 points, can outpeg player B, on 58 points, to a game-winning 61. Or in other words, a combination of the play and scoring of two hands and a crib that can amass 59 points for the dealer, without conceding pone more than 2 in either pegging or counting. Once again we turn to the wisdom of Michael Schell:

Pone: 2-4-7-8-10-Q with no flush (toss 7-8)
Dealer: 4-4-5-6-7-8 with no flush (toss 7-8)
Cut: 6

Play goes:

Pone:     Q     10
Dealer:      5      6
Pone:     2     4
Dealer:      4     4

Pone pegged two points (for pairing dealer’s 4) and has a bust hand. Dealer pegged eleven points, and has a 24 hand and a 24 crib. Dealer has outscored pone 59-2.

Do note that this is a rather unlikely scenario, which requires pone to make the ill-advised discard 8-7. The Cribbage equivalent of Fool’s Mate. -Ed.