Readers’ 29 Hand Stories of the 29 cribbage hands they’ve received.

Eric Wineburg

Eric writes:

It has been some time since the 29 point hand that I had, maybe 20 or 25 years ago but you really never forget it when it happens. The one thing that was unique about mine is that it was in the crib! My friend John always had the theory of keeping the most possible points. In his case I dealt him one of the eight and seven card double run combinations and a five and a Jack. So he tossed the five and the Jack into my crib. I would have probably done the same because it is a sweet hand to have and your odds are really good for a great hand. Myself since it was my crib, I tried to work the hand for the most points but to give myself some possibilities in the crib. Don’t really remember what I had but what did have was two fives and no ten cards to match on, so I dished the fives into my crib. John had the feeling that I had the 29er when he had cut and the five came up and he knew that he threw the same suit Jack. He then saw me perk up! The anticipation was great waiting until the hand was over to flip over the crib!

Ron Ogan

Ron writes:

I have been playing cribbage just about as long as I can remember and have never had a perfect hand. My wife and I have been playing for 35 years. This summer while we were on an RV trip my wife and I played 396 games — exactly how many hands I’m not sure. On July 28, 2010 she had a perfect hand dealt to her which was great but only 45 days later on September 11, 2010 she again was dealt another perfect hand. We estimated that we had played approx. 225 hands between the perfect hands. I’m sure there have been others with similar luck but I think she probably ranks right up there with the best.

Laura

Laura writes:

Hello everyone, my name is Laura and at 22 years I am probably one of the youngest people who still play cribbage. My dad taught me how to play when I was very young and I really love to play. I plan on teaching my own children to play someday and hope to keep the tradition alive. My dad and I play cribbage together almost every day. He is 73 years old and we recently found out that he has some mild cognitive impairment so playing cribbage now seems more important than ever. It helps him to keep his math skills sharp and it allows us to spend some quality time together. We are very competitive and when we recently hit the 100 game mark I had 51 to his 49. We sat down to play again this morning. I started off dealing and wound up getting three 5’s and a Jack of spades in my hand, as I looked at my hand in disbelief I started laughing and thought no way will I ever cut the 5 of spades. Imagine my surprise when my father cut just that card! I was so amazed I couldn’t contain it, I had to show him right away (of course this gave him the advantage in pegging but oh well!) My father has been playing cribbage all his life and this was the first time he had ever seen this hand! I am so glad that he taught me this game that has brought us both so much joy and happiness.

Joyce Knowlton

Joyce writes:

Playing cribbage was a pastime practiced by my mother’s family and my father’s family. I don’t remember how old I was when my maternal grandfather taught me how to play, but I was about fourteen or fifteen-years-old (this would have been in 1968 or 1969) when I had a perfect hand. To be honest, I don’t think I realized it, either. Grandpa shouted as I laid my last card and wanted us to put deck away and not use them again and to call the newspapers. I consented to not using that deck of cards again, but didn’t want him to call the papers. This past week I taught my twelve-year-old niece to play and gave her all the wisdom that her great-grandfather gave me. Which most especially was, “Keep your count!” Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened to that deck of cards.

James Gilly

There is a fine tradition of cribbage playing in the US Navy and especially the submarine service. James Gilly writes:

In 1991, whilst under way on USS Simon Lake (AS 33), I was playing in the R-10 division office with one of the nucs; as I recall, I dealt, and after making my discard said something along the lines of “Go ahead – cut me a five. I dare you.” And he did…

My camera was locked in my rack at the time, so we noted the score and the hands and then finished the game. I went and got the camera, and we set up the board and cards for pictures – except that I miscounted when placing my rear peg so the photos look like I cheated and pegged 30.

My second 29 came in 2000 or 2001. I was under way again, this time on USS Providence (SSN 719), and was playing on the mess decks with one of the sonar techs. I honestly can’t remember which of us dealt that hand. This time, though, I happened to have my camera in my pocket, so we were able to take pictures immediately and then finish the game.

Dale and Helen Moeller

dale helen moeller

Dale Moeller and his wife Helen were returning from their 50th wedding anniversary vacation when they decided to play a game of cribbage in their hotel. Helen writes:

My husband calmly said, “Helen, I think I have a perfect hand!” What made it even more exciting was the fact that during our initial card-playing, we were surrounded by a group of friendly Shriners from Kansas, there for a golf tournament, and many of them had stopped at our table to introduce themselves and comment on the game of cribbage. One gentleman in particular, a dentist from Wichita, said that he played on-line 3 times a day and was director of the Shriners’ cribbage tournaments. He had never even seen a perfect hand before. My husband’s great fortune and luck could have happened at our kitchen table in Wisner, NE, but being amid people who really appreciated and understood the odds of a perfect cribbage hand made it even more awesome!

As an added note, Dale won that game by only one peg — even with THE hand!! We are very competitive and enjoy cribbage very much. It was my idea to get the board & deck of cards from the car (while he enjoyed his beer) — he said I didn’t have to bother, but I did anyway!! Sometimes this wife of 50 years has a good idea!

Barry McCormack

Barry McCormack of London, Ontario, recently

dale moeller 29My husband calmly said, “Helen, I think I have a perfect hand!” What made it even more exciting was the fact that during our initial card-playing, we were surrounded by a group of friendly Shriners from Kansas, there for a golf tournament, and many of them had stopped at our table to introduce themselves and comment on the game of cribbage. One gentleman in particular, a dentist from Wichita, said that he played on-line 3 times a day and was director of the Shriners’ cribbage tournaments. He had never even seen a perfect hand before. My husband’s great fortune and luck could have happened at our kitchen table in Wisner, NE, but being amid people who really appreciated and understood the odds of a perfect cribbage hand made it even more awesome!

As an added note, Dale won that game by only one peg — even with THE hand!! We are very competitive and enjoy cribbage very much. It was my idea to get the board & deck of cards from the car (while he enjoyed his beer) — he said I didn’t have to bother, but I did anyway!! Sometimes this wife of 50 years has a good idea!

received a cribbage 29 hand in a friendly game with his son. As his daughter Tiffany wrote to me, it was “the first 29 hand he had ever had or seen in over 40 years of playing the game”.

What’s your story?

Have you ever scored a perfect hand in cribbage? We’d love to hear your perfect hand stories. Why not contact us and share the story? Go to the main 29 hand page