Cribbage culture alive and well in the Flathead

It may not be the fastest-paced or most popular card game around, but for many players in Bigfork and around the Flathead Valley, cribbage is king.

It was all smiles and laughs as Mike Fluegel and his grandson Cotton engaged in their usual Sunday cribbage game at the Flathead Lake Brewing Company’s Pubhouse last week, but make no mistake, like many in the Flathead Valley, these two take the game very seriously.

Cribbage has a very strong following in the area, with the game being hosted in local bars, senior centers and beyond.

While some of those area games involve some pretty high stakes, Fluegel says the games hosted at the Pubhouse the first Sunday of every month are all about having a good time.

“Some of the games out there can get pretty cutthroat with people playing for a lot of money. Here, we are just playing for fun and helping to bring new people to the game,” he said while adding up his score. “There are some games around the valley where they play for as much as a dollar per point, or more. We are just here to have fun.”

Invented by English poet Sir John Suckling in the early 1600s, cribbage is not the most popular game in America, but it is one of the oldest. Poker, gin rummy, bridge and hearts may enjoy more popularity, but they are all relatively new games — with poker, the oldest of that group, being invented in 1829. Cribbage has withstood the test of time.

Since its inception in the early 17th century, the rules of cribbage have stayed the same. It is similar to gin rummy in that players score points by forming combinations of cards. Scoring is tracked on boards containing one small hole for each point, and colored pegs are used by players as the game proceeds. A game takes from 15-30 minutes, and can be two, three or four-handed.

For Fluegel, it is this universal consistency that helped him find others to play with across the globe during his time in the U.S. Army, where he kept a small travel board with him at all times.

“Cribbage is a fairly standard game — there are not a lot of geographic variations. You can find people playing it all over the world and they are all playing the same game,” he said. “I never knew when I was going to get the opportunity to play, but I was going to be ready when those opportunities came up. If I couldn’t find any fellow cribbage players, I would just teach someone.”

Fluegel’s fascination with the game started at an early age, when he would take out his grandfather’s board and play with it on the floor. One afternoon, his grandfather decided it was time for Fluegel to learn how to play. Sixty-six years later, Fluegel still plays every chance he gets.

When the time came for his grandchildren to learn the game, Fluegel was more than happy to pass on his knowledge, teaching them to play at age 4.

According to Fluegel, cribbage is a great teaching tool, helping children learn how to count and form strategies, while also passing on other valuable life lessons.

“We were getting ready to play one Sunday when my grandson announced that he wanted to play for money,” he said. “I had three months’ allowance so fast that the boy never knew what hit him. It was a teaching experience for one and a learning experience for the other.”

These days, Fluegel is more than happy to pass on his knowledge as he helps new players learn the game at the Pubhouse’s monthly tournaments. All ages are welcome to play, as are players with little or no experience.

“It really sounds more confusing than it actually is. If you play it a few times, it’s pretty easy to pick up and we are just playing for fun anyway,” he said. “Our goal is to expand the number of cribbage players that are just playing to have a good time.”

The Pubhouse hosts cribbage the first Sunday of every month starting at 3 p.m. The games are open to anyone of any skill level, from first-time players to seasoned veterans. More information is available on the Pubhouse’s website at www.flatheadlakebrewing.com/news or visit them on Facebook. ¦