Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Competitive Cribbage - Autumn 2022 Season

The Autumn 2022 Season of Competitive Cribbage is Live!

The Summer 2022 season is in the books, and all stats are locked in and recorded. I'll keep the intro short this season, as I have some ideas to share after the important details about last season. If you are most interested in that, then scroll down past the first table on this post.

The Top 50 has quite a few players new in the mix. I love seeing new players come in and make a run for it! Thank you to all for participating and bringing your friends! Thank you also to everyone who participated at every level, even if you didn't make the final Top 50. Don't forget to invite your friends to compete and see who really is the best cribbage player!

In 1st place for Summer 2022, we have "ThreeG" (welcome back)! 2nd place is "iPeg" (so close, yet...) In 3rd we have "TC2", who was in 25th last season, but has been near the top a few times now as well (see below). Other interesting movements in the Top 50 included "dkatz1877" who moved up 45 places from last season to be 4th, "bbaer1" up 29 to 8th place, "cyrusg" up 22 to 10th and of course the many new faces who are scattered throughout the Top 50 this season who fought particularly hard in the final days of the season to make the cut! Congratulations!!

Everyone who finished the season in the Top 50 ("Recent" list), has been awarded both a special in-game "board peg" as well as Cribbage Pro Gold that can be used in the Cribbage Pro Contests system and then redeemed for cash (awards must be used at least once in a Contest to be cashed out to USDC, see the full terms and conditions for details). The Gold awards do expire, so use them or lose them! If you are awarded Gold, and are not sure what it is good for (or how to access the Contests system), read through the links above or email us any time if you have questions. On iOS you will need the "Cribbage Pro Contests" version of the app, and on Android you need to install the game using the Amazon Appstore. The Cribbage Pro Gold awards are as follows (not cumulative):

  • 4 Gold for Top 50
  • 7 Gold for Top 25
  • 10 Gold for Top 10
  • 20 Gold for 3rd Place
  • 30 Gold for 2nd Place
  • 50 Gold for 1st Place

The top finisher is awarded the "crown" board peg, and all others in the Top 50 are awarded a "star" board peg. These pegs are shown to everyone when playing in online multiplayer games, and they are permanent, so if you see your opponent has one of them you can know that they have earned it by finishing in the Top 50 in competitive play.

Remember: Complete 10 matches per week! See the FAQ for details.

Here was the final Top 50 for Summer 2022:

1ThreeG26bigshane0
2iPeg27scoot1234
3TC228seachica
4dkatz187729Paludeja
5VGKnights30zackzoey
6nob4one31Doksboy
7Mrpadre32bj1949
8bbaer133Trucha1
9rattle1534cribfan44
10cyrusg35Dempegs
11Dhrun36yank29
12lbolt5837Chelsea64
13mountains38BrutusSt
14TempestN39JonKneeGo
152CRIBKING40Gssj21
16pileated41jjonell
17Yompopo42MondoMan
18Mharold43viclen
19kb9212944flashmatt
20Lapete8845Domerzag
21ernie31346nvsru911
22medzy47hillchem
23Geofred148SH00TER
24fpster49pscohen
25sheepman501bh1


Top Competitive Cribbage Stats

Recently I was asked a question related to the top players in competitive cribbage, and it got me thinking about how things have gone over the last 9 seasons (yes, it has been that long - 10 if you count the "beta test" season). This led me to wonder who has been at the very top throughout all of these 9 seasons. Here are a few tables that focus on just the top 3 of the list over all of the seasons.


Who has been in the Top 3 how many times (out of 9 total seasons)?:

PlayerCount
iPeg6
Dhrun5
TC23
ThreeG3
dkatz18772
BigD4Life1
cyrusg1
ernie3131
kb921291
Mrpadre1
nob4one1
Nytric4561
PegSurfer1


Who has been in the Top 3 by final rank?:

RankPlayerCount
1iPeg4
1ThreeG3
1Mrpadre1
1Nytric4561
2Dhrun2
2iPeg2
2BigD4Life1
2cyrusg1
2ernie3131
2PegSurfer1
2TC21
3Dhrun3
3dkatz18772
3TC22
3kb921291
3nob4one1

There are multiple ideas (as shared by a few of you), about what to do with this list. One possibility is to run a "Tournament of Champions" for everyone on the list (or maybe just some, or add everyone from the Top 5 instead of 3). There are several variations on this idea, but in order to prioritize it as something to consider, I would really like to know what everyone thinks.

Please either comment here or email and let us know what you think. Could a tournament be fun to see done in some way, even if you are not on the list? If you are on this list and are interested, send us an email confirming your interest. Lastly, assuming there is interest in a tournament of some kind, would you be interested in watching the games live as they happen (streamed live on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, etc)? If you think that would be awesome, and if you would want to participate in some other way (say, to add color commentary as I'm not sure anyone wants to hear my voice announce the games), let me know. Again, please add your thoughts in the comments or share via email. I will say that I personally find the idea of watching a live game against these players pretty interesting, but that might just be me.

As a reminder, if you have played here and have some thoughts on what you would like to see around prizes, structure or anything else, please email us at support@FullerSystems.com with your suggestions.

42 comments:

  1. I'm posting this in desperation.
    I play all three app systems on Cribbage Pro. I do excellently on single and multiplayer classic, but I can't even manage to break even on the Comp. I'm not one of those who thinks there's a Cribbape Pdo conspiracy--I know I'm doing something wrong--but for the life of me I can't figure out what. I average 60 percent on the other systems--better than many of the top players. I don't struggle with the ten second timeframe--I use 15 seconds on multiplayer. I use the same strategy on all platforms. I'm well-versed in board position--read all the books (have an autographed copy of Play Winning Cribbage). I'm not a newbie. But I can't even win against players rated several hundred points below me.

    Any ideas? Pointers? I'm ready to give up on Comp Cribbage.

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    1. Hi, that's a great question, and I'm guessing you are not alone. To provide the best answer it would probably require a lot more information and ideally even watching games being played to offer pointers. Perhaps one of the top players would be willing to watch you play on a live or recorded Twitch stream (it is actually pretty easy to do) and give some feedback (please, no cheating with live coaching in competitive games). I'm betting we have some potentially great cribbage coaches here. Anyone want to comment and help out? Share your username here and people can simply add you as a friend in the game to start connecting.

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    2. Warpegs? The level of competition is probably higher in multiplayer competitive play vs classic, but your winning percentage shouldn’t be that much different. 2/3 format shouldn’t necessarily cause you to change strategy much. Make sure to treat every game as critical. Don’t let up in game 2 if you win the first. My guess is that you got off to a slow start in multiplayer competitive play and your winning percentage will creep up over time.

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    3. Thanks for the encouragement Sawyer. I will persevere lol

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    4. Equilla - treat ever card played as a point of informtion to use against uour opponents, even in games you losing. Vary your pegging and crib play as well. Dont be predictable, top players will pick you off. Best of luck. Dkatz

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  2. Really enjoyed the season once more but, again, somewhat frustrated. The top players are, no doubt, talented but there are often players with a higher win percentage AND more overall games played. I get that you win/lose more points based on the ranking system but that would therefore suggest that the top players manage to somehow consistently play people closely ranked to them where as many of us find ourselves playing players 500+ lower. This means we need a far higher win percentage to even come close and it just isn't possible. To put it I to context, I'm sure you know the odds of a player winning a game through luck rather than skill. E.g. ipeg will get beaten by players often that have far less skill. A skilled player, I would suggest can consistently win 60% of games regardless of the cards. You can, however win half / lose double the amount of points by playing a lower ranked player so it does not seem right. My suggestion would be that the weighting of the amount of points you win / lose is reduced to make it fairer. Alternatively, if you could review how the top players manage to avoid playing much lower ranked players as often (does the data suggest playing at a certain time of day for example) then that would also level the playing field.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Players can control the matching criteria to some extent by limiting matching time. As wait time increases, higher mismatches in ratings are allowed. Every player has the same opportunity to play opponents with similar ratings if they choose, by limiting match time to 10-15 seconds.

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    2. Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. That's really helpful.

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    3. Yeah, it's a well known strategy by veteran players to cancel the search for a Matchmaking game after a relatively short period of time and then restart so you don't get matched up with someone 1,000+ CR points behind you. I typically wait about 10 seconds before restarting the search.

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  3. My strategy against strong players is slightly different than when I'm facing average players. For example, if I lead a 2 and my opponent responds with a 5, against a strong player I would pair it if I have a 5. However, against an average player, I probably will not pair it knowing that he is not likely to respond with a 5 unless he has another 5. Additionally, traps that work against average players will not work with top players so you should adjust accordingly. The players in competitive multiplayer are a lot better than regular multiplayer so expect to win less. My winning percentage in my individual games is probably 4% less than regular multiplayer.






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    1. Appreciated Dhrun. Your record is amazing--crazy that you haven't won the big one yet!

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  4. IPeg has decided at this point to take this season off. It remains to be seen what withdrawal symptoms will occur, but I think it will be nice to relax a little after playing in this high pressure format for the past 2 plus years. With that, if any players have questions or want to share strategies regarding the multiplayer competitive format or just cribbage itself, please send a friend request on the app and we can communicate. Thanks and good luck this season!

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    Replies
    1. Would love to discuss some. Not sure how to friend request unless you're online the app.

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    2. Equilla61, just go to the "Friends" section on the Multiplayer screen and select the option at the top to add a friend. You can enter in any username there and a friend request will be sent. No need to have the friend be online at the same time.

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  5. I need CribbagePro to add a DrunkMode feature to keep me from playing when I'm drunk or distracted. 'Playing impaired' is killing my ranking. (I'm only half-kidding)

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    1. I can relate. I have COVID this week and was beating iPeg--easy end game win--then blundered and let him run the win. 39 fever had me constantly losing focus.

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    2. iPeg has an annoying habit of 'wriggling his way off the hook.' Good luck with your recovery (and with Season 10 of Competitive). Send me (dph) a friend request if you like.

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  6. Is it possible to allow us a period of rest during a season? I think we all need a vacation now and then. For example, if I'm at Disneyworld, the last thing I want to worry about is getting in my 10 games after a grueling 12 hour day at EPCOT. You can allow players one week of rest per season. However, they have to make up the 10 games the following week (20 games total). For the last week, they can make up the 10 games in the last 2 or 3 days. I'm pretty sure that is a good idea. Playing the competitive multiplayer can be exhausting a times.

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    Replies
    1. Quite possibly. I doubt we will change the rules for this season, but I get your point and we have some ideas around changing how the minimums are done overall as well.

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    2. I think the minimums should apply the first 3 weeks and last 3 same as today with the a full season total of 10 x full weeks. Dkatz

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  7. Just a final point on the matching time tactic. I've just spent 15 straight minutes trying to get a match within 25 minutes and didn't get a game. I get that having the patience to do it is part of the sacrifice to climb the top 50 but surely there has to be a better way? The matches take long enough as it is without having to wait half an hour to find a decent opponent. Maybe it's because I'm in the UK and so it's 9am here but 4am (or even earlier) in the US but, even if that is the case, surely there's a system that can work better for everyone. Really don't want to come across as someone who complains all of the time as I love the format and appreciate all of the work that goes into it but it just feels like there has to be a better way

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    Replies
    1. The matching part of matchmaking is always hotly debated in multiplayer games, and this is because it is both a bit of art and science. It's certainly not perfect, but time of day is likely your biggest factor right now. Keep inviting friends and others to play, and that will help everyone find matches more easily.

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    2. Early in the season, it’s much less critical to try to match with equally rated opponents. Some opponents with low ratings are skilled but unlucky, while others may be unskilled but lucky. You’re hope is to match with the highest rated players in this case.

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  8. Has there been progress on fixing the time expiration notifications during games? Each player gets 4 warnings before being forced to resign. There have been times when I've received 10 messages on my screen during a match saying my opponents time has expired, including disconnected messages. What's the point of enforcing a time limit for play if there's no way accurately measure it?

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    Replies
    1. Hi, the game server does accurately measure this, and does also enforce it. It is the view into this that you are seeing the discrepancy, and something we have on our list to improve in the future.

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  9. I don't understand thus competitive challenge when it comes to the 10 seconds ...I have timed myself and after 4,5 seconds it says it's made a decision to say my time expired on several occasions...
    it's a complete lie...I have had others time it to n it does the same...definitely not 10 secondd

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    1. Well, you are definitely the first to ever see anything other than 10 seconds with the 10 second timer. It literally starts at the number 10 clearly on the screen and ticks down from there. It uses the clock on your device to do this. Maybe your device has a problem of some kind? Email us at support@FullerSystems.com if you can share a screen video of this. I honestly can't think of any way that 10 seconds is anything other than 10 seconds.

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    2. I concur that the time clock is inconsistent. Goes faster than expected for me then sits for a longer time while I'm waiting for an opponent. I've even exited a game after waiting tooo long for opponent...and this is not when "disconnected" seems to be the factor. ???

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    3. Tpedalr, or anyone else, if you ever see a timer that looks wrong, try and get a video of it and/or send us the game log from your device for review (select the Help from the main game menu screen, then "About" and then Send Log). Include a brief description of the problem and the approximate time it happened. I will review it and see what we can find. Again though, the timer ticks down using the clock on your device, so I'm either misunderstanding what you are describing, or something quite strange is going on here.

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  10. I’m supportive of a laddered tournament. As the competitive matchmaking works now, it’s as much a function of being willing to spend a long time trying to avoid matching with anyone too far below you as it is cribbage skill.

    I say this as a strong player (holinzend) who doesn’t have the time/patience to cancel a Find Match after 10 seconds of searching for a competitive opponent. Because of this, inevitably my seasons are all the same… I live in the Too 50 or Top 10 for the first few weeks, before tumbling down the rankings because I lose to too many opponents 500+ points below me. Other top players avoid this by doing what Sawyer (iPeg) and UberPooch recommended.,. being willing to spend many minutes cancelling the search if an opponent isn’t found in 10 seconds.

    Don’t get me wrong, iPeg and Uber are also both excellent players but the current Top 50 structure doesn’t truly reflect the Too 50 players IMO. An entirely different structure is needed if a truer representation of the best players is desired.

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    1. An interesting idea an but I wonder at the logistics of that. Although the current system is not perfect I think it balances several things well. First, a 3 monthish and 10 game per week season allows for more players to join while getting a large sample of games over a long period of time. Second, a 3 game series deals with the luck involved in this game while again balancing people's time (a 5 or 7 would be more accurate). Third, limiting who a person plays to a CR of say 200 sounds great, but then some may not find many games. This allows players of vastly different ability levels to play during the season and imprive. Also, a player can choose to limit via wait time (10 seconds). Overall, I think it is pretty accurate each season. The top 50 to 100 players are fairly static each season or those that are playing each season.

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    2. iPeg here, I think the formula is slightly off for determining relative skill levels, and awarding or subtracting rating points based upon rating differential. It works well for players with nearly equal ratings but for large rating differences, the skill level of the higher rated player seems to be overestimated, so the reward for winning is a little low and the penalty for losing is a little high. I’m sure it is very complicated to determine the ideal formula. If it was perfect, it wouldn’t matter who you you play or what their relative rating is. Matching could be with any player and could be much quicker. To help calibrate the model, a statistical analysis could be performed to determine the winning percentage vs rating difference. This would be most valuable late in the season when players ratings are most accurate. Using players all-time winning percentage or average final rating may also be helpful in evaluating the skill vs. luck balance.

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    3. Holinzend, looking just at your winning percentage in multiplayer play, 54.2 percent, you are an excellent player, capable of the top 50. The top 10 players, though are typically in the 58-62 percent range, even as some of them try to match with other top players with similar ratings. Always work on optimizing your strategies to get those extra few wins out of 100 games. It’s a fine line between the top 50 and top 5, but the best of the best players are the ones who have worked on their games and perfected every aspect.

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  11. I don't understand...how can players be ranked in top 5 and only have a relatively few games completed. Currently I believe #4 has less than 50 games?! I suggest after competition starts players can only be rated with a total number of games....maybe 2 × 10 x number of weeks? Also how can you compile 4300 cr points with < than 50 games completed?

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    1. The simple answer is that your CR is not about how many games you play, but more who (their CR) you played and won against. The system is much more complex than games played or even win percentages.

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    2. Generically speaking if a player has a high enough win percentage against highly rated competition one can. In fact, several do each season over the first month. It's a long season and over the course of 3ish months it will become increasingly accurate.

      That particular player you mention is highly skilled and has undoubtedly earned it. An enjoyable opponent to play.

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  12. Can I be the first to say that I don't like the layout of the new version..2.8.x

    It seems "blocky" to me with the text too large....but perhaps it's just me....

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    1. Hi, it sounds like you are in the Android Beta. Thanks for being a beta tester of the latest version of the game. Can you please email us a screenshot from your device to support@FullerSystems.com and include any other feedback, suggestions, etc. there? It would be greatly appreciated!

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    2. I've had to withdraw from the beta program as my screen kept freezing....so that's some more feedback...

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    3. Please email us at support@FullerSystems.com so we can get this resolved. Participating in the beta can be extremely helpful, but it helps the most when you can work with us to get things fixed for everyone.

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  13. Hey just wondering what the game minimum is for next week (last 2 days of the Fall Comp season). Do we still have to play 10 game min? I've been told otherwise by players but wanted final confirmation from Fuller Systems.

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Keep all comments clean, appropriate, and only post if it moves the conversation forward. All others will not be published. All comments are moderated/reviewed before you will see it publicly. If you have a support request or a comment not related to this blog topic, please email us at support@FullerSystems.com instead.