balking card

cribbage

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June 18, 2026

Quick Summary

In the card game cribbage, "balking" refers to a strategic move by opponents of the dealer. When discarding cards to the "crib" (a pile of discards that scores for the dealer), players aim to discard cards least likely to help the dealer score points. These cards are called "balking cards." The term "balk" itself may have originated from this cribbage strategy, meaning to check or hinder an opponent's score. Cribbage is a popular card game played with a standard 52-card deck, where players score points by forming combinations of cards, traditionally using pegs on a cribbage board.12

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cribbage
The cut and the deal
…tries to lay away “balking” cards, those least likely to create scoring combinations. After the discard, the undealt remainder of the pack is cut by the nondealer; the top card of the lower packet is turned faceup on top of the reunited deck and becomes the starter. If the…
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…tries to lay away “balking” cards, those least likely to create scoring combinations. After the discard, the undealt remainder of the pack is cut by the nondealer; the top card of the lower packet is turned faceup on top of the reunited deck and becomes the starter. If the…
Read More