News From the Dragon's Lair http://dqsoft.com	December 2006
	Player Tips & More
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News from DreamQuest Software Happy Holidays! Brrr it's cold out there! If you're like us we would much rather stay cozied up indoors playing our favorite card and board games. Have some fun this holiday playing the latest Championship All-Stars! Wishes do come true this year when you order the All-Star Gift Pack! It includes everything you'd ever need to have fun during the holiday season. Turn your boring snow day into a fun day of exciting play! All-Star Gift Pack Wish upon a star and get the All-Star Gift Pack! Each All-Star Gift Pack includes a Gift Certificate (valued at $19.99) and the coveted All-Star Expansion Pack (valued at $9.99), shipped on a retail quality CD (valued at $9.99) straight to your home. We'll even add a special deck of DreamQuest Software Playing Cards absolutely free! That's a $45 value at a retail cost of only $24.99. Not sure what game your friend or family might enjoy? Purchase the All-Star Gift Pack and let them enjoy trying out ALL of our Championship Pro games sent on CD. They can then use their gift certificate to buy their favorite game! It all comes in a colorful retail box with a printed gift certificate, suitable for wrapping and putting under the tree. We can even ship games or gift certificates directly to your gift recipient if you put your their name and email address under the 'Owner information' (which can different than the billing information). Save $20 + free shipping until Dec 18th! Purchase your pack for only $24.99! Order your All-Stars Gift Pack by December 18th to qualify for free shipping! Take advantage of this incredible offer before it expires January 5th

This Friday, December 15th you'll be able to download the new Championship Pro version 7.0 plus Bonus All-Star Expansion Pack!

Try new variations of Championship Chess Pro such as Fisher, or Progressive. The popular DreamCoach(TM) makes its debut in Championship Checkers Pro and Championship Chess Pro! Let the Professor give you a competitive edge against your opponent as you race to capture the king!

Meet the newest members of the DreamQuest Cast when you play the latest Windows version 7.0 complete with bonus All-Star Expansion pack! Like the new features we've added? Take advantage of this month's All-Star Gift Pack to get your game and expansion pack at a great discount!

Download Championship Pro version 7.0 December 15th at dqsoft.com/download.html.

This month we look at Defensive Pegging by Cribbage Champion DeLynn Colvert, the world's highest rated tournament player. These tips are excerpted from his book Play Winning Cribbage, available at http://www.cribbage.org/tips/books.asp.
Defensive Pegging

More games are won and lost while pegging those last few points than by all the astute play of the previous hands. Most average games are decided by six points or less. Pegging becomes critical, to say the least, in these games. There are some keys to defensive pegging that are just as critical as offensive pegging.

This was an easy example. Many time you will not be dealt such ideal cards. The rule to remember in defensive pegging is to always try to lead a card smaller than a 5, preferably from a pair. Dump your lone J at a safe opportunity and always play the percentage play. Count the cards that can beat you and play accordingly. Don't play hunches!

The one exception to the percentage play: you have a lone 4 (or any lone small card) and were dealt a four card combination of 6-9 or 7-8 (6-6-6-9, 6-6-9-9, 6-9-9-9, 7-7-7-8, 7-7-8-8, 7-8-8-8) leaving three cards to beat the 4 lead, and four cards to beat the 6, 7, 8 or 9 lead. Despite the one-card disadvantage of leading from the 6, 7, 8 or 9 this is the percentage play, as any good player (especially Jake) will keep all small cards dealt to him, knowing this will be your logical play -- and the bias of holding small cards will out-weigh the one-card disadvantage.

If Jake is dealt an A-2-3-4-7-K, the 7-K will be discarded. For this reason when counting your losers in a desperation defense, if a 6 or higher card is a loser by only one card...lead it! If the 6 or higher card will be beaten two more times...Don't do it! Lead the small card. The law of averages will bite you sooner or later playing hunches.

Another defensive tip: Jake needs four or more pegs to win the game. Don't get caught with one small card with the count above 21. You may be trapped into a run. Either dump a lone small card in the crib, or better yet, play it early in the peg sequence (usually the second card played) to avoid a trap. And if Jake needs five or more points from the peg to win the game, don't get trapped with a 4-5-6 as your last pegging card. Get rid of these potential losers. Especially the 5. If Jake needs seven or more points, the 5 held to the last card can indeed be deadly...being trapped into a 4-5-6 combination, or a 5-5-5.

Good defensive pegging comes from practice. Study your opponent: learn his habits. Does he always lead a 4 to a 9? Does he always hold a pair for last? Study his habits and it may be a game-saver in a tight spot. But once again, don't play hunches.


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