Keeping the game of cribbage (and its players) alive in Hobart's northern suburbs
A lack of new players leaves the game with an uncertain future. (ABC Hobart: Charley Rico)
Once upon a time, almost every pub and club around Hobart had a cribbage team.
The popular card game was invented in England, and over the years was usually passed down through parents and grandparents.
But Steve Maxwell, president of the Tasmanian Cribbage Association, said he feared the game was dying out.
The group runs a March-to-September competition, and the recent final involved only about 20 people.
"We get a few new players every year, but most of the teams are struggling for numbers," Mr Maxwell said.
"We're all getting older and unable to get there ... or dying off."
Cribbage results in the Hobart Mercury in August 1946. (The Mercury)
Crib involves a board for score keeping and playing cards are used in combinations to gain points.
The dealer gets a separate hand, and a unique scoring system includes points for groups of cards that total 15.
Mr Maxwell said he learnt to play crib through his grandparents.
"It was a very popular game round about war time," he said.
"I think everybody from my generation had a crib board floating around the place.
"It's one of those things that developed before television, when people used to sit around and play cards."
Cribbage uses a board for score keeping and combinations of cards to gain points. (ABC Hobart: Charley Rico)
A family game
At 84, Lindsay Dennison could well be the oldest player in the competition, and he's been playing for more than 50 years.
"I love the competition," he said.
"A lot of [the players] aren't with us anymore."
Mr Dennison's younger brother, Colin, 77, also plays.
"When I was about 15 his girlfriend taught me," he quipped in his brother's direction.
The pair now compete as a team.
Lindsay Dennison teams up with his brother Colin. (Charley Rico)
"We know each other's game back to front,"he said.
"That's what makes it harder for the others to figure out."
One of the younger players is 65-year-old Andrew Rogers, who, unlike the Dennisons, has only been playing since 1994.
"I used to watch my father play when I was younger," he said.
"I taught my four sisters how to play and they play in competitions.
"Some of the women are better than the men.
"They're good players, but we've lost a lot over the years, a lot of them have died."
A cribbage score sheet and rules of play. (ABC Hobart: Charley Rico)
To him, the appeal of cribbage is having a night out and forming new friendships.
"You play to win and it's competitive, but you're friends at the end."
Mr Rogers said he also was concerned about the game dying out.
"If we don't get any younger players, we can't go on."
New players wanted
Hobart once had separate men's and women's competitions, but they've since combined with only a few teams remaining.
Sue Dean was one of only two women at the final, doing book work.
"They all get threatened when I'm doing the book work," she said.
"I've won a mixed championship three times."
Sue Dean says she taught the game to her children but they haven't kept it up. (ABC Hobart: Charley Rico)
Ms Dean said she didn't miss playing with just women anymore, despite the women's league folding due to its ageing members.
"We had 90-year-olds playing that didn't like going out at night," she said.
"I taught all my children how to play but they didn't keep it up.
"Cards are disappearing; one day no-one will play anymore."
Steve Maxwell fears the game is dying out. (ABC Hobart: Charley Rico)
Mr Maxwell said the crib competition got people out of the house and socialising — as well as using their brains.
"It's a good interaction, it's good fun, it's played in good spirit," he said.
"Modern-day electronic stuff has taken away from it a bit which is a shame.
"It's like a lot of card games, people do it online and don't interact anymore.
"It'd be nice to revitalise the whole thing."