Cribbage: Hard to learn but fun to play

I admit it had taken me a while to figure out how to play cribbage, so this game is not the easiest one to learn. It is a card game that involves counting and keeping score, which is an immediate turnoff to me. I am not good with numbers, and I don't like games that involve any kind of math. However, the friend who taught both my husband and me to play Cribbage insisted that it was a great game and we just needed to get through the learning curve, so I tried to do my best.

Cribbage uses a regular deck of cards without the jokers, a board, and plastic pegs. The wooden board has three color-coded tracks with holes in them. You stick two pegs in the holes and move them forward along the track as you play - this helps you to keep the score. The person who finishes the track first wins.

Our first game of Cribbage was not fun. I couldn't figure out the rules and I was annoyed by having to count; at that point, I did not think I would ever enjoy it. My husband, however, had grasped the concept and liked it. It turned out that he had his own Cribbage board at home, so we continued to learn the game. His patient explanations helped: I finally understood how to play, memorized the value of the cards, and began to truly enjoy it. Counting turned out to be easier than it had first seemed, too.

I recommend Cribbage to anyone who enjoys a good card game, but be prepared for a slow start if you are new to it.