Game 38 - July 5, 2009

DECATUR — With Scott's title sealed, the story became the battle for second place in the league in this penultimate game of the season. Nick established a solid lead early in the game and was thereby able to peg strategically in the 11th hand, passing up an opportunity to peg out in order to allow Scott to pull just ahead of Greg first, denying Greg an important two points in the league table.

With one game remaining, Nick led by four points, leaving the following scenarios for the final game:

• If Nick wins or finishes second in Game 39, Nick places second for the season.
• If Greg wins and Nick finishes third in Game 39, Greg places second for the season.
• If Greg places second and Nick finishes third in Game 39, and neither of them or both of them are skunked, Nick places second for the season.
• If, however, Greg places second, Nick finishes third, and only Nick gets skunked, then Greg and Nick will tie on points for the season, and the second-place finisher will be determined by total pegging; Greg would have to outpeg Nick by at least twelve pegs in this scenario. If the peg total ends up tied, then presumably Greg would be awarded second place for the season based on his greater number of wins.
  

Dealer: Nick
03 hands - Greg 023 Scott 031 Nick 039
06 hands - Greg 055 Scott 059 Nick 075
09 hands - Greg 085 Scott 088 Nick 109
11 hands - Greg 099 Scott 103 Nick 121 Final

League Table
Scott... 14 16 04 04 94 4174
Nick.... 11 13 10 04 71 4110
Greg.... 13 09 09 07 67 4098

Game 37 - July 5, 2009

DECATUR — As Roger Federer was crowned the greatest tennis player of all time at Wimbledon, Scott was crowned the greatest cribbage player of Season 2, clinching the season despite a second-place finish in Game 37. With only two games remaining, his 25-point lead in the table became mathematically impossible to overcome.

Much like Season 1, the only remaining drama was at the bottom, as Greg leapfrogged Nick in Game 37 to take a one-point and ten-peg lead in second place. Like his fellow Nebraska native, Andy Roddick, Nick found himself at the losing end of a competition on this July day.

Dealer: Scott
03 hands - Greg 027 Scott 045 Nick 025
06 hands - Greg 060 Scott 075 Nick 055
09 hands - Greg 104 Scott 102 Nick 089
10 hands - Greg 121 Scott 112 Nick 095 Final

League Table
Scott... 14 15 04 04 92 4071
Greg.... 13 09 08 07 67 3999
Nick.... 10 13 10 04 66 3989

Game 36 - July 5, 2009

DECATUR — In a game frequently interrupted by watching the Wimbledon men's final, Scott strolled to his 14th win of the season, giving him a daunting 24-point lead atop the table with only three games remaining. Scott's 55-peg start in the first three hands was his best to date in Season 2.

Dealer: Greg
03 hands - Greg 028 Scott 055 Nick 032
06 hands - Greg 072 Scott 082 Nick 063
09 hands - Greg 097 Scott 111 Nick 091
11 hands - Greg 116 Scott 121 Nick 108 Final

League Table
Scott... 14 14 04 04 90 3959
Nick.... 10 13 09 04 66 3894
Greg.... 12 09 08 07 62 3878