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13 YEARS OF PEGGING

Forty people participated in the 13th Annual George Sveine Cribbage Tournament held at the American Legion on Sunday. After eight games, Derrick Jacobson of Sleepy Eye was declared the winner, scoring 965 points out of 968 possible points.

NEW ULM — Forty cribbage players tested their luck at the American Legion during the 13th Annual George Sveine Cribbage Tournament.

The tournament was first held in 2009 to honor George Sveine, who was a long-time Legion member and an avid cribbage player.

His son, Terry Sveine, said after his father passed away suddenly in 2008 they were struggling to find a way to memorialize him. Terry said that since he always considered his dad to be the best cribbage player in town, a tournament was the best way to carry on his legacy.

The tournament has proven to be very popular with dozens attending every year. The tournament was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, but returned in full force last year.

This year saw 40 people participate in the tournament. Terry Sveine said this was a strong turnout. Since the tournament is played in teams of two (four players per game) they need to have a total number of registered players that is divisible by four. Terry said that coincidentally, they seem to always get the right amount of players.

At age 22, Taylor Mages was the youngest player competing in the George Sveine Cribbage tournament. Though the youngest competitor, she would finish the day with a higher score than the other Mages family members competing.

Each player competes in eight cribbage games. After each game, the winning team moves to another table, but swaps partners. This is done to avoid creating a super team.

Each player keeps track of their score from each game and their best hand from each game. At the end of the tournament, the points are totalled and the winners are declared.

Since the highest score in a single cribbage game is 121, the highest score possible is 968.

The tournament always brings in a wide age range of players. Some of the players are senior players in their 80s, several are in their 30s or 40s. Each year there is usually a player in their 20s.

Taylor Mages was the youngest confirmed player in the tournament at 22 years old. She joined the tournament along with other members of the Mages family, Allie and Brad. Taylor admitted she plays cribbage less than the rest of the Mages family, but still ended the day with a higher overall score. She credits her success to beginners’ luck.

Staff photos by Clay Schuldt Brothers Steve Sveine (left) and Sam Sveine (right) compete in the first game of the George Sveine Cribbage Tournament — a tournament held in honor of their late grandfather. The brothers played against each other in the opening game.

A lot of success in cribbage can come down to luck.

This year’s tournament was won by Derrick Jacobson of Sleepy Eye with a final score of 968. Jacobson only lost two games during the tournament; losing one game by two points and the second by a single point.

Jacobson said this was his first time competing in the tournament and though he plays a lot of cribbage, he too credited his victory to luck.

“You’ve just got to have the right cards,” Jacobson said. Playing the game a lot helps you know which cards to play and when, but if you never get the right cards you don’t stand a chance.

No one understands this better than the Sveine family. Even though the George Sveine Cribbage tournament is organized by the family, no Sveine has ever won it.

George’s grandson, Steve came the closest to winning. In 2017, he finished third. This year, Steve and his brother Sam entered the tournament but once again came up short. Steve would ultimately finish fourth overall with a final score of 942.

Steve said he managed to win five out of eight of the cribbage games but said even in those he lost, his team came close. Sam also won five out of eight games, but his losses were greater.

Despite another year out of the top spot, the Sveine family is continually pleased with the turnout. The cribbage tournament remains a popular draw in New Ulm.

In addition to the George Sveine tournament, several other cribbage tournaments have been held at Smiley’s Tavern in the last month.

Terry Sveine said he’s not sure what is about cribbage that people like, but as long as people want to play, he will keep the tournament going.

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