I'm one of your happy customers from last year. I still play HAL daily and grass roots at least twice a week.
Had a pretty good year. Won a satellite event in Reno and I have a few dozen master rating points. Also have one grass roots club (Chico, CA) where they cringe when I walk in as a visitor. They typically have 30 to 35 players. In the 6 times I've gone this year, I've been first three times, second once, third once, and fourth once.
Playing against HAL helps a lot. I've learned the value of considering pegging potential as part of keep-toss and when to drop into defense mode or safe mode. I really like Rasmussen's CPZs built into your program. It drills the zones into your head. I can almost see them when playing at grass roots.
Jan 2007 Ray Suelzer Island Lake IL HALSCRIB v2006 May 2006
The Web Club tournaments are forcing me to learn how to count cards, a skill which I need to work on a bit! Thank goodness, I'm not being penalized for my undercounts (at least it doesn't appear to be the case LOL!)
I'm really enjoying your program. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next version.
Oct 2006 Jim Hatch Salem NH LITE version, then quickly upgraded to HALSCRIB v6.90 June 2005
For years I thought I knew how to play cribbage. I knew the rules and could count my hand. As it turns out I didn't really know how to play cribbage at all. In my first year of ACC Grass Roots play two seasons ago, my winning ratio was below 0.500.
In addition to reading about cribbage, learning about board strategy, keeping a personal database and practicing, I started to participate in HALSCRIB's weekly Web Club duplicate cribbage matches by using the LITE version. Shortly thereafter, I purchased the full version of HALSCRIB and it was then that my cribbage skills really began to improve. By the end of my second season of Grass Roots play, my winning ratio improved to 0.556 and I started to qualify consistently for playoff rounds in ACC tournaments.
HALSCRIB has definitely improved my decision making for discards, pegging, and playing board position. I just started my third year of Grass Roots play and recently won my first ACC tournament - the 2006 Daniel Webster Open Main event. Thanks for all of your efforts in making a great program! (Currently using v2006 upgrade).
Jim scored a 29 hand! on Nov 18, 2006
Sept 2006 Allen Evanson Kent WA HALSCRIB 2006 Apr 2006
Played in the Mount Rainier Open put on by the Grass Roots club I
belong to (#148 Sea-Tac Peggers) last weekend and qualified 4th place in the
Main.
I attribute at least part of my success to using HALSCRIB over the summer
(my club average has improved as well).
Thanks again.
Mar 2006 Harold Hilbert Beaumont CA CRIBBAGE explorer - HALSCRIB v6.95 Nov 2005
Since I've been playing HALSCRIB, my play has improved measurably. Currently, I
am rated the #1 player in my Grass Roots club. I have moved from 4th in our club
to 1st in less than two months.
I have a much better understanding of offense and defense, playing on and off thanks to
HALSCRIB.
I've read almost all the books that are available but HALSCRIB gives better and
quicker feedback.
The "view" feature is an excellent instructor and feedback mechanism. "CRIBBAGE explorer - HALSCRIB" has
been my best investment for improving my cribbage play.
Aug 2005 (follow-up to Feb 2005 comment below) EXPLORER v6.80
Ras Rasmussen Centralia WA ACC Life Master - 2 Stars
HAL is the toughest player I face by far (including tournament and grass roots
players on average). Believe practice with HAL is a major factor in my qualifying
for All-American team 2005, having entered only 27 tournaments, in one of which suffered a
moderate stroke.
Aug 2005 B. A. Franklin MD Topeka KS
My first impression: Wonderful! Although I have just begun the program, the approach
looks sophisticated and exactly the program that I had hoped to find on cribbage.
I am VERY pleased with this program.
Feb 2005 (follow-up to Jan 2004 comment below) EXPLORER v6.80
Ras Rasmussen Centralia WA ACC Life Master - 2 Stars
My winning record against HALSCRIB after 1000 games is 51% and against ACC tournament players is 60%.
Keep up the good work.
Oct 2004 Mike Wyatt Lancaster TX
LITE version then upgraded to EXPLORER WEB CLUB Edition v5
Thank you!!! Your program is great. I'm so happy that I found you and the
Club WEB! I look forward to a lot more pegging with you all!
March 2004 Roland Hall, winner of JPW Open, Reno 2004
EXPLORER v5.0 July 2003, upgraded to WEB CLUB Edition v2
Playing HALSCRIB has improved my cribbage game. The knowledge I have gained by using
the "query" option along with the "keep toss" and "peg" analysis that is available when playing
has helped me make good cribbage decisions in ACC tournaments.
Also, the same game "replay" and "swap" hands options that allow different crib tosses
and/or pegging scenarios has also helped me make better cribbage decisions.
Thank you Hal for all your time and effort necessary to develop and improve Halscrib.
Feb 2004 Frank Zbozny Claysville PA
LITE version then quickly upgraded to EXPLORER WEB CLUB Edition v1
It works great. It's an outstanding program. Thanks for all your help, and lots of luck
playing.
Jan 2004 Ras Rasmussen, Centralia WA
EXPLORER v4.84 for evaluation July 2002, upgraded to WEB CLUB Edition v1
Guess am gonna break down and buy your program. It's quite obviously the best.
Have reviewed several programs and turned in pages of problems to the designer.
Some are unbelievably weak.
Unless one is observant, some of the problems are not so apparent in a single game.
Need to play several games.
Discarding to dealer crib is a great weakness in many.
EXPLORER v6.00 Oct 2003
HALSCRIB is certainly THE killer cribbage program.
Thanx for the sterling service!
Aug 2002 Henry de Long, Woburn MA ACC Life Master
DOS v2.0 Feb 1991 upgraded to EXPLORER v 4.40
For the record I consider HALSCRIB to be the best of a long series of other cribbage games.
I'm sure you have spent many hours honing this program.
The many options you provide make it easy to switch to a different challenge if desired.
I appreciate all the assistance and time that you have spent helping
me update. You have a lot of talent and patience too.
Thank you for the many hours I have spent trying to beat HAL.
July 2002 Michael Schell, Seattle WA
EXPLORER v4.00 Apr 2001, upgraded to v6.10
Congratulations on your program's success. I think you've really crossed a hump with v4.81, and I'm glad you got to try it out against "Ras" Rasmussen.
Michael scored a 29 hand! on July 20, 2006
Aug 2002 David Gerke Battle Creek MI
EXPLORER v4.30 Feb 2002, upgraded to v5.10
This is simply the BEST cribbage game on the market today! And it will be tomorrow too!
When you buy it, Hal Mueller will send you free updates of his program as he increases its abilities.
The program takes into consideration such things as end-game pegging which separates it from its
weaker brethren.
Obviously, Professor Mueller, himself a veteran of the Cribbage tournament trail, has spent
considerable time and effort into creating an opponent that will challenge you, teach you, and help
make you a better player, and is always ready to play!
Enjoy this wonderful game!
Oct 2003 Kevin Schanilec, Bainbridge Island WA
E-mail me if you have any comments or questions.