Warren Hilts is the founder of Calgary Cribbage and YYC Social Collective, a club he started almost two years ago. Members meet at various craft breweries to play cribbage, eat, drink and socialize. Though it began with just a handful of people, Hilts says the club has grown to almost 500 members. “I started this club because I was bored. The pandemic really messed things up for a lot of people and I felt socially isolated,” he said. “New friendships are made, some business partnerships have been made here as well; I’ve got a couple people that come here just to do networking.” Hilts has been playing crib since he was seven years old and says he learned how to play from his parents. “Mostly my mom – but she would steal my points when I was younger to make me learn,” he said. “We don’t really steal points here [at Calgary Cribbage gatherings]; we’re kind of nice.” The group gathers to play crib at local craft breweries throughout the city. Donna Clare joined Calgary Cribbage six months ago, but says she’d been playing crib for close to 10 years. “I find crib people are bright, they’re personable, they like to talk, they like to play -- and everybody in this group is very noncompetitive, so we help each other,” she said. “New people join … And then there’s really sharp people who are really good at adding up, and that’s great too; it’s all so very friendly, which makes it really nice.” Matt Gagnon has only been a member for a few months but says he’s already loving it. “It’s honestly a game for everyone,” he said. “You can play for hours. My wife and I play on airplanes, we play in hotel rooms – I’ve got friends that come over for beers and to watch the game, but we’re playing crib.” More information about the group’s events is available on Facebook and Eventbrite.
