Over the past four days, nearly 70 cribbage players from all over the country were in Billings for a first-of-its-kind tournament.
The tournament at the Hampton Inn on Ember Lane featured cribbage players of all skill levels and that includes Erik Locke, who is currently ranked fifth in the world. Cribbage might just be a game for many, but it changed Locke's life.
"I was hanging out with the wrong crowd back when I was younger and I needed something to do with my life to get my head on the right path," Locke said. "It's been the best decision I've ever made."
Locke has been playing professionally since he was 17 and said he is thankful for the experiences the game has given him.
"Cribbage has taken me to a lot of places that I probably would've never been in my life," Locke said.
The Portland, Oregon, resident can now add Billings to his list of destinations. On Tuesday afternoon, he bested Butte native Liz Milodragovich in the championship.
"Took a week and a half of vacation to come out and I'd never been to Billings before so, why not?" said Locke, who is in his 40s.
But it wasn't just professionals sitting at the table. Kathijo Neff also came from Butte to compete in the tournament. After four straight days of playing cribbage, she still hadn't had enough.
"I wanted to play more," Neff said. "I could play cribbage all day long."
Neff said that part of the fun in these experiences is getting the chance to meet new people.
"You get to meet so many wonderful individuals and you get to have a great time listening to their stories," Neff said.
Tournament co-director Greg Dibble said that the inaugural event has been a massive success and was strategically planned to happen just days before another tournament kicks off in Deadwood, South Dakota.
"It's the first tournament that we've held of this nature, so we didn't really know what to expect," Dibble said. "We wanted to plan it around the dates in South Dakota and we are really pleased with how it turned out. People have come from coast to coast to be here."
Dibble said he too enjoys the tournaments for the camaraderie.
"You kind of characterize yourself as a cribbage family, you know?" Dibble said. "You get quite familiar with people, and it's good to see them again."
Locke will be among the many hitting the highway and heading to South Dakota, looking for any chance to play the game he loves.
"It's good to come and support these tournaments and help the cribbage going on for the younger generation," Locke said.
