2023-09-13

Chester residents play 24-hours of cribbage

CHESTER - St. Clair Bolivar and Charlie Teal have played at least a game or two of cribbage each day but their deep-rooted interest and love of the game, along with some Shoreham Village staff encouragement, exploded into a marathon session worthy of, they hope, record-setting consideration.

In late August, the men, residents of the home in the village for older adults, began playing cards at 9:30 a.m. one morning and, except for washroom and medicine breaks, continued their cribbage commitment through the day and night before ending at 9:30 a.m. the next morning.

The 24-hours-worth of playtime amounted to 70 games and thousands of points. Officials with Guinness World Records is sending them an application and the pair hope their efforts translate to acclaim in the famous book of world records.

Teal, 94, and Bolivar, 91, said they're elated with the accomplishment.

"We did good," Teal, a retired insurance broker and book-binding company executive, said in a phone interview. "I'm proud we were able to do something like that."

Teal's been a resident of Shoreham Village for a couple of years and played crib with whomever he could but when he was alerted to Bolivar and his experience, the pair have become inseparable.

They don't keep track of who wins or losses; they play for the enjoyment and each believe they are equally-skilled. Crib is ordinarily for two players and involves grouping cards in combinations with the goal of gaining points.

"We hit it off and we've been friends ever since," Teal said.

"We'll play pretty well until lunch and then we'll have our meal and rest a little and, maybe, at 3 p.m. we'll start playing until mealtime," Bolivar, a retired Michelin worker from the Baker Settlement area, said via phone. "Sometimes we play into the evening."

Shoreham Village workers suggested they attempt play worthy of the record books.

Teal and Bolivar never nodded off as the games went into the overnight hours.

"I got a little drowsy but nothing serious," Bolivar said.

"We ate our meals and kept on playing," added Teal.

Continuing care staff witnessed the journey.

"We were going to finish what we started," Teal said.

Guinness World Records declined a phone interview for this story.

There isn't a record title for longest consecutive games of cribbage, Kylie Galloway, a spokesperson for Guinness World Records North America, said in an email.

"The most similar record title that we currently monitor is the longest marathon playing a card game, said Galloway. "Cribbage would fall under this record title."

The longest marathon playing a card game was 170 hours and was achieved by six people in Germany in January 2011, she said.