The Rules / Instructions Of Shut The Box - Masters Traditional Games

Maybe your like

01727 855058
[email protected]
New
Game Index
Blog
Rules
Deals

Game Tables Pub Games Outdoor Games Board Games Casino Games Tabletop Games Giant Games Fair Games Warehouse Deals The Rules of Shut the Box Masters Traditional Games Home

Ideas for Games Room Events Fairs Pubs Schools Weddings 2 Player Games Elderly People Disabled People Blind People Visually Impaired People £ Sterling US $ Euro € Australian $ Canadian $ Japanese ¥ Swiss Frank ₣ Hong Kong $ Hungary Forint New Zealand $ Danish Krona Norway Krona Swedish Krona Singaporean $ S.Korean ₩ S.Africa Rand Indian Rupee ₹

Basket

Game Tables

Table Tennis

Outdoor Table Tennis Tables Indoor Table Tennis Tables Table Tennis Tables For Schools Butterfly Table Tennis Tables Cornilleau Table Tennis Tables Table Tennis Bats Table Tennis Accessories

Table Football

Indoor Football Tables Outdoor Football Tables Folding Football Tables Garlando Football Tables Coin-op / Commercial Football Tables Football Tables For Schools

Pool Tables

Slate Bed Pool Tables Pool Dining Tables Coin-op / Commercial Pool Tables Outdoor Pool Tables Supreme Winner Pool Table DPT Omega Pool Table Pool Balls, Cues & Accessories

Other Game Tables

Snooker Multi Games Tables Air Hockey Tables Bar Billiards Teqball Card Tables Poker Tables Games Compendia Tables Board Games

Chess Sets

Staunton Chess Sets Ornamental Chess Sets Lewis Chess Sets Unusual Chess Sets Chess Tables Chess Boards

Backgammon

Dal Negro Backgammon Sets Manopoulos Backgammon Sets Tournament Size Backgammon Sets Connoisseur Backgammon Sets Backgammon Tables

Go

Go Sets - Board & Stones Go Boards - Beginner & Luxury Go Stones - Glass, Yunzi & Clamshell Wooden Go Bowls

Other Board Games

Hnefatafl - the Viking Game Ancient Egyptian Senet The Royal Games of Ur Mancala & Oware Nine Mens Morris Ancient & Historical Board Games 21st Century Hits Modern Classics Old Favourites Abstract Strategy Games Pub Games

Darts

Unicorn Dartboards Winmau Dartboards Darts Sets / Bundles Darts Accessories Steel Tip Darts Darts Equipment For Pubs

Traditional Pub Games

Table / Bar Skittles Shove Ha'Penny Pub / Alley Skittles Cribbage Ringing the Bull Shut the Box Dominoes Pub / Step Quoits Rings Toad in the Hole Bar Billiards Games Compendia

Outdoor Pub Games

Aunt Sally Bat and Trap Giant Games Outdoor Games

Croquet

Garden Croquet Sets Family Croquet Sets Children's Croquet Sets Popular Croquet Sets 6 - 8 Player Croquet Sets Croquet Balls & Accessories

Bowls

Drakes Pride Professional Bowls Taylor Ace Bowls Crown Green Bowls Short Mat Bowls Carpet Bowls Bowls Bags Disabled Bowls Equipment Bowls Jacks

Other Outdoor Games

Boule / Petanque Garden Skittles / Kubb / Molkky Quoits Outdoor Sports Ladder Golf Outdoor Games for Children Outdoor / Deck Shuffleboard Cornhole Casino Games

Casino Games

Roulette Poker Blackjack Bingo Spin the Wheel

Accessories

Playing Cards Casino Chips Card Games Card / Bridge Tables Dice Games Tabletop Games Sjoelbak / Dutch Shuffleboard Crokinole Table Shuffleboard Carrom Pucket Bagatelle Puff Billiards Table Games With Disks Table Games With Balls Table-Top Dexterity Games Tile Based Games Dice Games Card Games Giant Games Giant 4-in-a-Row Giant Tumble Towers Giant Chess Giant Dominoes Giant Dice Giant Playing Cards Games for Weddings & Parties Giant Games for Children Giant Games for Events / Hire Fayre & Circus

Fair Games

Coconut Shy Hoopla Hook a Duck Splat the Rat Raffle Drums / Tombola Fairground Target Games Random Chance Games Other Classic Fair Games Other Ideas

Circus Skills

Unicycles Stilts Pogo Sticks Slacklines Juggling Balls / Clubs Spinning Tops V-Cubes Toys & Puzzles

Wooden Toys

Building & Construction Toys KAPLA Marble Runs Cuboro

Puzzles

Jigsaw Puzzles Solitaire V-Cubes Katamino Maze & Labyrinth Games Game Categories mobile categories

The Rules of Shut the Box

Shut the Box is also known as Canoga. Being a traditional pub game without any national governing body, variations of equipment and rules abound. Where there is doubt, locally played rules should always apply. Shut the Box can be played by any number of players although it is most enjoyable with two, three or four. Some people even play the game solo as a pastime akin to patience. As played traditionally in English pubs, Shut the Box is a gambling pastime with each of the players paying an agreed amount into the "pool" at the beginning and the winner collecting the pool at the end of each round. However, it isn't necessary to gamble in order to play the game.

Description of equipment

The "box" is an open tray with a baize interior. A row numbers one to nine also appear along the top length. Each number has a corresponding square panel cover which can either slide or swing to cover the number. Two dice are the only other requirement, although a dice cup may be used if desired.

The Play

A round of the game consists of each player taking one turn to try to shut the box. A turn consists of a player repeatedly throwing the dice until he or she cannot continue. Each throw of the dice is taken as follows:

If 7, 8 and 9 are all covered, the player decides whether to throw one die or two.
If any of these 3 numbers are still uncovered, the player must use both dice.

The player throws the die or dice into the box and adds up the pips. The player must then cover available numbers that add up to the total thrown. So for instance, if the total is 8, the player may choose one of the following options:

8
7 & 1
6 & 2
5 & 3
5 & 2 & 1
4 & 3 & 1

Assuming that one of the options is available to be played, the player selects one, covers the selected number or numbers and proceeds to throw the dice again. If none of the options are available because at least one number is already covered in each case, then the player's turn finishes and the player scores the sum of the numbers that are still uncovered. For example, if numbers 1, 5 and 9 are uncovered and the player throws a 4, options are 4 or 3 & 1, neither of which are available - so the turn finishes and the player's score is 15. If anyone succeeds in shutting the box i.e. closing all the numbers, that player wins outright immediately and receives double the stake from all players. Otherwise, after each player has taken one turn, the winner of the round is the player with the lowest score.

Shut The Box for 4 Players

It is possible to buy a Shut the Box game featuring 4 sets of flaps and sometimes 4 sets of dice. Just use the normal Shut the Box rules in one of the following 2 ways: 1. If there are just 2 dice or the dice are the same colour, people take turns to throw the dice and flip their flaps until they can't go any longer. 2. If the central area is big enough and each player has a pair of dice of different colours, then everyone throws the dice at once each turn until they can't go any longer.

Variants

A popular variant for two players is called the 'long game'. The player who goes first attempts to shut the box exactly as above. When the turn ends, the other player takes over the board as it is and attempts to uncover all the covered numbers using exactly the same rules. When a double is thrown, the player gets an extra turn. The player who shuts the box or uncovers the box first, wins. Another way of playing is to add the number of points each round to a player's score. A player has to drop out when that player's score reaches 45 and the last player remaining wins the game. Some people play that the single die option comes into force once the total of the remaining numbers is less than six. An alternative way of calculating the score is occasionally used whereby the number read directly from the available digits on the box is the score for the player. E.g. if the numbers 1, 5 and 9 are uncovered, the score is 159.

These rules are provided by Masters Traditional Games, an Internet shop selling quality traditional games, pub games and unusual games. For general information or for copying and copyright, see our Rules Information page.

Our rules are comprehensive instructions for friendly play. If in doubt, always abide by locally-played or house rules.

Masters Traditional Games Reviews

We shipglobally

Subscribe toMasters of Games Monthly

PRODUCTS

Shut the Box Shutthe Box

Pub Games PubGames

Customers Also Viewed

Bar Billiards Tables and Spares

Table / Bar Skittles

Shove Ha'penny Boards

Cribbage

Bat and Trap

Ringing the Bull

Northamptonshire Table Skittles

Pub Skittles

Top of page - The Rules of Shut the Box

Other Categories New Antique/Used Warehouse Deals Rules Game Index FAQ Practicalities Payment Security & Privacy Delivery & Postage Returns Policy Environmental Policy Modern Slavery Statement Masters Games Games Bulletin Contact Details About Us Blog Visit our Facebook page

Tag » How To Play Shut The Box