Gameland Shut The Box Game

Shut the Box, also called Canoga, Klackers, Batten Down the Hatches, and Jackpot, is a game of dice for one or more players, commonly played in a group of two to four for stakes.

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.

A round of the game consists of each player taking one turn. A player’s takes a turn by repeatedly throwing the dice until the player 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 up a set of unique uncovered numbers that add up to the sum thrown.