Shut The Box
Also known as Canoga or "Batten down the Hatches", this is the old gambling game for as many players as you like. Player throw the dice and choose to shut either the numbers thrown or sum of the numbers thrown. Each player tries to close all the numbers and thus shut the box!
| Coffee Table Shut the Box 
£49.90 A huge version ideal for public events, parties or just for people who like their games big! | Desktop Shut the Box
£22.90 The same style chest as Old Century Shut the Box but a smaller fun-sized version. | Westnedge Shut The Box
£15.90 Light and dark wood on flipover tabs, a lovely example. |
Jaques Shut the Box
£19.00 Simple wooden version of the game | Dice Box Compendium
£37.90 Shut the Box, Crown & Anchor and several other interesting dice games | Shut the Box Compendium
£29.00 Mahogany Shut the Box + Poker Dice & Cards |
Bookshelf Shut The Box
Out of stock. Designed to fit neatly onto your bookshelf when not in use. |
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A few facts about Shut the Box
It's not known exactly where Shut the box originated from. Most theories point to a source in Northern France; some specify Normandy and the Channel Islands as the specific location and claim that it has been played there for at least two hundred years. There is only evidence for it within England from the middle of the twentieth century, it having reputedly been brought to the South of England from the Channel Islands in 1958 by a Mr. 'Chalky' Towbridge.. One source claims that Shut the Box is also common in Zambia!
An old pub gambling favourite, Shut the Box uses two dice and a special wooden playing tray. The tray features the numbers 1 - 9 in a row, each of which has a hinged cover and a turn involves repeatedly throwing the dice and shutting or covering a number or pair of numbers each throw. The turn ends when no numbers can be covered upon the throw of the dice at which point the player's total is calculated. The ultimate aim is to completely cover all numbers or "shut the box" which results in the best possible score of zero.
For more information on Shut the Box, see the Online Guide to Traditional Games.