| Genre(s) | Dice-rolling, Solitaire |
|---|---|
| Players | 1 (Solitaire) or more |
| Age range | 6 and up |
| Setup time | 1 minute |
| Playing time | 15 minutes per player |
| Random chance | High (Dice rolling) |
| Skill(s) required | Risk management, Arithmetic |
Shut the Box, also called Tric-Trac, Canoga, Klackers, Zoltan Box, Batten Down the Hatches, or High Rollers, is a game of dice for one or more players, commonly played in a group of two to four for stakes. Traditionally, a counting box is used with tiles numbered 1 to 9 where each can be covered with a hinged or sliding mechanism, though the game can be played with only a pair of dice, pen, and paper. Variations exist where the box has up to 10 or 12 tiles.
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At the start of the game all levers or tiles are cleared, showing all the numerals 1 through 9. On a player's turn, they roll the pair of dice and then cover or "shut" certain numbers that equal the total of their dice roll. For example, a roll totaling 5 allows the player to shut either 1 and 4, 2 and 3, or just 5.
The player then rolls the dice again, aiming to shut out more numbers. This continues until the player cannot shut any available numbers, at which point they score one point per number covered. If the player manages to cover all the numbers in the game, they have "Shut the Box". Otherwise play passes to the next player, and after everyone takes a set number of turns the highest total score wins.
In recent years, variations of the game have developed due to its growing popularity.
The following are examples of known variations in play, setup, and scoring:
The origin is not known but there exist references from at least as long ago as the 12th century to the game being played in Normandy (northern France) or the Channel Islands (English Channel, United Kingdom). Others also mention fur trappers from the Hudson's Bay Company. The game grew popular among sailors and fishermen.
Evidence of the game exists in England from the middle of the 20th century, but it is possible that it did not originate there. Timothy Finn writes in Pub Games of England that it came from the Channel Islands in 1958 with a Mr. 'Chalky' Towbridge. It is said that versions have also been played in Barotseland (Zambia, central Africa). The game is also popular in the beer bars of Thailand using special rules.
Shut the Box is also the basis of the popular TV quiz show High Rollers, which ran from 1974–76 and 1978-80 on NBC with Alex Trebek as the host. The show resurfaced from 1987 to 1988, this time hosted by Wink Martindale.