Your odds right now
Shut the box is the pub dice game where you roll two dice and flip down tiles that add up to the roll, trying to close all nine. Play it above for free with a helper that knows the maths. With perfect play you shut the box in 9.76% of games, about one in ten. Roll two dice every time and it drops to 7.14%.
How to play shut the box
- All tiles start open, 1 to 9.
- Roll two dice. Shut any open tiles that add up to the total. A 9 could be the 9, or 1 + 8, 4 + 5, or 2 + 3 + 4.
- Keep rolling. Once the open tiles add up to 6 or less, you may roll one die instead.
- When no open tiles make the roll, the game ends. Your score is what’s left open. Shut them all and you’ve won outright.
House rules vary. Pick yours in the settings: 10 or 12 tiles, when one die is allowed, and whether you’re trying to shut the box or just keep your score low.
Shut the box strategy
The helper solves the whole game exactly, every set of open tiles and every roll, so “Show best move” is the truly optimal choice, not a rule of thumb. A few patterns stand out:
- Take the big tiles first. Roll a 9 at the start and shutting the 9 gives a 14.5% chance of finishing. 4 + 5 gives only 6.4%. The 7, 8 and 9 are the tiles you’ll struggle to close later.
- Use fewer tiles. Two tiles beat three for the same roll, because small tiles keep your options open.
- Switch to one die at the right time. With just 1, 2 and 3 left, one die is better. With a lone 6 left you need a 6 either way, but two dice give 5 in 36 versus 1 in 6, so roll one.
The odds panel updates every turn, so you can watch your chances climb and fall as you play. More dice games: poker dice, the Farkle score sheet and the dice probability calculator.