Sources and calculation methods

Checked 2026-10-18. These guides distinguish this website’s rules from rules used by other sets.

This website

Our rules page describes the implemented dice switch, legal moves, scoring and friend rooms. Those claims concern this product, not every version of Shut the Box.

Published rule variations

We read the Wikipedia rules overview and variants section on 2026-10-18. They describe optional one-die play, tile-count scoring, digit-reading scoring and solitaire play. The page carries a citation-quality warning; we do not use its history or win-rate figures as verified facts.

Dice calculations

For two fair independent six-sided dice, enumerate all 36 ordered pairs (a,b), with a and b each from 1 through 6. Count pairs by their sum. Counts from 2 to 12 are 1,2,3,4,5,6,5,4,3,2,1. Divide by 36; round displayed percentages to two decimal places. A grid of all outcomes appears in the probability guide.

For open tiles 7 and 8, only totals 7 and 8 are legal, giving (6+5)/36. For open tiles 1 and 2 under our one-die rule, rolls 1,2,3 permit a move, giving 3/6; only 3 clears the board immediately, giving 1/6. These are next-roll events, not full-game win rates.

Combination calculations

To list moves for 7, enumerate subsets of distinct tile values and retain those summing to 7. There are five: 7, 1+6, 2+5, 3+4, 1+2+4. No value can be used twice. The combination guide shows the complete table.

Classroom activity and images

The classroom routine is a suggested activity, not a measured learning intervention. Article images show our own browser game, captured on 2026-10-18; the shared screenshot is illustrative rather than a record of each example position.