Shut the Box Strategy: Which Tiles to Close First
Nov 7, 2026 · The Editors
Shut the box strategy explained: close high tiles first, when to use one die, which combinations to choose, how the odds work, how often the box can be shut — and strategy for 12-tile boards.
Shut the Box is mostly luck — but not entirely. Every roll gives you a choice of which flaps to close, and choosing well makes a real difference to your average score. (New to the game? Start with the Shut the Box rules.)
The core rule: close high tiles first
When you have a choice, close the higher numbers.
The reason is simple. Two dice roll totals of 7 most often, then 6 and 8, then 5 and 9. Totals like 2, 3, 11 and 12 are rare. High tiles — 7, 8, 9 — can only be closed by high rolls. Low tiles can be closed by almost any roll, alone or in combination. Leave the flexible low tiles for later, when you need them to make up odd totals.
So with a roll of 9, close the 9 rather than 5 and 4, or 6 and 2 and 1.
Prefer fewer tiles
When you cannot close a single tile — say the 9 is already shut — choose the combination with fewer tiles and higher numbers: 8 and 1 rather than 4, 3 and 2. Each low tile you keep is another way to make future totals.
The dice odds
| Total | Ways to roll | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or 12 | 1 | 3% each |
| 3 or 11 | 2 | 6% each |
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 8% each |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 11% each |
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 14% each |
| 7 | 6 | 17% |
Keeping open the tiles that make the common totals — 6, 7 and 8 — keeps you alive longest.
When to use one die
Most rules let you roll one die once the 7, 8 and 9 are closed (or once the open tiles add up to six or less).
- Use one die when the tiles left are mostly low — 1 to 6. One die can roll any of them.
- Keep two dice if you have a combination that needs a high total, such as 4 and 5 still open.
Rolling one die with only a 6 open gives you a one-in-six chance; rolling two dice gives you five in thirty-six — slightly less. With only small tiles open, one die is almost always better.
How often can you shut the box?
Not often. On the classic 9-tile box, even with the best possible choices, the box is shut only roughly one game in ten. A low score is the realistic aim; a shut box is a celebration.
Strategy for 12-tile boards
On a 1–12 box, the same rules apply, with more emphasis: the 10, 11 and 12 can only be closed with big rolls or combinations, so close them whenever you can. Expect higher scores than on a 9-tile box.
Strategy for "digital" scoring
If you score by reading the open tiles as a number (2, 4 and 9 left scores 249), the number of tiles left matters more than their total. Close tiles in combinations that leave as few flaps as possible.
