If you’re looking for a unique game for your game room that you can play with family and friends while also knowing that none of them will have it, look no further than Sjoelen.
Sjoelen is also known as Dutch shuffleboard and is played on a game table called a Sjoelbak. It involves sliding 30 small round concave wooden disks to the other end of the table through scoring compartments to gain points and outscore your opponent during a turn which is made of three sub turns.
In the Netherlands it is common to find Sjoelen played in schools to teach kids math skills and is also found in homes, bars, retirement homes and in competitive leagues throughout the country for all ages. A quality Sjoelbak table set generally costs about $165 – $215 although cheaper sets can be found for about $60.
How do you prounounce Sjoelen?
Sjoelen is pronounced Shoo-lin. This is the game itself.
While the game was invented in the Netherlands, it is also popular in other European countries like Belgium and Germany (known as Jakkolo).
How do you pronounce Sjoelbak?
Sjoelbak is pronounced Shool-bahk. This is the table that Sjoelen is played on.
Sjoelbak is derived from an old Dutch word for to shove a penny. Bak refers to a board so the table came to be known as Sjoelbak.
Old English games liked Shove Ha’Penny involved pushing a penny or coins down a board and since then numerous derivatives have appeared in different countries.
How to play Sjoelen and win
Each player has one turn consisting of three sub-turns to slide 30 disks towards the scoring end. The general goal of Sjoelen is to slide all 30 of your discs through the four numbered scoring compartments at the bottom of the table in the three sub turns you have to do so.
The interesting thing about Sjoelen is that you are incentivized to aim at all four compartments not just the highest scoring ones. If you fill each compartment with four disks by the end of your turn, you get double points for every set of four you can assemble as we’ll describe below.
The rules of Sjoelen play and scoring
Here’s how the game is played.
Sub turn 1: You slide all 30 of your disks towards the scoring end to complete your first sub turn. Then you stack any disks that are fully inside any of the scoring compartments.
Sub turn 2: You take your remaining disks that were not fully inside the compartments and slide them down the table for your second sub turn and again remove any disks that fully enter a compartment.
Sub turn 3: Remaining disks are then pushed down the table in your third and final sub turn and at the end of this final sub turn your score is added up.
Scoring: A disk has to completely enter a compartment for it to be scored. At the of the turn (ie. 3 sub turns have been completed) you start by taking one disk from each compartment (if possible) to complete a set. So you would take one disk from each compartment 1, 2, 3 and 4. For every set you complete, you add the points and then double it to get 20 points (i.e. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10. 10 x 2 = 20) for each set.
After you have removed all sets of 4, you simply take the remaining disks in the compartments and add their scores together normally and add that number to the number you got from the sets above.
Now it’s your opponent’s turn to try and beat your score.
Here is a short video on how to play the game of Sjoelen along with the rules in detail.
Sjoelbak table size and dimensions
A Sjoelbak table measures 2m long x 0.4 m wide with three raised sides each around 5 cm high (6.6′ x 1.3′ with sides 2″ high). At the end of the table without a side barrier is where you stand and slide the 30 disks towards the scoring gate bar which is a piece of wood with small slots marked from left to right with 2, 3, 4 and 1 metal studs above each slot respectively which correspond to the points you score for every disk you push through that particular slot.
A quality Sjoelbak table is typically made from Africa hardwoods like Abura and Meranti. You can also buy tables made with parts made with beech plywood or beechwood.
A Sjoebak table set comes with 30 round marginally concave (on both sides) wooden disks with a diameter of 5.2 cm (2″) and 1.3 cm (0.5″) high made from solid beechwood. The slightly concave design of the disks allows them to slide quicker and more smoothly on the board than if they were flat.
Sjoelbak board care tips and hints to win
- A perfect score is 148.
- A gentle push is required to slide the disks far enough but not so hard that they lose control and bounce back.
- Concentrate and aim carefully when sliding your disk. Hand-eye coordination is important for success.
- You can bounce disks off one another to push them through the gate into a compartment to score.
- Sjoelen can be played individually to practice and improve your skills.
- You can also play with 2 players or in groups.
- If your disk lands partially on top of another disk it’s called a Bak (Goat). You can replay the disk that landed on top.
- A wooden bar is included to hold the disks in place in the compartment when the game isn’t being used.
- The wooden bar can also be used to determine if a disk is fully inside a compartment or not by pushing it up against the opening of the compartments to see if it touches a disk which would indicate it is not completely inside the compartment and therefore doesn’t score.
- Use furniture polish and a terry cloth to keep the playing surface clean and slick for the disks to slide on.
Summary
While Sjoelen is referred to as Dutch Shuffleboard, it’s a different game from shuffleboard when you consider the way it is scored and the way the game board is designed. A Sjoelbak table is small enough that it can fit in many game rooms or even on top of a living room table or other large table for play. Some tables are foldable to make them more compact.
While prices range and a cheaper game set may cost around $60, a decent set will cost about $165 – $215.