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National Table Shuffleboard Day

Hobby · September 17

A day for table shuffleboard, the bar and basement game where players slide weighted pucks down a long wooden board toward the far edge.

National Table Shuffleboard Day falls on Friday, September 17, 2027. That is 325 days away.

Table shuffleboard is played on a long, narrow wooden board with a gutter on each side. Players take turns sliding metal and plastic weights, usually called pucks, toward the far end. The closer a puck stops to the edge without falling off, the more points it scores.

The board is the star. It is often coated with a smooth finish and dusted with a fine powder, sometimes called shuffleboard wax, so the pucks glide instead of drag. A good slide looks effortless. A bad one either stops halfway or sails straight into the gutter, and everyone at the table makes the same small noise.

Strategy matters more than it first seems. Players knock an opponent's puck off the board, guard their own with a blocker, or try for the hanger, a puck balanced partly over the end of the board. Games can be played one on one or in teams of two.

Most people meet the game in a bar, a bowling alley, a lodge hall or a friend's finished basement. Some boards are short enough to fit in a game room, while others stretch long across a room. Either way, the game rewards a light touch and a little patience, and it is easy to learn in a single round.

If you find a board, sprinkle a little powder before you start. The difference in speed is noticeable from the first slide.

Ways to celebrate

• Look for a local bar, alley or lodge with a shuffleboard table.
• Teach a friend the basic scoring rules and play one round.
• Try aiming for a hanger at least once.
• Play a team game of two against two.

Dates

Categories: Hobby days