Have you all heard of Table Shuffleboard? Well, I didn't until recently. In fact, only when my work place planned this little event for a social night out.
It turned out to be great. Something a little different. Sporty, great fun to play and a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an evening!!
On Arrival
The venue is called The Little Shuffle Club, located in the heart of Shoreditch, opposite Box Park. It is essentially a bar with their very own shuffle table, where you can learn and play.
Shuffleboard is an American sport and it is best described as a mixture of curling and ten pin bowling. The deck shuffleboard is played on the floor, whilst table shuffleboard is played on a slightly raised table.
Upon arriving at the bar, I quite liked the open plan styling of the space. Minimalist design but quite relaxed and inviting. The bright neon signs also gave it a fresh and funky atmosphere.
Game On
There are two classic 16ft classic shuffleboard tables and one Snapback which is an alternate version of the game with electronic scoring.
My first question was “how do you play?”. The hosts there are very friendly, making us very welcoming and taking time to explain the rules and how to play. It goes something like this.
The players push metal and plastic weighted pucks down a smooth wooden table into a scoring area at the opposite end of the table. Players from different teams take turns in sliding (or more precisely, “shuffling”) the pucks to the opposite end of the board, trying to score points or bump opposing pucks off the board, all the while trying to protect their own pucks from getting bumped off too. You score points if your puck stops in one of the designated numbered areas. If the puck is land partially over the edge of the table, that is called “hanger” which will receive an extra point!
I was really pleased to learn that there aren’t many rules and it was relatively easy to follow. You can play table shuffleboard with any team size, but four to six people per team is ideal.
My work colleagues are a bunch of young, enthusiastic individuals, full of energy and also very competitive. They could not wait to start the showing off their skill at the game, lol.
Of course, I tried my hand at it too. I actually found it harder than it looked. The table was sprinkled with shuffleboard wax (which is similar to a mixture of silicone and crushed walnut shells). Due to this wax, a slight push could let the puck slide down the table at a great distance.
I think the trick is not only to shoot in a straight line to avoid it falling off either side, but also to control the power of the push. It took me quite a while to find a good balance, lol.
Cocktail Bar and Pizza Treat
There is a main bar area where you can get excellent cocktails and craft beer. No joke, the bar is a cocktail haven with a focus on exclusive Patron mixes. Their cocktails were so good I would come here just for the drinks alone, lol.
The barman was so down to earth and friendly, whom you can just have a casual chat with and socialise. The guy I talked showed me the tattoo on his arm that looked like cocktail strainer, lol. Really cool!
The music playing in the background was enjoyable and not too blaring. At one point later that evening, the London Pizza Company showed up and kindly fed us hungry visitors. A fantastic unexpected surprise!
What a beautiful venue and great place to spend a "party night" in London! The table shuffleboard game proved to be so much fun. I learnt to play an awesome new game as well as enjoy some wonderful cocktails and beer. A perfect fun combination for work mates, friends, and dates alike!
Please check this place out if you ever have the chance. :)
大家有听说过沙狐球吗？ 事实上我也没有听说过，直到最近公司组织联谊活动我才第一次接触到。事实证明，这个游戏虽然还不大普及，但非常有趣，老少皆宜，是一种很好的休闲消遣活动！
小沙狐球俱乐部
我和同事们在周五晚上来到了小沙狐球俱乐部。它位于伦敦Shoreditch的主街，Box Park的对面，不难找。这个地方其实就是一个设有沙狐球桌的酒吧，大家可以在这里学玩沙狐球并享受酒吧的氛围。
沙狐球是一项美国的运动，从最早在桌上玩推硬币的游戏，逐渐成为竞技比赛和休闲娱乐的体育项目。沙板沙狐球是在地上玩的，而我今天要和大家介绍的是桌上沙狐球游戏。
走进小沙狐球俱乐部，我蛮喜欢这里开放式的布局，简约大方的设计，让我感觉很温馨舒适。悬挂的霓虹灯招牌非常醒目。
游戏规则
小沙狐球俱乐部有两台经典的16英尺直滑式沙狐球桌。另外在角落还有一台反弹式沙狐球桌，以电子计分。
我们都很迫切想知道这个游戏怎么玩。 店员很友好并耐心地向我们解释游戏规则。它是这样的：
双方轮流将金属与塑料加重的圆盘推向长桌的尽头，滑道区域依次分为发球区，无分区和计分区。推出圆盘最远而且停留在计分区的为胜方。如果圆盘悬于滑倒尽头，称之为有效悬球，可加分！
沙狐球比赛可2人，4人或6人进行。我的同事们都比较年轻，精力充沛而且好强。他们迫不及待地开始炫耀自己的技能，哈哈。
我当然也不落后啦。不过我发现这游戏看着比玩着要容易。桌上撒了球沙，加速了圆盘在桌上滑动的速度，进而也增加了难度。因为轻微的推动就能让圆盘滑出桌子。我也是花了好一会儿才掌握好力度，呵呵。
鸡尾酒和比萨饼
这里的酒吧区不大，但五脏俱全，呵呵。他们的鸡尾酒调得特别好喝，据说每周的鸡尾酒都不一样，很有创新。我觉得单单来这里喝鸡尾酒，也值了。调酒师是一个爽直，热情的小伙子，我们聊了好一会儿，他还给我看他手臂上的鸡尾酒过滤器的纹身，好酷哦！
酒吧的背景音乐也不错，轻松愉快而不嘈杂。他们还安排了美味的比萨饼来慰劳我们这些饥肠辘辘的客人，太棒了!
我们在这里度过了一个很愉快的夜晚，学会有趣的沙狐球游戏的同时，也享受了独特的鸡尾酒和啤酒。我总觉得这里特别适合各种派对，朋友聚会甚至约会，很值得推荐！
