Schanzeln or Schanz'ln is a variation of the European skittles game of Kegeln, at which very high wagers were often placed, which is why it ended up on the list of games prohibited in Austria-Hungary in 1904. One enthusiastic fan of this game was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Schanze described the skittles game whereby all the money wagered was won by the player who knocked over the most skittles.
Schanze derives from the French word chance. Schanzel is the diminutive form and schanzeln the verb that derives from it.