How do you play 501 darts?
Everyone starts on 501 and subtracts what they hit. The first player to reach exactly zero with the last dart in a double (or the bullseye) wins. You throw three darts per turn and players take turns.
If you score more than you have left, leave 1, or reach zero on anything but a double, you bust. A bust wipes out that whole turn and play passes on. 301 uses the same rules from a shorter start, and with double out switched off any dart can finish.
How does dartboard scoring work?
| Where it lands | Points |
|---|---|
| Big bed (single) | The number itself, 1 to 20 |
| Outer thin ring (double) | Twice the number |
| Inner thin ring (treble) | Three times the number, treble 20 is the top at 60 |
| Outer bull | 25 |
| Bullseye | 50, and it counts as a double |
| Off the board | 0 |
The numbers follow the standard layout clockwise from the top: 20, 1, 18, 4, 13, 6, 10, 15, 2, 17, 3, 19, 7, 16, 8, 11, 14, 9, 12, 5. High numbers sit next to low ones so a stray dart costs you. The best possible turn is three treble 20s for 180.
What is the checkout hint?
It is the order of darts that finishes your score this turn. When you have 170 or less and a finish exists, it shows in pink on your score card.
- 170: treble 20, treble 20, bullseye. The biggest three dart finish.
- 40: double 20, the favourite finish of the pros.
- 32: double 16. Miss into single 16 and you still have double 8 to go at.
- No finish: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159 cannot be checked out with three darts.
How do Cricket and Round the Clock work?
In Cricket you close 15 through 20 and the bull by hitting each three times, and you win once everything is closed and you are level or ahead on points. A single counts once, a double twice, a treble three times (outer bull once, bullseye twice).
- Marks: one hit draws a slash, two an X, three a circled X for closed.
- Points: extra hits on a number you closed score its value while your opponent still has it open.
- Round the Clock: hit 1 through 20 in order. Any part of the right number moves you on, and your target glows yellow on the board.
Tips for better darts
- Release when the sight lingers. The hand wobble follows a steady rhythm, so it always drifts back over your target.
- Try treble 19 if treble 20 keeps missing. Its neighbours are 7 and 3, which hurt less than the 1 and 5 beside 20.
- Leave an even number. Even scores can finish on one double, and numbers that keep halving like 32 and 40 are best.
- In Cricket, close the high numbers first. Owning 20 lets you outscore your opponent fastest.
The CPU scatters its darts around its target like a normal distribution: wide on Easy, tight on Hard. Your fewest darts in solo play and your wins against each CPU level are saved in this browser.