Basics

Information for Beginners | Dart Board Setup | Basic Games | Out Shot Chart

Information for Beginners

A dartboard has 20 pie-shaped wedges. The 20’s are always at the top, in "12 o'clock" position. The small outer ring is called a double ring. It goes around the very outside of the pie-wedges. Then there is a section which counts as a single of that number. Midway to the bulls, there is another small ring, called the triple ring. A triple 20 would count as three marks in cricket, or 60 points in X01. There is another singles section, and then the bulls. Bulls have an outer circle (the single bull, worth 25 points) and an inner circle (the double-bull, worth 50 points.)

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Dart Board Setup

The height of the board, from floor-level to the center of the bull, should be 5 feet 8 inches. (173 Centimeters.) If you're floor isn't level, then "floor level" means the height where the player will be standing when they throw. (I've seen a pub or two with signifigant slants in their floor, so this does come up from time to time. Most of the time, of course, the floor is going to be level.)

The throwing distance is usually 7 foot 9 and 1/4 inches. (237 centimeters.) (Soft-tip uses a different distance.) The throwing distance is measured on the floor from the throwing line to the front of the dartboard. Don't measure to the wall, or you'll be off by a couple of inches (due to the thickness of the board.)

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X01 and Cricket : The basic games.

These two games are the most common dart games. In this area, at least 95% of the darts you play will probably be one of these two.

There are several versions of X01. 301, 501, 601, 1001 are all fairly common. You start with however many points (301, 501, etc), and subtract whatever you hit, trying to reach exactly zero. The only catch is that the last dart must be a double, and in some versions (301, for instance) you have to hit a double in order to start scoring. Anything hit before you hit your double-in doesn’t count.

The other common game is cricket. In cricket, the only numbers that count are the 20’s, 19’s, 18’s, 17’s, 16’s, 15’s, and bulls. You have to "close" each of those numbers (and the bulls) by hitting three of that number. (If you hit a single 20 on one throw, and two 20's on the next throw, then you have closed 20's. Ideally, you want a triple-20, which would close it in one dart.)

You can also score in cricket by hitting a number again after you’ve closed, assuming your opponent hasn’t closed that number. (So if you've closed 18's, and your opponent hasn't, and you hit two 18's, you've scored 36 points.) To win, you have to close all the numbers, and be either tied or ahead on points.

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Out Shot Chart

When playing any version of x01, you have to go out on a double. Some doubles are preferable to others. An out chart is used to help you find the optimum method of setting up for a good double out. Most dart pubs will have an out chart on the wall near the dartboard.

T - Triple
D - Double
B - Bulls-eye

Print Chart

170 – T20 T20 DB 167 – T20 T19 DB 164 – T20 T18 DB 161 – T20 T17 DB 160 – T20 T20 D20 158 – T20 T20 D19 157 – T20 T19 D20 156 – T20 T20 D18 155 – T20 T19 D19 154 – T20 T18 D20 153 – T20 T19 D18 152 – T20 T20 D16 151 – T20 T17 D20 150 – T20 T18 D18 149 – T20 T19 D16 148 – T20 T16 D20 147 – T20 T17 D18 146 – T20 T18 D16 145 – T20 T15 D20 144 – T20 T20 D12 143 – T19 T18 D16 142 – T20 T14 D20 141 – T20 T19 D12 140 – T20 T20 D10 139 – T19 T14 D20 138 – T20 T18 D12 137 – T17 T16 D16 136 – T20 T20 D8 135 – T20 T17 D12 134 – T20 T14 D16 133 – T20 T19 D8 132 – T20 T16 D12 131 – T20 T13 D16 130 – T20 T18 D8 129 – T19 T16 D12 128 – T18 T14 D16 127 – T20 T17 D8 126 – T20 T10 D18 125 – T20 T11 D16 124 – T20 T16 D8 123 – T19 T14 D12 122 – T18 T20 D4 121 – T17 T18 D8 120 – T20 20 D20 119 – T19 T10 D16 118 – T20 18 D20 117 – T20 17 D20

116 – T20 16 D20 115 – T20 15 D20 114 – T20 14 D20 113 – T19 16 D20 112 – T20 12 D20 111 – T19 14 D20 110 – T20 10 D20 109 – T20 9 D20 108 – T19 19 D16 107 – T20 15 D16 106 – T20 14 D16 105 – T19 8 D20 104 – T18 10 D20 103 – T17 12 D20 102 – T19 13 D16 101 – T17 10 D20 100 – T20 D20 99 – T19 10 D16 98 – T20 D19 97 – T19 D20 96 – T20 D18 95 – T19 D19 94 – T18 D20 93 – T19 D18 92 – T20 D16 91 – T17 D20 90 – T18 D18 89 – T19 D16 88 – T16 D20 87 – T17 D18 86 – T18 D16 85 – T15 D20 84 – T20 D12 83 – T17 D16 82 – T14 D20 81 – T19 D12 80 – T20 D10 79 – T13 D20 78 – T18 D12 77 – T15 D16 76 – T20 D8 75 – T17 D12 74 – T14 D16 73 – T19 D8 72 – T16 D12 71 – T13 D16

70 – T18 D8 69 – T15 D12 68 – T20 D4 67 – T17 D8 66 – T14 D12 65 – T11 D16 64 – T16 D8 63 – T13 D12 62 – T10 D16 61 – T15 D8 60 – 20 D20 59 – 19 D20 58 – 18 D20 57 – 17 D20 56 – 16 D20 55 – 15 D20 54 – 14 D20 53 – 13 D20 52 – 12 D20 or 20 D16 51 – 11 D20 or 19 D16 50 – 18 D16 or 10 D20 49 – 17 D16 48 – 16 D16 or 8 D20 47 – 15 D16 46 – 6 D20 or 10 D18 45 – 15 D20 44 – 12 D16 or 4 D20 43 – 3 D20 42 – 10 D16 41 – 9 D16 40 – D20 39 – 7 D16 38 – D19 35 – 3 D16 or 19 D8 34 – D17 33 – 17 D8 32 – D16 31 – 15 D16 30 – D15 29 – 13 D8 28 – D14 27 – 3 D12 26 – D13 25 – 17 D4 or 9 D8

Print Chart

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