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The darts checkout chart

By , updated

In 501 and 301 alike, you finish on a double: the last dart lands in the outer ring or the bullseye, and the score reaches exactly zero. Here is the route in three darts or fewer for every score from 170 to 2, the one Bullcast shows during the game.

Reading the chart

T20 means treble 20, D16 double 16, 25 the outer bull and Bull the bullseye, which counts as a double. Read the route from left to right: on 100, treble 20 then double 20.

If a dart lands elsewhere, what's left changes, and so does the route: the chart gives the route to start with, not the only one.

The routes are the club charts': the double is set up with a single or a treble, never with another double, and after the first dart the rest stays the chart's.

The bogey numbers

Above 170, there is no three-dart checkout. Below it, seven scores have none either: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159. On those, you play to leave a score you can finish on the next visit.

From 170 to 2

170
T20 T20 Bull
169
No checkout
168
No checkout
167
T20 T19 Bull
166
No checkout
165
No checkout
164
T20 T18 Bull
163
No checkout
162
No checkout
161
T20 T17 Bull
160
T20 T20 D20
159
No checkout
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
T20 T17 D16
142
T20 T14 D20
141
T20 T19 D12
140
T20 T20 D10
139
T20 T13 D20
138
T20 T18 D12
137
T20 T19 D10
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
T19 T19 D6
125
25 T20 D20
124
T20 T16 D8
123
T19 T10 D18
122
T18 T20 D4
121
T20 T15 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
T20 13 D20
112
T20 12 D20
111
T20 11 D20
110
T20 Bull
109
T20 9 D20
108
T20 16 D16
107
T19 Bull
106
T20 6 D20
105
T20 13 D16
104
T18 Bull
103
T20 3 D20
102
T20 10 D16
101
T17 Bull
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
T19 D10
76
T20 D8
75
T17 D12
74
T14 D16
73
T19 D8
72
T16 D12
71
T13 D16
70
T18 D8
69
T19 D6
68
T20 D4
67
T17 D8
66
T10 D18
65
T19 D4
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
51
11 D20
50
10 D20
49
9 D20
48
16 D16
47
15 D16
46
6 D20
45
13 D16
44
12 D16
43
3 D20
42
10 D16
41
9 D16
40
D20
39
7 D16
38
D19
37
5 D16
36
D18
35
3 D16
34
D17
33
1 D16
32
D16
31
15 D8
30
D15
29
13 D8
28
D14
27
11 D8
26
D13
25
9 D8
24
D12
23
7 D8
22
D11
21
5 D8
20
D10
19
3 D8
18
D9
17
1 D8
16
D8
15
7 D4
14
D7
13
5 D4
12
D6
11
3 D4
10
D5
9
1 D4
8
D4
7
3 D2
6
D3
5
1 D2
4
D2
3
1 D1
2
D1

The doubles worth leaving

Double 20 and double 16 are the most played. Double 16 has an edge: a dart in the single 16 leaves 16, which finishes on double 8, then double 4. Leaving 32, 40 or 36 at the end of a visit gives you room.

The chart is for a double out, the competition rule. With a straight out or a master out (a double or a treble to finish), other routes exist.

On Bullcast

During a game of 301 or 501, the TV shows the checkout as soon as there is one, and updates it after every dart. Nobody needs to know the chart by heart.

Start a game of 301

Questions

What is the highest checkout?

170: treble 20, treble 20, then the bullseye. It's called the Big Fish.

Can you finish on the bull?

Yes: the bullseye is worth 50 and counts as a double. So 50 is a one-dart finish, and the bullseye also ends the 170. With three darts in hand, the chart sets up double 20 on 50 instead: 10, then D20.

Why is there no checkout on 169?

Two darts make 120 at most, with two treble 20s. That leaves 49, which is not a double, and no other pair leaves a double on 169.

What if I'm left on 1?

It's a bust: no double is worth 1, the visit doesn't count and you go back to your score before it.