X01 is the best-known darts game. The X stands for the starting score: 301, 501 or 701. 501 is played in tournaments and on TV, 301 is shorter and popular with beginners.
- Everyone starts with the same score, usually 301 or 501, and counts down to exactly 0.
- Each visit is three darts. Their points come off your score: a single counts once, a double twice, a treble three times, the bull 25 and the bullseye 50.
- Going below 0 is a bust: the visit does not count.
- With single out any dart can finish the leg. With double out the last dart must be a double or the bullseye, so a score of 1 left is a bust.
- The first to reach exactly 0 wins.
A leg step by step
Jack starts on 501. His first visit: single 20, treble 20, single 5, 85 points in total. His score left is now 416. And so it goes on until only a few points are left.
When it gets close, the most important rule comes in: you have to reach exactly 0. If you score more than you need, you have bust. The whole visit then doesn't count and your score stays where it was before the visit.
Emma has 32 left. She hits single 20 (12 left) and then single 16. That would be 4 points too many: bust. Her score goes back to 32 and it's Jack's turn.
Double out: a double to finish
With double out, the last dart has to be a double or the bullseye. With 32 left you need double 16. If you only hit single 16, 16 is left and you try double 8.
That's also why a score of 1 left is bust with double out: you can't throw a double with one point. With single out, however, you may finish on any segment. That's easier and good for starting out.
Even scores are handy with double out: 40, 32 and 16 can be finished with one dart, and if a dart lands in the single you're left with an even number again. The checkout help shows you which route is best.
Legs, sets and matches
A game from 501 down to 0 is called a leg. Usually you play several legs. With "first to 2 legs", whoever wins two legs first wins. In long matches, legs are grouped into sets, like games and sets in tennis. A different player starts each leg, so the throw alternates.
More rules you can set
- Double in: Your points only count from your first double.
- Master out: You may finish on a double or a treble.
- Free starting score: Any number from 2 to 9999, for example for children or as a handicap.
Where to set this is explained under Setting up a game.