Darts checkouts from 170 down

A finish in 501 or 301 must end on a double. This page lists one sensible route for every total and explains how the routes are chosen.

How the routes are chosen

The table below comes from the same checkout routine the computer opponent uses. For each total it looks for the shortest finish first — one dart, then two, then three — and among equal routes it prefers big trebles that are easy to group, finishing doubles that halve cleanly after a miss, and the 20s and 16s over awkward numbers.

There are other good routes for many totals; players have favourites. What matters is to know one route for every number so you never have to work it out under pressure.

Numbers with no three-dart finish

The highest checkout is 170: treble 20, treble 20, bull. No total above it can be finished in three darts, and seven below it cannot either: 159, 162, 163, 165, 166, 168 and 169. When you are scoring towards a finish, steer clear of them.

Leave a double that forgives

Double 16 is a favourite for a reason: a dart in the single 16 leaves 16, which is double 8, and a single 8 leaves double 4. Every miss into the single still leaves a double. Double 20 (40 → 20 → 10) and double 12 work the same way. Odd numbers never do, so with an odd total the first dart is a set-up rather than a scoring shot.

Checkout table

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