How to Win at Darts 501: Scoring & Checkout Tips
Darts 501 is won in two stages. First you bring your score down quickly, then you finish exactly on zero with a double before the CPU does. Most games are lost at the end, not the start, so this guide covers both heavy scoring and the checkout habits that close a game out.
Darts 501Play Darts 501 ›
Throw a steady dart
When you press and hold, the aim wobbles and then shrinks as you steady your hand. Release once the wobble is at its smallest and the sight is drifting over your target. Hold too long and your hand tires, so the wobble grows again. Find the moment that works for you and use the same rhythm on every throw.
Score heavily early
Treble 20 is the highest-scoring bed on the board, worth 60, and three of them make a maximum 180. Aim there while your score is high. If your darts keep drifting into the 1 or the 5 on either side, switch to treble 19, whose neighbours, 7 and 3, cost you less when you miss. Any visit of 100 or more is a good one, so do not chase a perfect visit at the cost of steady scoring.
Plan your finish
You must finish on a double, and the double counts twice its number. That means you want to leave an even number, ideally one you can split in half repeatedly. Leaving 32 is a classic choice: miss double 16 into the single 16 and you are left on 16, then 8, then 4, all still doubles. Leaving 40, for double 20, is another favourite.
Avoid the bust
If a dart takes you below zero, or leaves you on exactly 1, the whole visit is a bust and your score goes back to where it started. When you are on an odd number, throw at a single odd number first to set up an even finish. When you are close to the end, never throw at a treble just because it is there.
Use Around the clock to practise
Around the clock asks you to hit 1 to 20 in order. It is the perfect way to learn how the wobble moves your dart around different parts of the board, including the awkward numbers on the left and bottom. Better accuracy there turns straight into easier checkouts against the CPU in 501.
Questions
- What is the best number to leave for a finish?
- 32 is a great leave, because you can keep halving it after a miss. 40, for double 20, is also popular.
- Why did my visit not count?
- You went below zero or left yourself on 1, which is a bust. Your score goes back to what it was.
- Should I always aim for treble 20?
- While your score is high, yes. Near the finish, aim for the numbers that set up your double instead.
Darts 501Play Darts 501 ›