How to play 501
The classic darts game — first to zero, finish on a double.
The basics
Both players start on 501 points. You take turns throwing three darts, and everything you score is subtracted from your total. The first player to reach exactly zero wins the leg — but the dart that brings you to zero must land in a double (the thin outer ring, or the inner bullseye which counts as double 25).
A single game to zero is a leg. Matches are usually played best-of-odd legs (first to 2 of 3, 3 of 5…), sometimes grouped into sets.
Busts: when a visit does not count
Your visit is a bust and your score resets to what it was before the visit if you:
- go below zero,
- land exactly on 1 (no double can finish from 1), or
- reach zero without finishing on a double.
After a bust the turn simply passes — no extra penalty.
Scoring a visit
Each dart scores its sector: singles face value, the outer ring doubles it, the thin inner ring trebles it. Treble 20 is the biggest single-dart score (60), so a perfect visit is 180. The outer bull scores 25, the bullseye 50.
Example: you are on 121. You hit T20 (60), S19 (19), then D21 does not exist — you aim D16 but hit S16. You scored 95 and stand on 26 for the next visit.
The checkout
From 170 down, the leg can end in one visit. Good players do not just throw big — they set up finishes: leaving 32 (D16) is popular because hitting a single 16 by mistake still leaves a double (16 → D8). The highest possible finish is 170 (T20 T20 Bull); some numbers — 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159 — cannot be finished in three darts at all.
See the full darts checkout chart for the standard route from every score.
Practice tips
- Groupings beat hero darts: a steady 60 visit (S20 ×3) wins amateur legs.
- Learn one finishing ladder (D16 or D20) and steer everything toward it.
- Track your first-9-darts average and your doubles percentage separately — they fail for different reasons.
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FAQ
Do you have to finish on a double in 501?
In standard rules, yes — the last dart must land in a double (or the bullseye). Casual “straight out” play skips this rule, and most scorers, DartsKeeper included, let you toggle it.
What is a 9-darter?
The perfect leg: 501 scored in nine darts, the minimum possible. A common route is 180, 180, then 141 (T20 T19 D12).
What is the difference between 501 and 301?
Only the starting score. 301 is faster and often played straight-in/double-out; some pub rules require a double to start scoring as well.