At the start of a leg of 501, you’ll need to hit three big trebles (or two and the bull) to get below 351 and keep your hopes for a 9-darter alive. If you stumble out of the gate with a poor first round, two big trebles are enough to get you back in the race for a 12 dart leg. Unfortunately, there are many minefields for starting scores in this range. Two treble 20’s and a stray outside the 20 – (think: 121, 123, 125, 135) can result in a bogey for many of these starting scores, as can a poorly considered cover shot.
In summary, do your math here and avoid ending the round with a score of 349, 348, 346, 345, 343, 342, or 339, as these scores make it impossible to leave a checkout after the next round.
With most of this range, a score of 140 will get you to your goal, with the exception of a just a few of the scores listed below which will require a bit more finesse to reach a safe number below 351.
Notice for 489, 488, 486, 485, 483, 482, and 479, we’re not throwing the first dart at treble 20. This is because a single 20 will put you on a bogey. For instance, if you score 20 from 489 you’ll be left with 469 from which you can not reach a score with your two remaining darts that can be taken out in the next two rounds. Start on 19’s and if you hit the single, two treble 20’s will take you to 350 for the next round. For 488, 485, and 482, single 19 also puts you on a bogey, so start with 18.
Generally speaking, you don’t need to score more than 100 from here to have a chance to leave a checkout after the next round. However, the danger zone mentioned above (349, 348, 346, 345, 343, 342, 339) still must be avoided.
The advice here isn’t to throw a 58 from 408. The suggestion is that if your first two attempts at treble 20 land in the single 20, throw the third dart at the 18’s.
If you look the last row above, you will see that scores of 60-180 will all leave you on a 6 dart checkout. There are no bogeys in this range, so score as much as you can. The more you can score from here the easier it will be to leave a good checkout after the next round.
At the top of this range you’ll need three big trebles to reach a score of 170 or less (avoiding the bogey numbers 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, 159). A score of 140 is sufficient at the bottom of the range.
Notice for 309, 308, 306, 305, 303, 302, and 299, we’re not throwing the first dart at treble 20. This is because a single 20 will put you on a bogey. For instance, if you score 20 from 309 you’ll be left with 289 from which you can not reach a checkout with your two remaining darts. Start on 19’s and if you hit the single, two treble 20’s will take you to 170 for the next round. For 308, 305, 302 a single 19 is also a bogey, so start with 18.
A score of 140 is good at the top of this range, scores around 100 will work in the middle and 60 is not quite enough at the bottom of the range. A big score could leave you with a two dart checkout.
Bogey numbers to avoid: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, 159.
At this point you don’t need more than three big singles to leave you on a checkout for the next round, but one and two dart checkouts can be reached with a big score.
Bogey numbers to avoid: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, 159.
You're at the end. Remember the minefield from 99-110? Here is the same minefield + 60. If you're starting your turn on one of the impossible finishes, the good news is that you don't have to worry about taking it out.
When you're under 200 with one dart in hand, you need to avoiding shooting at a number where the single will leave you on an impossible finish. You can even look to the neighboring numbers and consider if there is a safety there as well.
Remember that 158 and below are all safe for your next turn.
For example,
If you're at 195 with one dart left, the only single that will leave you an opportunity on you next turn would be SB.
If you're at 188 with one dart left, S20 would leave you stranded on 168, whereas S18 would leave 170.
If you're at 168 with one dart left, shooting at the T16 is a good option. It is surrounded by numbers that will guarantee you a chance at a finish on your next turn. T20, T19, T18, T17 all have traps around them.
These are tough and don't have safety nets. The good news is that they're simpler since you must hit 2 specific trebles to finish them. You have to know your 2 dart 80-90's finishes.
There isn't much point worrying about whether the number is odd or even. Most likely there's going to be a T19 or T20 involved so just throw your first dart at the treble you're most comfortable with. If you get the treble, then you can evaluate where to go next. If you hit a single you can't finish it anyhow so keep pounding your favorite treble.
Eventually, you'll see how to get to a preferred finish for your next turn. It's important that you know the lower finishes before you have to worry about this aspect of the game.
For simplicity, you can start with T20 on all of these if you prefer.
This range is the first that requires you to hit 2 trebles in order to finish. You have to know your 2 dart 70-something finishes.
The exception to the 2 trebles rule is 132 and 135 where you can start with a SB.
This range is very interesting. It's very similar to the 60's. You must always shoot for the triple that will leave you a 2 dart finish if you only hit a single. You have to know the 100-110 range. If you do hit the triple, you're left with a 2 dart 60-something finish. (Learn those ones first!)
128 & 129 should be avoided if possible. If you follow the above rule and only hit a single you'll be forced to hit a triple on your second dart.
Remember that with 2 darts, if you're above 70 then you MUST hit a triple to finish. Being above 70 means that you lose the "hail mary" throw at the DB.
From here on, you'll need all three darts to finish. You'll need to know the danger spots from the previous range in order to avoid them.
This range is the highest of the possible 2 dart finishes. What makes this range very interesting is that half of them cannot be finished with 2 darts. Welcome to the minefield! With 3 darts in your hand, pay attention to the numbers on either side of your target. If you stray and hit the number next door, will you still have a chance at a 2 dart finish, or will you guarantee your opponent another turn?
101 is a great example. T17 is popular as the first of 3 darts since it leaves 50. If you hit S2, that leaves 99 and your opponent is guaranteed another turn.
Now you're into the finishes that require at least a Triple or a Bull. For most of these, it makes sense to go for SB on the first dart. It might seem strange but it means not having to hit a triple. If you only have 2 darts, you MUST hit a triple to finish so don't worry about the bull.
You're now into the tough finishes. If you find yourself here with only 2 darts, you MUST hit a triple to finish . If you're in this situation AND your opponent is also on a finish, it makes sense to go for an "unconventional" triple in order to leave 60 or less with your last 2 darts. If you hit the intended triple it may leave you a "bad" double but a bad double is better than no double at all.
Learn this range!! With 3 darts, you can still finish without hitting a triple. Pay close attention when you only have 2 darts in your hand since you should ALWAYS shoot for the triple that will leave 50 if you only hit a single . Don't put all of your eggs in the triple basket. Instead, leave yourself a "backup parachute" shot at the Double Bull with your last dart.
This is a good place to be. You only need 2 darts to finish and you don't need a triple or DB. If your opponent is also on a double or if you only have 2 darts in your hand, you should consider the 2 dart safety shots.
This is the best place to be.