How to Play Cricket Darts – Rules, Scoring, Strategy, and Variations

Cricket is the second most popular dart game in the world and the most played format in the USA. If you’ve walked into an American bar with a dartboard, the odds are good that someone was playing cricket. It’s also the default game mode on most electronic dartboards, which means millions of casual players encounter cricket before they ever learn 501.

What makes cricket different from 501 or any other dart game is the strategic layer. Every turn presents a genuine decision: close a new number, score on an open one, or block your opponent’s scoring channel. There’s no single “correct” play – the right move depends on the scoreboard, your opponent’s marks, and how confident you are in hitting specific segments. That decision-making is what keeps cricket endlessly replayable.

This guide covers everything about how to play cricket darts – from the basic rules to the strategy that separates beginners from experienced players. If you’re looking for a broader overview of dart games, see our complete dart games guide which covers 22 games including cricket.

What Are the Rules of Cricket Darts?

Cricket is played on a standard dartboard but only 7 segments matter: 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and the bullseye. Everything else on the board is dead space – hit it and nothing happens.

The catch: you can only score on a number if you’ve closed it AND your opponent hasn’t. The moment your opponent also gets 3 marks on that number, it’s dead for both players. Nobody can score on it anymore. This creates the core tension of cricket – close fast to block your opponent, or score while the window is open.

Turns: Each player throws 3 darts per turn, just like 501. Players alternate turns. A game between two intermediate players typically lasts 15-20 minutes.

How Does Scoring Work in Cricket?

Scoring has two parts: marks (for closing) and points (for winning).

Marks: Hit any valid number and you earn marks toward closing it. A single = 1 mark. A double = 2 marks. A treble = 3 marks (closes the number in one dart). You need exactly 3 marks to close. Extra marks on the same dart that takes you past 3 convert into points immediately.

Points: After closing a number, each hit scores the face value. Hit single 20 = 20 points. Hit double 20 = 40 points. Hit treble 20 = 60 points. These points add to your running total.

The bullseye: The outer bull counts as 1 mark (worth 25 points for scoring). The inner bull counts as 2 marks (worth 50 points for scoring). You need 3 marks total on the bullseye to close it – so inner bull + outer bull = 3 marks = closed. Some house rules treat the entire bullseye as one zone (any 3 hits close it). Check with your opponent before the game starts if you’re playing on a bristle board without automatic scoring.

Overflow marks: If you have 1 mark on 20 and hit a treble 20 (3 marks), you now have 4 marks – 3 close the number and the extra 1 mark converts to 20 points immediately. The same applies to doubles – 2 marks on 19 plus a double 19 (2 more marks) gives you 4 total: 3 close, 1 extra = 19 points scored. This overflow mechanic means trebles and doubles are even more valuable than they appear.

Round-by-round scoring example

Here’s what a real cricket game looks like between two players.

Round	Player A throws	Player A result	Player B throws	Player B result
1	T20, S20, S20	20 closed + 20 pts	T19, S20, S20	19 closed, 20: 2 marks
2	S20, S20, T19	40 pts added (total: 60), 19 closed	S20, T18, S17	20 closed (stops A scoring), 18 closed, 17: 1 mark
3	T18, S18, S17	18 closed, 17: 1 mark	D17, S17, S19	17 closed, 19 pts (total: 19)
4	D17, S16, S16	17 closed, 16: 2 marks	T16, S15, S15	16 closed, 15: 2 marks

After 4 rounds: Player A leads 60-19 on points but Player B has closed more numbers. The game is wide open. Player A’s early 20-point scoring advantage could evaporate if B starts scoring on 19 or opens up 15 before A does.

How Do You Keep Score in Cricket?

The traditional cricket scoreboard has the 7 target numbers listed vertically down the centre, with each player’s marks on either side and point totals at the bottom.

Marks are recorded with a simple notation: first hit = a slash (/), second hit = an X (the slash becomes a cross), third hit = circle the X (number is closed). Points are tallied in a running total below.

On electronic dartboards, all of this is handled automatically – you just throw. For bristle boards, you’ll need a chalkboard, whiteboard, or a phone app. DartCounter and My Dart Training both support cricket scoring. TheDartScout recommends DartCounter for cricket because it tracks marks visually and calculates points automatically.

What Is the Best Strategy for Cricket Darts?

Cricket strategy breaks into three phases: opening, middle game, and endgame. Most beginners play all three the same way. Don’t.

Opening strategy: close 20 first

Always start with 20. It’s the highest-value number, which means it scores the most points once open and costs you the most if your opponent opens it first. A treble 20 on your first dart closes the number instantly and puts immediate pressure on your opponent.

After 20, move to 19, then 18. The descending order isn’t arbitrary – higher numbers are worth more points, so closing them first gives you the most scoring potential and denies the most to your opponent. Some advanced players break this pattern situationally (attacking a number their opponent has already partially marked) but for 90% of cricket games, 20-19-18-17-16-15-bull is the correct sequence.

Middle game: close vs score

This is where cricket gets interesting. You’ve closed 20 and your opponent hasn’t. Do you score on 20 (adding points) or move to close 19 (expanding your territory)?

The biggest beginner mistake is chasing points before closing. You close 20, score 60 points on it, feel great – then your opponent closes 20, 19, and 18 in three turns while you were busy scoring. Now they have three open scoring channels and you have none. The points you scored are meaningless if your opponent can outscore you on their open numbers.

TheDartScout’s rule of thumb: close first, score second. Only pile on points if you’ve already closed more numbers than your opponent or if you’re 50+ points behind on the scoreboard and need to catch up before your scoring windows close.

Endgame: when to go for the bull

Save the bullseye for last. It’s the hardest target on the board (the inner bull is roughly 12.7mm in diameter) and it’s worth fewer points per difficulty than the numbered segments. Closing 20 through 15 first gives you 6 scoring channels to build your lead. The bullseye is the final lock on the door.

Exception: if your opponent has closed everything except the bull and you haven’t, consider going for the bull early to prevent them from finishing. Letting your opponent close all 7 targets while you still have 2 open is a guaranteed loss regardless of points.

Advanced: reading your opponent’s marks

The scoreboard tells you everything. If your opponent has 2 marks on 18 and 0 marks on 17, they’re about to close 18. That means you have one turn to either close 18 yourself (blocking their scoring) or accept that they’ll have a scoring channel you can’t stop.

The best cricket players make decisions based on mark differentials, not just their own closing progress. If you’re 1 mark ahead on 3 numbers but 2 marks behind on 2 others, your opponent is actually in a stronger position because they’re closer to opening multiple scoring channels simultaneously. Count the marks. React to the board. Don’t autopilot down 20-19-18.

One specific tactic: if your opponent has 2 marks on a number you haven’t touched, throw all 3 darts at that number. Even if you only get 2 marks, you’ve denied them the scoring opportunity for at least one more turn. If you get the treble (3 marks), you’ve closed it before they could score at all. This defensive closing wins more cricket games than aggressive point-chasing.

What Are the Different Cricket Variations?

Standard cricket is just the beginning. These variations change the strategy completely.

No-Score Cricket strips away the point-scoring entirely. First player to close all 7 targets wins. No maths, no strategy about when to score vs close – just close faster. Games take 5-10 minutes and it’s the best version for beginners who find the scoring mechanic confusing.

Tactics Cricket replaces the standard 15-20 with randomly selected numbers. Before the game, each player throws one dart at the board. Whatever number they hit becomes one of their target numbers. Repeat until you have 6 numbers plus the bull. This forces you to aim at unfamiliar segments and completely changes the difficulty curve. A game of Tactics where someone hits 3, 7, 11, 14, 2, and 9 is a very different experience from standard cricket.

Team Cricket pairs players into teams of 2. Partners alternate throws (Player A1 throws, then B1, then A2, then B2). Team strategy adds a communication element – you need to coordinate which numbers to attack and when to switch from closing to scoring. Stronger players typically handle the high numbers while their partner works on 15-16 and the bull.

Wild Card Cricket plays like standard cricket but one number (usually 17 or 16) is replaced by a randomly chosen segment. Throw a dart at the board before the game starts – whatever number it lands on replaces the wild card slot. If you draw 3 or 7, the game suddenly includes segments nobody practises, which levels the playing field between experienced and casual players.

Point-limit Cricket adds a scoring cap. If either player reaches a set point total (typically 200), the game ends immediately and the player with fewer points wins. This variant punishes aggressive scoring and rewards defensive closing. It’s uncommon but worth trying if your regular cricket games have become one-sided.

Common Mistakes When Learning Cricket Darts

Once you know how to play cricket darts, these 5 mistakes are the ones that cost you games.

1. Scoring before closing. You close 20 and spend 3 turns scoring 120 points on it. Meanwhile your opponent closes 20, 19, 18, and 17. You have points but no open scoring channels. They have 4 weapons and you have 1. This is the single most common mistake in cricket and it loses more games than bad aim.

2. Ignoring the scoreboard. Cricket is a game of relative position, not absolute points. Having 200 points means nothing if your opponent has 180 and more numbers closed. Check the board after every turn. Adjust your strategy based on what’s happening, not what you planned before the game started.

3. Going for the bull too early. The bullseye is hard to hit and the points (25 or 50) don’t justify the difficulty compared to treble 20 (60 per hit). Close 20-15 first. The bull is your finishing move, not your opening.

4. Throwing all 3 darts at the same number when it’s already closed. If you’ve already closed 20 and your opponent has too, hitting 20 again does nothing. Move on. Wasting darts on dead numbers is like passing your turn in chess.

5. Not targeting your opponent’s open numbers. If your opponent has closed 19 and you haven’t, and they’re scoring 57 points per turn on treble 19 – you need to close 19 immediately. Letting an opponent score freely on an open number is the fastest way to lose. Defensive closing is as important as offensive closing.

The best defence in cricket is closing your opponent’s scoring numbers. Every number you close is a door you’ve locked. Every number you leave open is a door your opponent can walk through with 60 points per turn.

How Is Cricket Different from 501?

They’re fundamentally different games that happen to use the same board.

	Cricket	501
Board segments used	7 (15-20 + bull)	All 20 + bull
Scoring	Add points on closed numbers	Subtract from 501 to zero
Strategy	Close vs score decisions every turn	Route calculation for checkouts
Finish	Close all numbers with more points	Hit exact double to reach zero
Doubles pressure	Low (doubles just = 2 marks)	High (must finish on a double)
Pro format	DARTSLIVE (Asia), USA leagues	PDC, WDF, most European leagues
Typical game time	15-20 minutes	10-15 minutes per leg

501 rewards raw scoring power and checkout accuracy. Cricket rewards tactical thinking and board awareness. Most players naturally prefer one based on personality – analytical players gravitate to cricket, while players who enjoy clutch pressure prefer 501.

TheDartScout recommends playing both regularly. Cricket improves your ability to aim at specific segments across the board (not just treble 20), while 501 improves your doubles finishing and mental arithmetic. A player who only plays cricket will struggle with checkouts. A player who only plays 501 will struggle to hit 15s and 16s accurately. Combining both makes you a more complete darts player.

For the full 501 rules, scoring breakdown, and checkout strategy, see our dart rules explained guide.

How to Get Better at Cricket Darts

Knowing how to play cricket darts is one thing. Getting good at it is another. Improving requires practising two separate skills: accuracy on the 7 target segments, and game sense (when to close vs score).

For accuracy: throw 10 sets of 3 darts at each cricket number. Record how many marks you get out of 30 possible (10 sets x 3 darts). Most intermediate players hit 12-15 marks on 20 and 19 but drop to 8-10 on 16 and 15. The segments you score lowest on are the ones costing you games. Practice those segments specifically, not just the ones you’re already good at.

For game sense: play no-score cricket first. Without the distraction of points, you’ll focus entirely on closing speed. Once you can close all 7 numbers in under 30 darts consistently, switch back to standard cricket and focus on the score-vs-close decision. Ask yourself before every throw: “Am I closing or scoring this turn, and why?” If you can’t answer that question, you’re not playing strategically.

For broader practice routines that include cricket-specific drills, see our guide to practising darts alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many players can play cricket darts?

Standard cricket works best with 2 players or 2 teams. With 3+ players, switch to cutthroat cricket where you score on opponents (lowest wins). Standard cricket with 3+ players is technically possible but the waiting between turns slows the game and the 2-way closing mechanic doesn’t translate cleanly to multiplayer.

What happens if you close all numbers but have fewer points?

You don’t win yet. You must continue scoring on your opponent’s open numbers until your point total equals or exceeds theirs. Only then, when you have all numbers closed AND the points lead, is the game over. This rule prevents the “close everything fast and ignore scoring” strategy from working.

Is cricket played professionally?

Not in the PDC or WDF (the two major professional darts organisations). Professional darts in the UK and Europe is 501 exclusively. Cricket has professional competition through DARTSLIVE in Asia and some organised leagues in the USA, but it doesn’t have the same elite-level infrastructure as 501. That said, cricket is likely played more often than 501 worldwide if you count casual and bar play.

Do you have to play numbers in order (20, 19, 18…)?

No. You can close numbers in any order. Starting with 20 and working down is the standard strategy (because higher numbers score more points) but it’s not a rule. Some players deliberately break the sequence to attack a number their opponent has partially marked, or to target a segment they’re more accurate at.

Can you score on the bullseye before closing it?

No. Like every other number in cricket, you must close the bullseye (3 marks) before you can score points on it. The outer bull counts as 1 mark and scores 25 points once closed. The inner bull counts as 2 marks and scores 50 points once closed.

What does a treble do in cricket?

A treble counts as 3 marks in one dart. Hit treble 20 and you’ve instantly closed 20 – no need for 2 more darts. If 20 is already closed, treble 20 scores 60 points (20 x 3). Trebles are the most efficient way to play cricket because they close numbers in a single dart or score maximum points. The treble 20 bed is roughly 8mm wide and 45mm long, which is why even good players miss it regularly.

How long does a game of cricket take?

Between two intermediate players, 15-20 minutes. Beginners take longer (25-30 minutes) because more darts miss the target segments entirely. No-score cricket is faster (5-10 minutes) because there’s no point-chasing phase. Cutthroat with 4 players takes 20-30 minutes. On an electronic board with automatic scoring, games run slightly faster because there’s no manual score-keeping between throws.

What if both players close all numbers at the same time?

The player with more points wins. If the points are tied and all numbers are closed, the game is a draw. In competitive settings, a draw usually triggers a tiebreaker round – one more round of 3 darts each, highest score on any open segment wins. But draws are extremely rare in practice because the points are almost never exactly tied when the final number closes.

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For more dart games beyond cricket, see our complete dart games guide covering 22 games for every situation. For 501 rules and scoring, read dart rules explained. For solo practice routines that improve your cricket aim, see how to practice darts alone. For checkout calculations in 501, use the checkout calculator. Keep your equipment match-ready with our cleaning and repointing guides.