Last updated: 2026-06-29

What Is a Darts Checkout?

In standard 501 darts, you start with 501 points and throw to reduce your total to exactly zero. The catch is that your final dart must land in a double segment or the bullseye — you cannot simply land on zero with any dart. This requirement is called double-out, and the sequence of darts that takes you from your current score to zero is the checkout.

The calculator above finds the recommended checkout path for any remaining score, given how many darts you have left in your visit (a visit is the set of up to three darts you throw before your opponent plays).

How Scoring Works

Each segment of a dartboard can score in three ways:

The bullseye (inner bull) counts as double 25, so it is a valid finishing dart. The outer bull (25) is a single and cannot finish a leg.

The Highest Checkout: 170

The maximum score you can check out in one visit of three darts is 170, hit with T20 T20 Bull:

This finish is often called the Big Fish or Tops-Tops-Bull. It requires two treble 20s — the highest single-dart score — followed by the bullseye. Only around a dozen players have achieved this finish in televised competition.

Bogey Numbers: The Impossible Scores

Seven scores between 159 and 169 cannot be finished in three darts, no matter which combination you choose. These are called bogey numbers:

If you land on a bogey number, you must reduce it with your remaining darts that visit and try to reach a checkable score on the next visit.

Preferred Doubles and the Halving Chain

Most players build their game around double 20 because it sits at the top of the board, easy to find consistently. More importantly, missing into the single 20 or treble 20 leaves 40 or 20 — both workable scores that you can still finish on doubles 20 and 10. This creates the halving chain:

Each miss halves the remaining score and keeps you on familiar territory. This is why professionals steer their checkout paths toward double 20 wherever possible.

Double 16 is the next most popular alternative: D16 → D8 → D4 → D2 → D1 forms another clean halving chain from the left-hand side of the board.

Common Checkouts at a Glance

How to Read a Checkout Path

The notation follows the standard convention:

• T20 = treble 20 (scores 60)
• D20 = double 20 (scores 40, finishes the leg)
• Bull = bullseye (scores 50, finishes the leg)
• 20 = single 20 (scores 20)
• 25 = outer bull (scores 25, cannot finish)

Paths are written in throwing order. The recommended path puts the highest-value darts first, which leaves you on a clean double even if the early darts miss slightly.