How to Play 420 Darts?

Key Takeaways

420 darts game is a practice game that focuses on doubles
The aim of the game is to improve your finishing and accuracy on every double on the dartboard, not just your favorite ones
Players begin on a score of 420 and the aim is to beat that score
Only the doubles count and players move around the board, in order from numbers 1-20, and onto the bullseye for the last 3 darts

What is 420 Darts?

420 darts is a practice game that focuses on doubles, and is called 420 darts for a specific reason.

All the doubles on the board add up to a total of 420 points, and if you manage to hit at least one dart in each double, the score is 420.

Which brings me on to the objective of the game.

What Is the Objective of 420 Darts?

The aim of 420 darts is to get to zero as quick as possible by hitting a double in every single number on the board, in numerical order from 1-20 followed by the bullseye.

Hence, the reason it is called 420 darts, plus the fact that players begin on a score of 420.

Why Is 420 Darts a Good Practice Game?

420 darts is a great practice routine because the focus is on improving accuracy on every double around the board, not just the most popular ones.

It will also help to highlight the doubles you are consistently struggling with. Bob’s 27 darts game is another very popular game that focuses on getting better at doubles.

Finishing is a big problem for a lot of players, especially beginners, but also across all levels of the game.

Some of the most popular games, such as 501 darts, require players to finish on a double, and finishing only gets better with practice.

To play 420 darts, players begin on a score of 420, and each player has three darts per throw at the double in play.

The game begins on double 1 in the first round
If a player misses with all 3 darts at the double, there’s no score
Players move on to the next double in numerical order, regardless of hitting or missing doubles
If a player hits the double with one or more darts, the score is calculated and counted back from 420 – or whatever the score of the player is on at the time of the throw

The game is not dependent on hitting a double, so if you miss with all three darts, you are NOT stuck on the same double.

What Are the Rules of 420 Darts?

Each player has to beat the score of 420
Doubles only count as a score
The value of each double counts as per usual (double the single value)
Players begin on double 1, then move onto double 2 and so on sequentially around the board until they reach double 20
Each player has 3 darts at the double before moving onto the next one
The bullseye is the last throw in the game and worth 50 points per dart

Here is an example game of 420 darts

The game is at round 5 and each player has three darts at double 5

The first player

The first player has scored 27 points so far and has a score of 393 remaining
The player then throws 3 darts at double 5 and scores 20 points (two darts land in double 5)
The score of 20 is counted back from 393, leaving the player on 373 points

The second player

The second player has scored 19 points so far and has a score of 401 remaining
The player throws 3 darts at double 5 and scores 0 points (no darts land in double 5)
No score is counted, so the player remains on a score of 401

The game moves on to the next round, and each player now has three more darts at double 6. This continues all the way around the board until they reach double 20.

The last round is the bullseye and the final opportunity for a player to beat the total 420 the game began with.

What’s a Good Score in 420 Darts Practice?

As you get deeper into the game, and around the doubles, the scoring potential increases because the values of the doubles are worth more.

This does help to keep the game interesting, and concentration levels, if a player is falling behind in the game.

There’s always a way back into the game, as a couple of good throws at the larger valued doubles changes things very quickly.

If you are a beginner, you will find it tough to beat 420, and even getting close with your attempts will be an achievement
A recreational player, with a bit of playing experience, should be aiming for a score of at least 210