How Do You Play Bob's 27 Darts Game?

Key Takeaways

Bob’s 27 is a doubles practice dart game that was invented by Bob Anderson
Can be played with any number of players or as a solo practice game
Not the most beginner-friendly game of darts
You start with a score of 27 points
Points are either added to your score, or taken away, during the game.
The first round starts at double 1 and players move around the board in numerical order, ending on the bullseye
There are a maximum of 21 rounds in total and if you hit every double the total score possible is 1437

What Is Bob’s 27 Dart Game?

Bob’s 27 game is a very famous practice routine within the world of darts, that focuses on one of the most difficult aspects of the game: DOUBLES.

The man to thank for it, was Bob Anderson, who created the game as a way to improve his own doubles.

Anyone who plays 501 or 301 knows the importance of being able to finish, and hitting doubles is one of the most important skills to develop when learning how to play darts.

Who is Bob Anderson?

Bob Anderson is a legendary former professional darts player from England.

He was nicknamed “The Limestone Cowboy” by the late great Sid Waddle, and is one of the true greats of darts.

A former World No 1 for three and a half years straight, he became the standard-bearer of the time in darts.

What he was best known for, was becoming the first person to win the masters three years back to back
His first and only world championship triumph came in 1988, but he never regained it, despite becoming desperately close on more than one occasion.
He retired in 2008 in which he went on to win the League of Legends tournament in the same year

Why Is Bob’s 27 Dart Game So Good?

A natural tendency among players is to over practice what they’re good at, and neglect the areas that are weaker. Practicing doubles is a prime example.

The Limestone Cowboy invented this game with the sole focus on doubles and nothing else.

That’s why Bob’s 27 darts is a great practice game if you are a player struggling with doubles. 420 darts is another good one if you are trying to practice doubles.

The game works on players doubles allover the board, as opposed to just the popular ones like for instance double 20, 16 and 8
If you practice the game enough, you will start getting better at closing out games quicker, which will also help push your averages up

What Are The Rules of Bob’s 27 Darts?

The rules of Bob’s 27 are as follows:

A player starts the game with a score of 27 points
Only the doubles of each number on the board count
A player starts at double 1 with all 3 darts in the first round
When all three darts are thrown, then it is on to double 2
You keep moving round the doubles in numerical order
Each dart that lands during the round is added to your running score
If you fail to hit a double in the round, you subtract the value of the double
You should keep a running total as the game is finished, when you are down to zero
If all 3 darts hit the double during the round, then the value of the double is multiplied by 3
The game ends when one player’s score is down to zero

How to Play Bob’s 27 Darts?

So let’s take a look at how the opening round of a game plays out:

The value of the double 1 is 2
You hit the double with 3 darts
2×3 is 6 points in the first round added to 27 and your score is 33
You move on to double 2 and the value of the double is 4 (2×2)
Say you score 2 darts in the double again
You add 8 (2×4) to your score of 33 which gives you a running total of 41
You move on to double 3 next and the value of the double is 6 (2×3)
Now you miss all three darts at the double
You subtract the value of the double which is 6 decreasing your score to 35
Continue the game in sequential order round the board until you reach the bull
If your score reaches 0 or a negative number, the game is over

How to Score Bob’s 27 Dart Game?

Scoring Bob’s 27 is fairly easy to do and typically can be either done:

Keeping a track of the running score in your head, however, it’s easier to
Mark, or chalk, each round by writing down the scores after each turn

To score a game of Bob’s 27 darts:

You will need to write the rounds down the left-hand side of the scoreboard
Then across the top, write the players names
Under both players, make two columns each
At the top of the left column of the two write points scored
Write total points at the top of the column to the right hands side

Is Bob’s 27 For Beginners?

Given how difficult doubles can be, it’s not the most beginner-friendly game I can think of.

I’m not going to lie, you probably will find the game very hard and not that enjoyable to begin with, if you are really new to playing.

Even experienced dart throwers, can find it a challenge.

What Is The Highest Score Possible In Bob’s 27?

If you complete a perfect game of Bob’s 27 the highest score possible is 1437.

Considering how difficult the game is, I think it’s safe to assume very few of us will ever get near to that score.
However, it’s something to aim to get as close as possible to.

Tips and Strategies Playing Bob’s 27 Darts

Make a Note of Missed Doubles

Keeping a list of all the doubles both scored and missed is a great way to see which doubles you struggle on.

You will most probably start to see a trend highlighting your worst doubles or specific parts of the board you may be struggling with.

Don’t Stop the Game at Zero

If you are playing for practice, especially on your own, you don’t necessarily have to stop the game at zero.

You can continue on until the bullseye.

If you end up with a big minus score, you can still judge progress by beating that score in future runs round the doubles.

Start on a Different Number Than 27

You may wish to start with a higher number than 27, which is pretty common for beginners.

The idea would be that overtime, you will get better and can then bring the starting number back down to 27 again.

How Do You Play Bob’s 27 Darts Game?