How to Play Cricket Darts?
Key Takeaways
- Cricket darts is a popular game all over the world, and is also known as Mickey Mouse darts
- The targets in the game are numbers 15 through 20, plus the bullseye
- Can be played with two people or in teams
- The objective of the game of cricket darts is to score the highest amount of points
- Can be a very strategic game that requires plenty of thinking
What is Cricket Darts?
Cricket darts is a two player game, so you will need at least one other player to play against.
You can also play in teams by alternating throws between each of the players. The game often involves lots of strategy among the players in order to win at cricket darts.
I will explain more about further down.
What is the Objective of Cricket Darts?
The aim of cricket darts is for each player to score more points than their opponent’s before the number is closed.
What are the Rules of Cricket Darts?
The rules of cricket darts are simple:
- Each of the players takes turns throwing three darts per round
- Whoever scores the most points in the game, is declared the winner
- Points can only be scored in numbers, that have been closed on the dartboard
- Three hits closes a number which allows players to start scoring points
- To stop players scoring, the other player also has to close the number
- The three hits don’t have to be in a row, and they can come at any point in the game
How to Play Cricket Darts?
Before you do anything, decide who goes first because there is an advantage to whoever throws first in cricket darts.
Throwing closest to the bull is the fair way most players use to decide.
To play cricket darts, you can only score points in a number that hasn’t been closed out yet by your opponent.
What exactly does closing out a number mean in cricket darts?
- When a player manages to close a number, the other player can no longer score any points in that particular number
- The player who managed to close it first, is free to score points in the segment, until the other player can also close it out
- Until it is closed by both players, the first player that ‘opened‘ the number can rack up as many points as possible and add to their score i the game
- The game is over when all numbers are closed and the player with the highest score, is the winner
What Numbers Can Be Played in Cricket Darts?
Only the numbers 20 through to 15, plus the bullseye, are in play during the game.
Each number must be hit three times to close it off to the other player, however this doesn’t always require three darts.
- Singles are worth one hit
- Doubles are worth two hits
- Triples are worth three hits
- Inner bullseye is worth two points
- Outer bullseye is worth points
This mean that, if you land a dart in the triple of one of the numbers, then you have essentially closed it with one dart. You then have two more darts that round to score points in it.
If you hit a double 15 (worth two hits), and a triple (worth three points), you have 5 hits in total in that numbered segment.
3 hits close the number, so you have 2 left over as scoring points, and in this case 2 x 15 is 30 points scored.
Let me explain with another example below:
- Player 1 starts the game
- Hits triple 20 on the first attempt
- This is worth three hits and the number is closed
- The player then has two darts left from that round to score points in the 20 number
How to Score a Game of Cricket Darts?
Each section of the number can be used to score points in, and they are worth the same as they are in traditional games of darts:
- Singles are worth the single value of the number
- Doubles are count double the points of the single
- Triples count as three times the amount of the single
To set up the scoreboard, you should:
- Create three columns
- The middle column – Write the numbers 20 down to 15 and the bull down the center
- The two columns either side – Write the two players names at the top of each column
When a player gets a hit, mark an / beside the number in the player’s column.
When the player closes the number off, put an x with a surrounding circle.
This is the easiest way to score a game of cricket darts.
Cricket Darts Strategy
Strategy often plays a big part in many games, like for instance during scram darts and warfare darts.
Likewise, there is plenty of strategy that you can learn and employ during cricket darts, that will help you win a lot more games.
Close the Most Valuable Numbers First
Managing to close the 20s before your opponent, and doing it early in the game, has two benefits:
- You stop them from scoring in the number worth the most
- It’s the easiest route for you to a big score in the game
Close Out Your Opponent’s Favorite Numbers
This is as tactical as it gets, but if you know the other player’s game well, you could try and close off the numbers they are likely to score several darts into in quick succession.
Do this early and stop them scoring big.
Know When to Close and When to Score
It’s not always going to be a good idea to close out a number as soon as the other player opens it. For instance,
- If you are losing, it may make more sense to build your own score as fast possible, especially if it’s late in the game,
- However, if it’s early, there could be plenty of time left to score, so may be better to close the numbers, especially if it’s one of the big ones.
You will have to weigh up each game situation and take into account all the factors.
Close the Bullseye First
If you are a beginner, you may find it easier closing the bull first.
That’s not to say the bullseye is easy, but it means if you miss the target, your dart may land in another number in the game.
After a few rounds, if you haven’t closed out the bull, you may be well o your way with some of the other numbers.
