# Darts Checkout Calculator Find a legal 3-dart double-out checkout combination for any remaining score from 2 to 170. --- - **Canonical URL:** https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/darts-checkout-calculator - **Category:** Hobbies & Leisure Utilities - **Publisher:** Do The Calculation (https://dothecalculation.com) - **Cost:** Free, no account or sign-up required - **Privacy:** Runs entirely in the browser; inputs are never sent to a server - **Methodology:** https://dothecalculation.com/methodology --- ## Find Your Darts Checkout Enter the score you have left and get a legal double-out checkout combination, computed dart by dart rather than copied from a static chart. - Covers every reachable score from 2 to 170 - Every finish ends on a double or the bullseye, matching tournament rules - Flags the seven "bogey" numbers that have no 3-dart finish ## Quick Answer — How a Darts Checkout Works In standard 501 or 301 double-out darts, you don't just need to reduce your score to exactly zero — your final dart of the leg has to land in a double segment (D1 through D20) or the bullseye (50 points, which counts as "double 25"). Landing on the outer single bull (25 points) does not finish a leg, even if it brings your score to exactly zero. The maximum possible checkout in three darts is **170**: two treble 20s (60 + 60 = 120) followed by the bullseye (50). Scores above 170 can never be finished in three darts, no matter how they're thrown. This calculator searches for a legal finish the way a player actually plans one: it checks whether the remaining score can be finished in a single dart first, then two darts, then three, always ending the search on a legal double or the bullseye. ## The Seven Bogey Numbers Not every score between 2 and 170 has a valid three-dart, double-out finish. Seven scores — **159, 162, 163, 165, 166, 168, and 169** — are known as "bogey numbers" because no combination of three legal darts lands you on a double or the bullseye. If you're left on one of these, the practical approach is to score down to a reachable number with your first one or two darts rather than aiming for a direct finish. This calculator's search algorithm confirms these seven numbers programmatically: it tries every legal 1-, 2-, and 3-dart combination for each score from 2 to 170 and reports no valid route for exactly these seven, matching every published checkout chart. ## Worked Example: The Maximum 170 Checkout A player has 170 remaining — the highest number reachable in three darts. The calculator's shortest-first search tries a 1-dart finish (impossible, no double is worth 170) and a 2-dart finish (also impossible, since the highest 2-dart total using a legal finishing double is 60 + 40 = 100), then finds a 3-dart route: **treble 20, treble 20, Bull** (60 + 60 + 50 = 170). This is the same combination cited by every major checkout chart as the highest possible finish — a useful check that the search logic lines up with the game's own upper limit. ## A Second Example: 121, and Why Checkouts Aren't Always Unique A player has 121 remaining, a common mid-game finish. This calculator's algorithm — which always tries the highest-scoring legal dart first at each step — returns **treble 20, treble 19, double 2** (60 + 57 + 4 = 121). This is a legally valid three-dart route, but it isn't the only one. Many darts players and printed checkout charts favor treble 20, treble 11, double 14 (60 + 33 + 28 = 121) instead, because finishing on double 14 or a similarly "comfortable" double is often considered easier to aim for under pressure than a small double like D2. Both routes are equally legal under the rules — this calculator shows one valid combination for every reachable score, not necessarily the specific route a professional would choose, since dart-by-dart preference is a matter of personal accuracy and style rather than a rule of the game. ## Limitations This calculator finds a legal checkout combination using the shortest number of darts possible, but it does not model player preference for "friendlier" doubles (many players prefer even, wide doubles like D20, D16, D8, D4, or D2 over harder-to-hit odd doubles like D19 or D17), nor does it account for a specific dart's position on the board relative to where a player's darts are already landing. It also assumes standard three-dart double-out rules; it does not cover master-out (treble finish) or straight-out variants used in some casual or regional formats. ## Related Calculators Checkout strategy is one of several ways competitive games handle scoring under pressure. Compare it to the flat-percentage math behind the [Bowling Handicap Calculator](/calculators/bowling-handicap-calculator), or see how golf's differential-based system in the [Golf Handicap Calculator](/calculators/golf-handicap-calculator) solves a similar fairness problem with entirely different math. For a self-adjusting rating system rather than a fixed scoring target, see the [Board Game Elo Rating Calculator](/calculators/board-game-elo-calculator). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the highest checkout possible in darts? 170, using two treble 20s and the bullseye (T20, T20, Bull = 60 + 60 + 50). No higher score can be finished in three darts under standard double-out rules. ### Can I finish on the single bull (25 points)? No. Under standard double-out rules, only the doubles (D1 through D20) and the inner bullseye (50, which counts as "double 25") are legal finishing darts. Landing on the outer single bull (25) does not end the leg, even if your score reaches exactly zero. ### Why do some scores show as unreachable? Seven scores between 2 and 170 — 159, 162, 163, 165, 166, 168, and 169 — have no valid three-dart, double-out finish. These are commonly called "bogey numbers." Any score above 170 is also unreachable in three darts. ### Is the checkout this calculator shows the only valid route? Not always. Many scores have more than one legal three-dart combination that ends on a double or the bullseye. This calculator shows one valid route, prioritizing the fewest darts and the highest-scoring dart first — it may not always match the specific route a professional player would choose for a preferred double. ### What's the difference between a single bull and a double bull? The outer bullseye ring scores 25 points as a single dart and cannot finish a leg. The inner bullseye (the small center circle) scores 50 points and is treated as "double 25" — it is a legal finishing dart, equivalent to hitting any other double. ### How many darts does a checkout calculator search before giving up? This calculator checks whether your score can be finished in 1 dart, then 2 darts, then 3 darts, and reports the shortest legal route it finds. If no 1-, 2-, or 3-dart combination reaches a legal double or the bullseye, the score is reported as unreachable. ### Does this work for 301 as well as 501? Yes. The checkout math only depends on the score remaining, not on which starting total (301, 501, or any other) the leg began with — enter whatever score you currently have left. ## Related concepts - **Double-Out** — The standard darts rule requiring the final scoring dart of a leg to land on a double segment or the bullseye. - **Bogey Number** — One of seven scores between 2 and 170 (159, 162, 163, 165, 166, 168, 169) with no legal three-dart, double-out finish. - **Checkout** — The specific combination of darts thrown to reduce a remaining score to exactly zero, ending on a legal double. ## Related guides - [How to Use Do The Calculation Calculators: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide](https://dothecalculation.com/blog/site-guides/how-to-use-calculators) — Learn the fastest reliable workflow for using Do The Calculation calculators, reading results, checking formulas, and using save, print, share, and export actions correctly. - [Understanding Calculator Formulas: How DTC Turns Inputs into Results](https://dothecalculation.com/blog/site-guides/understanding-calculator-formulas) — Understand how Do The Calculation formulas are presented, what the explanation blocks mean, and how to verify calculator logic before using a result in a real decision. ## Related calculators - [Bowling Handicap Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/bowling-handicap-calculator) — Calculate your bowling handicap and handicap score from your average, basis score, and percentage factor. - [D&D 5e Point Buy Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/dnd-point-buy-calculator) — Allocate a 27-point ability score budget, apply background bonuses, and see final scores and modifiers instantly for D&D 5e. - [D&D Stat Roll Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/dnd-stat-roll-calculator) — Simulate D&D character ability score rolls and analyze probability distributions to build optimized tabletop characters. - [Recipe Scale & Multiplier Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/recipe-scaler-calculator) — Scale recipe ingredient quantities up or down by any multiplier or exact serving size to cook the perfect portion every time. - [Lego Valuation Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/lego-valuation-calculator) — Estimate the cost per part and average resale value of Lego brick sets to know what your collection is really worth today. - [Garden Plant Spacing & Soil Volume Calculator](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/garden-spacing-calculator) — Calculate how many plants fit your garden bed and the exact soil volume needed based on spacing, bed size, and raised bed layout. --- _This calculator computes darts checkouts using a real search algorithm over every legal dart value (singles, doubles, trebles, and the bull), rather than a copied static chart. It always returns a legally valid double-out finish when one exists, using the fewest darts possible, though it may not match every player's preferred route to the same score._ --- _Source: [Do The Calculation](https://dothecalculation.com/calculators/darts-checkout-calculator). Quote freely with attribution and a link to this page._