What is the highest possible checkout in darts?

The highest checkout is 170, achieved with treble 20, treble 20, then bullseye (double 25). Scores of 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, and 159 cannot be checked out in three darts and are known as bogey numbers.

Why must the last dart be a double?

Standard 501 and 301 darts use double-out rules, meaning the winning dart must land in a double segment (the outer ring) or the bullseye, which counts as double 25. Finishing on a single or treble does not win the leg, so the route must end on a double.

Which scores cannot be finished in three darts?

The numbers 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, and 159 are impossible to check out with three darts and are called bogey numbers. You also cannot finish 1, since the lowest double is double 1 (2). For these, the tool reports that no three-dart finish exists.

Does the tool always give the professional-preferred route?

It returns a valid optimal route by dart count, and it favours common setups like treble 20 and leaving a comfortable double. Professionals sometimes pick a different double for personal preference, but every route the tool gives is mathematically valid and ends on a double.

Can it handle one and two-dart finishes?

Yes. If your score is an even number from 2 to 40 or the bullseye (50), it returns a single-dart double finish. Scores up to 110 that have a clean two-dart route get a two-dart finish, and larger scores use three darts.

Darts Checkout Calculator

Email me this result

Get this tool's output sent to your inbox, plus one useful tool a week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Darts Checkout Calculator

When you are down to a finishable score in 501, knowing the right combination to throw is the difference between winning the leg and busting. This calculator searches every legal route under double-out rules and returns an optimal finish using the fewest darts.

How it works

Each dart can score a single (1-20 or 25), a double (2-40 even, or bull 50), or a treble (3-60 in multiples of 3). A legal checkout must reduce the score to exactly zero with the final dart landing on a double. The search works in increasing dart count:

1 dart:  score is an even double (2..40) or the bull (50)
2 darts: any single/treble setup + a finishing double = score
3 darts: any first dart + any second dart + finishing double = score

The tool also enforces the real constraints: you cannot finish on 1, and the bogey numbers 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, 159 have no three-dart finish. Among valid routes it prefers fewer darts and conventional treble-20 setups.

Example and notes

A score of 170 returns T20, T20, Bull (60 + 60 + 50). A score of 40 returns a single dart at D20. A score of 100 returns T20, D20 (60 + 40). A score of 32 returns D16.

Tips: leaving an even number after your setup darts keeps the door open to a double finish. The most reliable finishes route through double 16, double 20, or double 8, because if you miss into the single you are often left with another even double. Bogey numbers should be avoided when setting up your last visit.