How to play a dart game of 501.

A step-by-step photo guide.
So you want to learn how to play the dart game called 501. All of those numbers and different colored areas of the dart board might seem a bit confusing, but this photo gallery makes it easy to understand. Just follow the photos and you’ll be throwing like an champion in no time.

The objective of the game. Go from 501 points to zero points faster than your opponent. The winner must hit a double to win the game. For example, if you have 40 points left you need a double twenty to win the game. If you throw the exact number of points in your score without a double last you start over from that score. You also bust if you shoot a number larger than your current score. 

Where to throw your darts. There are three main things to know about the dart board – the single area, the double area and the triple area. Throw a dart in the single area and you get that exact number of points. Throw a double and you subtract two times that number from your total. Hit the triple ring and you subtract three times that number.

Who shoots first? In order to start a game of 501 you need to know who throws first. Flip a coin and the winner chooses who throws first at the bulls-eye. Closest to the bulls-eye goes first in the game. If you both throw the same distance you have to throw again, however the last person to throw at the bulls-eye goes first. It’s also considered a tie if you both throw into the single area of the bulls-eye, even if one dart is closer to the double bull area. Keep throwing until one dart is the clear winner and that person goes first.

 Big scores help. You want to hit the largest total per turn. This means concentrating on the triple line and aiming for 20s and/or 19s. Your biggest competitor is yourself. Be calm and shoot the game you know you can shoot. If you are missing on the 20s then try to shoot for the 19s. You can get hot by switching back and forth. You can start shooting for an out at 170 points, (triple 20, triple 20, double bull's eye).