Enter your remaining score (between 2 and 170) and instantly find the best checkout route. Our darts checkout calculator shows the optimal three-dart finish, alternative routes, and one- and two-dart finishes where available.
In the standard game of 501 (and 301), players must reach exactly zero from their starting score, and the final dart must land in a double — the outer scoring ring of any number (2, 4, 6, 8 ... 40) or the inner bullseye (worth 50, also called double 25). Finishing on a single or treble does not count as a valid checkout.
If a player scores more than the remaining total, or reduces the score to 1, it is a bust, and the darts do not count for that visit. The score reverts to what it was at the start of that visit.
The highest possible three-dart checkout is 170: Triple 20, Triple 20, Bullseye (50). This checkout is called a 170 finish or a maximum checkout and is considered one of the greatest achievements in darts. It requires hitting T20 (60) twice and then the inner bullseye (50).
The scores of 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, and 159 are impossible to check out in three darts. All other scores from 2 to 170 have at least one valid checkout route.
| Score | Dart 1 | Dart 2 | Dart 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | T20 | T20 | Bull |
| 167 | T20 | T19 | Bull |
| 164 | T20 | T18 | Bull |
| 161 | T20 | T17 | Bull |
| 160 | T20 | T20 | D20 |
| 158 | T20 | T20 | D19 |
| 157 | T20 | T19 | D20 |
| 156 | T20 | T20 | D18 |
| 155 | T20 | T19 | D19 |
| 154 | T20 | T18 | D20 |
| 153 | T20 | T19 | D18 |
| 152 | T20 | T20 | D16 |
| 151 | T20 | T17 | D20 |
| 150 | T20 | T18 | D18 |
| 149 | T20 | T19 | D16 |
| 148 | T20 | T16 | D20 |
| 147 | T20 | T17 | D18 |
| 146 | T20 | T18 | D16 |
| 145 | T20 | T15 | D20 |
| 144 | T20 | T20 | D12 |
| 143 | T20 | T17 | D16 |
| 141 | T20 | T19 | D12 |
| 140 | T20 | T20 | D10 |
| 138 | T20 | T18 | D12 |
| 136 | T20 | T20 | D8 |
| 130 | T20 | T20 | D5 |
| 121 | T20 | S11 | D25 |
| 120 | T20 | S20 | D20 |
| 110 | T20 | Bull | — |
| 101 | T17 | D25 | — |
Any even number between 2 and 40, plus 50, can be checked out with a single dart:
D1=2 • D2=4 • D3=6 • D4=8 • D5=10 • D6=12 • D7=14 • D8=16 • D9=18 • D10=20 • D11=22 • D12=24 • D13=26 • D14=28 • D15=30 • D16=32 • D17=34 • D18=36 • D19=38 • D20=40 • Bull=50
| Score | Dart 1 | Dart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | T20 | D20 |
| 98 | T20 | D19 |
| 96 | T20 | D18 |
| 92 | T20 | D16 |
| 90 | T18 | D18 |
| 82 | Bull | D16 |
| 72 | T16 | D12 |
| 62 | T10 | D16 |
| 50 | Bull | — (1 dart) |
Professional players generally aim to leave themselves on D16 (32) whenever possible, because it offers a strategic safety net: missing slightly high lands on 8, leaving D4 (still a manageable finish); missing low leaves D16 again; and the segment itself is large.
Common preferred finishing doubles for professional players:
Checkout percentage is measured as: (number of successful checkouts ÷ number of checkout darts thrown) × 100. On the PDC tour, a checkout percentage of 40% or above is considered elite. Recreational players typically average 20–30%.
Practise tips:
The highest possible checkout in darts is 170, achieved with T20, T20, Bull (50). This is the maximum score achievable in three darts when the final dart must be a double (including bullseye, which counts as double 25 = 50). It is one of the rarest achievements in the sport, requiring perfect accuracy on all three darts.
In the standard game of 501 (and 301), the rules require players to finish on a double (the outer ring of each number) or the bullseye (which counts as double 25 = 50). This rule adds a critical skill element to the finish, separating the closing ability from the scoring phase. Players who cannot convert doubles consistently will struggle to win matches regardless of their scoring ability.
The easiest checkout is generally considered to be 32 (D16). D16 is the most practised and reliable double on the board. If you miss slightly to the right, you hit 8 (leaving D4); if you miss slightly to the left, you hit the wire and may stay on D16. This makes it the most forgiving double for a finishing dart, and why most professionals aim to leave themselves on 32.
Scores above 170 cannot be checked out in a single visit (3 darts). Additionally, the following scores between 2 and 170 are impossible to finish in three darts: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162, and 159. These cannot be achieved because no combination of three scoring darts (with the last on a double) reaches these exact totals.
A Shanghai occurs when a player hits the single, double, and treble of the same number in one turn (three darts). In the Shanghai game mode, hitting a Shanghai on the number being targeted immediately wins the game regardless of the score. In standard 501, a Shanghai on a number can form part of a checkout route if the double of that number is the finishing dart.
To improve checkout percentage, focus practice on the most common finishes: 40 (D20), 32 (D16), 36 (D18), 20 (D10), and 16 (D8). Use the Doubles Around the Clock drill, working from D1 to D20 sequentially. Practise the Madhouse (D1) to build confidence on difficult doubles. Track your checkout attempts and conversions to measure improvement over time.
The bullseye has two scoring zones: the outer bull (green ring, also called single bull) is worth 25 points and does NOT count as a double for checkout purposes. The inner bull (red centre, called double bull or bullseye) is worth 50 points and DOES count as a double (double 25), making it a valid finishing segment. When using the bullseye in a checkout route, always aim for the inner bull.