Get Dart Checkouts: 170-150

Don't be confused when you're trying to win that important game.

Dartboard hanging on a wall

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Let's say you're right in the middle of a game of darts. Be it 301, 501 or 701, you need to know one thing—how do you get down to zero and win the game? You may well have brushed up on how to get the best out of a game of 501, but it helps if you've got it in your head how you're going to get down to the finish.

Watch the pros on TV in the biggest tournaments in the world. They know what part of the dartboard they have to hit without even thinking, and with our help, you will too! We're starting off with the big checkouts, from the maximum checkout of 170, down to 150.

Before we begin, a quick note; there are multiple ways to do many of these checkouts, particularly the lower ones. This is simply the most common way of doing them (i.e., the way the pros would).

With the higher ranked finishes, there are several numbers which are mathematically impossible to hit in three numbers. Those numbers—169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159—are what are referred to as bogey numbers.

Checkouts: 170 Down to 150

170: This is the biggest finish in the game, and one of the most difficult to accomplish. If you can hit this you're on the way to being a serious player. It's only achieved one way: T20 (hereon referred to as T), T20 and the bulls-eye.
167: T20, T19, and the bulls-eye to finish, although the first two darts can be hit in either order.
164: T20, T18, and the bulls-eye to finish, or 2 x T19's is often a respected method before the bulls-eye.
161: T20, T17, and the bulls-eye to finish.

160: T20, T20, and D20. Of all the high finishes this is considered one of the easiest due to all the numbers involved being on the same part of the board.

158: T20, T20, and D19. These are not a favorite of the pros, as it involves a big change in where you're aiming. Try to avoid this one if possible.
157: T20, T19, and D20.
156: T20, T20, and D18. With double 18 being one of the favorite doubles that pros use, this is a popular checkout.

155: T20, T19, and D19. This is definitely one to avoid, as double 19 is not a nice double to aim for at the bottom of the board. Try to avoid it if you can.
154: T20, T18, and D20.
153: T20, T19, D18. This one has you aiming all over the board again, so try to avoid it.
152: T20, T20, and D16. As with the 156, it leaves a very popular double in double 16.

151: T20, T17, D20.
150: T20, T18, D18.

Don't worry too much about missing these big checkouts; even the best players do that 90% of the time. What's important is to know where to go on the board as quickly as possible, so you can keep your rhythm. From here, we'll work our way down toward the two-figure checkouts, and then we can explore you set up for the single dart checkouts afterward.

Keep practicing!