In Cut-Throat Cricket, the scoring logic is reversed: extra hits on an open number add points to your opponent's score instead of yours. The player with the lowest score when all numbers are closed wins.

Start with 20s — opening 20 first gives you the highest-value scoring opportunity. Watch your opponent's board and close numbers before they score on them. Once both players have opened a number, stop throwing at it — those darts are wasted.

Cricket Darts Rules — How to Play Cricket

Q: How to Play — Marks and Opening

To open a number you must hit it three times (three marks). A single counts as one mark, a double counts as two, and a treble counts as three. Once opened, any additional hits on that number score points equal to its face value — until the opponent also opens it, closing it for both. The bullseye counts as 25 (outer) or 50 (inner).

What Is Cricket?

Cricket is a strategic dart game played between two players or two teams. Unlike X01, where you race to reduce a fixed score to zero, Cricket is about controlling territory on the board. You win by closing all the required numbers and the bullseye before your opponent, while maintaining an equal or higher score. It is one of the most popular dart game formats in North America and is widely enjoyed worldwide.

Equipment & Setup

Cricket uses a standard dartboard. Only seven targets are in play: the numbers 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and the bullseye. Each player takes three darts per turn. No special equipment is needed — just track marks alongside each number on a scoreboard or, more conveniently, let 9Darter handle it automatically.

How to Play — Marks and Opening

To "open" a number you must hit it three times (accumulating three marks). Each hit on the thin single segment counts as one mark, the thin outer ring (double) counts as two marks, and the thin inner ring (treble) counts as three marks in a single dart. Once a number is opened it is yours.

Once you have opened a number and your opponent has not yet opened it, any additional hits on that number score points for you equal to the number's face value (e.g., each extra hit on 20 scores 20 points). Once both players have opened the same number, it is closed — no further points can be scored on it by either side.

The bullseye counts as 25 for the outer ring and 50 for the inner bullseye. Three marks closes the bull; each outer bull hit after opening counts as 25, each inner bull hit counts as 50.

Winning the Game

The game ends when one player has closed all seven targets (15–20 and bull). If both players have closed all targets, the player with the higher point score wins. If the scores are tied and all targets are closed, the game is a draw (very rare in practice).

A key strategic point: you don't want to score points on a number if your opponent has already closed it — those points are wasted effort. Good Cricket play is about reading the board state and deciding whether to score or close.

Cut-Throat Cricket

In Cut-Throat Cricket (a popular variant), the scoring logic is reversed: extra hits on an open number are added to your opponent's score rather than your own. The goal is to keep your score as low as possible. The player with the lowest score when all numbers are closed wins. This creates a very different and often more aggressive tactical dynamic.

Strategy Tips

Start with 20s. Opening 20 first gives you the highest-value scoring opportunity early in the game.
Watch your opponent's board. If your opponent is close to opening a number you haven't touched yet, switch to close it first before they start scoring on it.
Don't over-score on closed numbers. Once both players have opened a number, every dart thrown at it is wasted. Shift to the next open target.

Play Cricket with 9Darter

9Darter tracks every mark for each number in real time, shows which numbers are open or closed, and automatically calculates scores for both players. No scoreboard needed — just focus on the game.

Download 9Darter — Free on Android