501 checkout chart: every double-out finish from 170 to 2
In 501, scoring heavy isn't enough: you have to land on exactly zero, and on a double. That's where legs are won and lost. Here's the checkout chart worth learning, plus the handful of principles that stop you getting stuck on 1.
How checkouts work in double out
In 501 double out, your last dart has to land in a double (the outer ring) or the inner bull worth 50, which counts as a double. Go below zero, drop to 1, or hit zero with a single or a treble, and it's a bust: the whole visit is wiped and your score goes back to what it was before the turn.
You get 3 darts per visit, so finishes come in one, two or three darts.
The highest checkout: 170
The biggest checkout in the game is 170: T20, T20, Bull (60 + 60 + 50), nicknamed "the big fish". Below it, the big finishes all go through the bull or through two trebles and a big double.
The numbers you can't finish in three darts
Under 170, seven numbers can't be checked out in a single visit, whatever you do: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159. They're known as the bogey numbers. Land on one and your visit is all about setting up the next.
With two darts, the highest finish is 110 (T20, Bull), and 109, 108, 106, 105, 103, 102 and 99 can't be done in two.
Three-dart checkouts (170 to 101)
T = treble (x3), D = double (x2), S = single, 25 = outer bull, Bull = inner bull (50). Most numbers have several routes: this is a classic one for each.
| Left | Checkout | Left | Checkout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | T20 T20 Bull | 135 | T20 T17 D12 |
| 167 | T20 T19 Bull | 134 | T20 T14 D16 |
| 164 | T20 T18 Bull | 133 | T20 T19 D8 |
| 161 | T20 T17 Bull | 132 | T20 T16 D12 |
| 160 | T20 T20 D20 | 131 | T20 T13 D16 |
| 158 | T20 T20 D19 | 130 | T20 T18 D8 |
| 157 | T20 T19 D20 | 129 | T19 T16 D12 |
| 156 | T20 T20 D18 | 128 | T18 T14 D16 |
| 155 | T20 T19 D19 | 127 | T20 T17 D8 |
| 154 | T20 T18 D20 | 126 | T19 T19 D6 |
| 153 | T20 T19 D18 | 125 | 25 T20 D20 |
| 152 | T20 T20 D16 | 124 | T20 T16 D8 |
| 151 | T20 T17 D20 | 123 | T19 T16 D9 |
| 150 | T20 T18 D18 | 122 | T18 T20 D4 |
| 149 | T20 T19 D16 | 121 | T20 T11 D14 |
| 148 | T20 T16 D20 | 120 | T20 S20 D20 |
| 147 | T20 T17 D18 | 119 | T19 T12 D13 |
| 146 | T20 T18 D16 | 118 | T20 S18 D20 |
| 145 | T20 T15 D20 | 117 | T20 S17 D20 |
| 144 | T20 T20 D12 | 116 | T20 S16 D20 |
| 143 | T20 T17 D16 | 115 | T20 S15 D20 |
| 142 | T20 T14 D20 | 114 | T20 S14 D20 |
| 141 | T20 T19 D12 | 113 | T20 S13 D20 |
| 140 | T20 T20 D10 | 112 | T20 S12 D20 |
| 139 | T20 T13 D20 | 111 | T20 S11 D20 |
| 138 | T20 T18 D12 | 109 | T20 S9 D20 |
| 137 | T20 T19 D10 | 108 | T20 S8 D20 |
| 136 | T20 T20 D8 | 106 | T20 S6 D20 |
Between 101 and 110, some finishes also take just two darts: 110 (T20 Bull), 107 (T19 Bull), 104 (T18 Bull), 101 (T17 Bull). For 105, 103 and 102 you need three: T20 S5 D20, T19 S6 D20, T20 S10 D16.
Two-dart checkouts (100 to 61)
This is the range where a decent player wants to finish in two, keeping a dart in hand.
| Left | Checkout | Left | Checkout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | T20 D20 | 80 | T20 D10 |
| 98 | T20 D19 | 79 | T19 D11 |
| 97 | T19 D20 | 78 | T18 D12 |
| 96 | T20 D18 | 77 | T19 D10 |
| 95 | T19 D19 | 76 | T20 D8 |
| 94 | T18 D20 | 75 | T17 D12 |
| 93 | T19 D18 | 74 | T14 D16 |
| 92 | T20 D16 | 73 | T19 D8 |
| 91 | T17 D20 | 72 | T16 D12 |
| 90 | T18 D18 | 71 | T13 D16 |
| 89 | T19 D16 | 70 | T10 D20 |
| 88 | T16 D20 | 69 | T19 D6 |
| 87 | T17 D18 | 68 | T20 D4 |
| 86 | T18 D16 | 67 | T17 D8 |
| 85 | T15 D20 | 66 | T10 D18 |
| 84 | T20 D12 | 65 | 25 D20 |
| 83 | T17 D16 | 64 | T16 D8 |
| 82 | Bull D16 | 63 | T13 D12 |
| 81 | T19 D12 | 62 | T10 D16 |
| 61 | 25 D18 |
99 is the only number in this range that needs three darts: T19 S10 D16, for example.
From 60 down to 2: keep it simple
- 41 to 60: a single, then D20. On 57, S17 then D20. On 50, you can also go straight for the bull.
- 40 or under, even number: straight at the double, half of what's left. 40 = D20, 32 = D16, 16 = D8.
- Odd number: a single to bring you back to an even double. 39 = S7 D16, 33 = S1 D16, 25 = S9 D8, 15 = S7 D4.
The golden rule: leave an even double
Players love D16 (32), D20 (40) and D8 (16) for one simple reason: miss the double into the single and you're still on an even number, so still on a double. Miss D16 into the 16 and you're left on 16, which is D8. Miss again and you're on 8, which is D4. Then D2, then D1.
An odd double like D19 (38) works the other way: miss into the single and you're left on 19, which costs you an extra dart to get back onto a double. So when you're setting up a finish, aim to leave 32 or 40, not 38 or 34.
With Throw
During an x01 game, Throw shows a checkout route suited to the darts you have left in the visit, favouring the doubles players like. When no finish is on, it suggests the dart that leaves you a good double for next time. The phone scores your darts on its own, busts included, so all you have to do is aim. To get going, install the app, and if you're new to the game, have a look at the x01 variants.