Cricket darts rules
In Cricket, only the numbers 15 to 20 and the bull are in play. You must "close" each of them by hitting it three times (a single counts 1, a double 2, a treble 3). While a number is closed for you but still open for your opponent, every extra hit scores its value in points. The winner is the first to close everything with at least as many points as the opponent.
- Players
- 2, teams, or more in cut-throat
- Length
- 10 to 20 minutes
- Targets
- 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and bull
- Darts per turn
- 3
Closing a number
- A single counts one mark, a double two, a treble three.
- For the bull: the outer bull counts one mark, the bullseye two.
- Three marks close the number. They're often written / then X then a circle around the X.
- You can close the numbers in any order.
Scoring points
Once you've closed a number and your opponent hasn't, every extra mark scores the number's value (25 for the bull). Example: you've closed 20, they haven't, you hit treble 20: +60. As soon as both players have closed a number, it's dead and scores nothing.
Winning
The first player to close every number and the bull, with at least as many points as the opponent, wins. If you've closed everything but you're behind, keep scoring on the numbers your opponent still has open.
Variants
No score
No points: the first to close everything wins. Faster, great for beginners.
Cut-throat
For 3 or more players: points you score go to the opponents who haven't closed that number. Lowest score wins.
Random Cricket
The six numbers to close are drawn at random from 1 to 20 at the start of the leg (by the electronic board, an app or a draw); the bull is always in play. All other rules stay the same.
Hidden Cricket
Like Random Cricket, but the six numbers drawn stay secret: you discover them by hitting them. The first player to find a number often gets a bonus mark on it. Very popular on electronic boards.
Crazy Cricket
On electronic boards, the target numbers change at random every round. A number someone has started marking stays in place for the rest of the game, so you have to seize your chances.
Wild Cricket
15 to 20 and the bull stay, plus one "wild" number drawn at random from 1 to 14. As a house rule, the wild number changes every round.
Tactics
Numbers 10 to 14 are also in play: a longer, more strategic game.
Common mistakes
- Piling up points without closing your numbers: your opponent eventually closes everything and wins.
- Leaving the bull until last: it's often the hardest to close.
- Hitting a number both players have closed: it scores nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Which numbers are used in Cricket?
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and the bull. Other segments don't count.
How much is the bull worth in Cricket?
For closing: the outer bull is one mark, the bullseye two. For scoring: 25 per extra mark.
Can you win without having the most points?
Not in the standard game: you need to have closed everything with at least as many points as your opponent. In no score, only closing counts.