by Mel Bergen

Created on: March 22, 2008   Last Updated: August 21, 2008

Beginning players quickly discover the fun and challenge of throwing darts through straightforward dart games like Cricket, Chase, and 301. These fundamentals form the groundwork for more complicated rules. You can play these games with any number of people, either singly or on teams.

Lines divide a dart board into pie-shaped wedges numbered one through twenty, with a double ring in the center, called a bullseye. A colored ring around the outside of the board is worth double the number on that section and another around the middle of the circle counts for triple that number. The outer ring of the bullseye is worth a single and the tiny circle inside it is affectionately known as the "double bull".

Once you understand what the various sections mean, you can keep score. These basic games give beginners something for which to aim when they are learning to throw darts. They also offer enough challenge and fun to keep new players interested in darts.

Cricket is the most widely-played dart game. It comes programmed on even the most inexpensive electronic dartboards.

- Hit each of the sections numbered fifteen through twenty three times, in any order.
- Make three bullseye strikes.
- When you have hit a number three times, you have "closed" that number.
- If at least one other player has not closed a wedge, you can score points by hitting that number again. A bullseye is worth twenty-five points in this instance.
- The winner has closed all of the numbers, the bullseye, and has the most points.

Chase is a variant of Cricket without the bullseye. Beginners often find this game easier to play.

- Land three hits in the wedges numbered ten through twenty.
- Score points as in Cricket.
- You win by closing all of the numbers and having the most points.

301, at its most basic, involves counting backward from 301 point to zero.

- Subtract the number of points you accumulate in each turn.
- You can begin with a higher point total for teams, starting at 501 or 701.
- The first player or team to reach zero wins.
- Should you score more points than you need to reach zero, or "go over", you lose your turn for that round.
- You can make the game more difficult by requiring a hit in the double or triple ring to begin or end the game.

Once you've mastered these basics, you can learn or invent more complicated and more difficult dart games to play. The game of darts offers a chance to demonstrate some skill, to practice your hand/eye coordination, and the relaxation of having fun with your friends.

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