# 20 19 18 17 16 15 B. X's and O's. What dart game are they playing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661 "2008-01-15T21:57:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Resu\_Eman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@Resu\_Eman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Resu_Eman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/1 "2008-01-15T21:57:26Z")
Almost any bar that has a darts has a chalkboard numbered like this: 20 19 18 17 16 15 B There will usually be X’s and O’s next to the number, with the X inside the O. I’ve always wondered what dart game are they playing and how to keep score. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/2 "2008-01-15T22:00:47Z")
The object is to get three darts in each section. One slash for the first one in that section another cross slash for the second hit and a circle to indicate that all three shots are complete. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/3 "2008-01-15T22:00:51Z")
They are playing cricket. > **[Cricket (darts)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_(darts))** > > Cricket is a darts game that uses the > standard 20 number dartboard with the triple and double rings. > Cricket is typically played between 2, 3 or 4 players, or teams of players, although the rules do not discount more players. The goal of cricket is to be the first player to open or close all the cricket numbers and have a higher or even point total. > Cricket uses the numbers 15 to 20 (or sometimes 10 to 20, and less frequently a predetermined selection of numbers) and the bullseye. To open or c... ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/4 "2008-01-15T22:03:35Z")
[QUOTE=gazpacho] They are playing cricket. > **[Cricket (darts)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_(darts))** > > Cricket is a darts game that uses the > standard 20 number dartboard with the triple and double rings. > Cricket is typically played between 2, 3 or 4 players, or teams of players, although the rules do not discount more players. The goal of cricket is to be the first player to open or close all the cricket numbers and have a higher or even point total. > Cricket uses the numbers 15 to 20 (or sometimes 10 to 20, and less frequently a predetermined selection of numbers) and the bullseye. To open or c... [/QUOTE] fixed link. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/5 "2008-01-16T04:06:55Z")
As indicated above, cricket is what you are discribing. The rules of popular dart games (Cricket, 301/501) are designed to spread the wear over the board, and to minimize the chances of hitting one dart with another, which can damage the darts. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/6 "2008-01-16T04:59:45Z")
What’s designed to spread the wear over the board is the ‘detach and rotate’ number ring that goes round the outside. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/7 "2008-01-16T05:55:21Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] What’s designed to spread the wear over the board is the ‘detach and rotate’ number ring that goes round the outside. [/QUOTE] Chez, is that for real? I mean it makes sense and all, but I’ve never heard that. The learning just never stops here on the Straight Dope. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/8 "2008-01-16T06:02:20Z")
[QUOTE=askeptic] The object is to get three darts in each section. One slash for the first one in that section another cross slash for the second hit and a circle to indicate that all three shots are complete. [/QUOTE] That would be in the black sections, except for the bull. The middle red/green\* ring scores triple and the outer r/g ring scores double. the red ring around the bull is a single, whereas the black center in a double. I think regulation boards are all red/green. I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/9 "2008-01-16T06:11:28Z")
Regarding wear on the board, an interesting variant I’ve played is to shoot for the numbers 10 down from the traditional cricket targets, i.e. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and bull. Anyone else ever see this? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/10 "2008-01-16T06:17:17Z")
[QUOTE=CJJ\*] Regarding wear on the board, an interesting variant I’ve played is to shoot for the numbers 10 down from the traditional cricket targets, i.e. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and bull. Anyone else ever see this? [/QUOTE] A bar I used to go to had a variation called “Wild Cricket.” It wsa EXACTLY the same as cricket except that instead of 20,19,18,17,16,15,B, it picked 6 random numbers and bullseye. Like I said, it’s the same, but when you play cricket 10 times a day (we had a real dart board at home, so we played alot) it put a little spin on the game. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/11 "2008-01-16T06:35:15Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] That would be in the black sections, except for the bull. The middle red/green\* ring scores triple and the outer r/g ring scores double. the red ring around the bull is a single, whereas the black center in a double. I think regulation boards are all red/green. I could be wrong. [/QUOTE] Hey, it is the first time I had a shot at giving the first right answer in GQ if I had tried to go into that much detail I would probably have been like eighth due to slow typing… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/12 "2008-01-16T09:24:29Z")
[QUOTE=Enright3] Chez, is that for real? [/QUOTE] Totally. [This](http://www.stcstores.co.uk/harrows-official-competition-dartboard-873-p.asp) product is a typical example. When the treble 20 gets shot to pieces just detach and rotate the wire for a fresh bed. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/13 "2008-01-16T10:09:41Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] Totally. [This](http://www.stcstores.co.uk/harrows-official-competition-dartboard-873-p.asp) product is a typical example. When the treble 20 gets shot to pieces just detach and rotate the wire for a fresh bed. [/QUOTE] Here’s another site with several different boards. I love darts! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-19-18-17-16-15-b-xs-and-os-what-dart-game-are-they-playing/433661/14 "2008-01-16T13:51:49Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] Totally. [This](http://www.stcstores.co.uk/harrows-official-competition-dartboard-873-p.asp) product is a typical example. When the treble 20 gets shot to pieces just detach and rotate the wire for a fresh bed. [/QUOTE] That’s almost identical to my board, I never knew you could rotate that. I never even considered it. Mine has three nails holding the outer ring on. I don’t see why they couldn’t be pried out and moved. Neat.