Casino 301

Casino 301 is a French casino-inspired dart game that blends the mechanics of Baccarat-style card play with darts. The objective is to win chips from your opponents by achieving the highest single-digit score on each hand, with natural 8 or natural 9 being the most powerful results. The ultimate goal is to be the first player to accumulate 200 chips, or to be the last player remaining after all opponents have lost their chips.

Casino 301 is played on a specialty Winmau Casino 301 dartboard, which uses the numbers 1–19 only (the number 20 is excluded from play). While this board is no longer manufactured, it is available secondhand and through specialty retailers. A standard set of darts is used.

Each player begins with 20 chips. Each hand (round) is worth 5 chips. Before play begins, determine throwing order by any agreed method — typically each player throws one dart at the bullseye, with the closest throwing first. Ensure all players have an equal supply of chips and that a clear scorekeeping method is in place to track chip totals throughout the game.

Play proceeds in hands. Before each hand, a player must call their bet. Once the bet is declared, the player throws up to three darts to establish a score for that hand.

Digit-dropping scoring: When adding together the values of darts thrown, if the total exceeds 9, the tens digit is dropped, leaving only the ones digit. This mimics the scoring system found in Baccarat and similar casino card games.

• A total of 15 becomes 5 (drop the 1).
• A total of 18 becomes 8 (drop the 1).
• A total of 27 becomes 7 (drop the 2).
• A total of 9 remains 9 (no digit to drop).

Natural 8 or Natural 9: If a player's first dart lands in the treble 8 (scoring 24, which reduces to 4 — but by rule, a treble 8 on the first dart constitutes a natural 8) or the treble 9 (constituting a natural 9), the hand is won immediately. The player does not throw a second or third dart. A natural is the strongest possible result in a hand.

Important: Only the segments numbered 1–19 are in play. Any dart landing outside the valid scoring area does not count. Players may throw up to three darts per hand except when a natural is obtained on the first dart, which ends the hand immediately.

Scoring follows the Baccarat-style digit-dropping system. After throwing up to three darts, add the face values of all darts that landed in valid segments (1–19), then apply the digit-dropping rule:

• If the total is 9 or less, that number is the player's hand score.
• If the total is 10 or greater, drop the tens digit. For example, a total of 13 yields a hand score of 3; a total of 22 yields 2.

The highest possible hand score is 9, and the lowest meaningful score is 0 (e.g., a total of 10 or 20). A natural 8 (treble 8 on the first dart) or natural 9 (treble 9 on the first dart) is the premium result, winning the hand outright without further throws.

Chip stakes for each hand are determined by the bet called before throwing. Each standard hand is worth 5 chips, transferred from the loser to the winner.

The game is won by the first player to accumulate 200 chips. Alternatively, if all opponents lose their entire chip supply, the last player standing with chips is declared the winner.

Because each hand is worth 5 chips from a starting pool of 20 chips per player, games between two players can swing quickly — a player can be eliminated in as few as four consecutive lost hands. In multiplayer games, eliminated players sit out while remaining players continue until a single winner emerges or the 200-chip threshold is reached.

Standard Board Adaptation: Since the Winmau Casino 301 dartboard is discontinued and difficult to obtain, the game can be adapted for use on a standard dartboard by designating scoring zones that mimic the Casino 301 board layout. Players simply agree to exclude the 20 segment and play using numbers 1–19 only.

Variable Betting Formats: Multiple betting structures can be used in place of the standard 5-chip hand. Players may agree on higher or lower stakes per hand, or introduce escalating bets as the game progresses, adding further strategic depth to the wagering element.

Casino 301 is sometimes referred to as French Casino, reflecting its origins in French casino culture and its mechanical resemblance to Baccarat.

Master the Treble 8 and Treble 9: Hitting a natural on your first dart wins the hand instantly and denies your opponent any chance to respond. Dedicate focused practice to the treble 8 and treble 9 segments — these are the most valuable targets on the board.

Think in Single Digits: Train yourself to calculate digit-dropped totals quickly. Before throwing your second or third dart, know exactly what values will bring your hand score to 8 or 9. For example, if your first dart scored 6, you need a total addition of 2 or 3 (or 12, 13, 22, 23, etc.) to reach a strong hand.

Manage Your Chip Stack Conservatively: With only 20 starting chips and 5 chips at stake per hand, you are never more than four bad hands from elimination. Avoid reckless betting early — survival keeps you in contention for the 200-chip target.

Know Your Worst Outcomes: A hand score of 0 (totals of 10, 20, or 30) is the worst possible result. Be aware of which segment combinations produce these totals and steer your second and third darts away from them.