Cut-Throat Cricket

Cut-Throat Cricket is a reverse-scoring variant of standard Cricket designed for three or more players. The goal is to close all seven cricket numbers (20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and Bullseye) while keeping your own point total as low as possible. Points are undesirable — when you hit a number you have already opened, those points are added to every opponent who has not yet closed that number. The winner must be the first player to close all seven numbers and hold the lowest (or tied-lowest) score.

Cut-Throat Cricket requires a standard bristle dartboard and a set of three darts per player. The game accommodates 3 or more players (it can be played with 2, but the variant truly shines with larger groups). Determine throwing order by having each player throw one dart at the bullseye; the player closest to the inner bull throws first, with the remaining players following in order of proximity.

Prepare a scoreboard listing the seven target numbers — 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and Bull — along one axis, with a column for each player along the other. Include a cumulative score row or column for each player. All scores begin at 0. Use standard cricket mark notation: a single slash (/) for one mark, an X for two marks, and a circled X (⊗) for three marks (closed).

Players take turns throwing three darts per visit. Only the seven cricket numbers and the bullseye are in play; darts landing in any other segment score nothing and carry no effect.

Closing a number: A player must accumulate three marks on a number to close it. A single hit in the number's segment counts as 1 mark, a hit in the double ring counts as 2 marks, and a hit in the triple ring counts as 3 marks. For the bullseye, the outer bull counts as 1 mark and the inner bull counts as 2 marks. Marks may be accumulated across multiple visits — for example, a single and a double on the same number across two turns yields three marks and closes that number.

Scoring (attacking opponents): Once a player has registered three or more marks on a number, that number is open for that player. Any additional hits on an open number do not score for the thrower. Instead, the point value of the hit is added to the score of every opponent who has not yet closed that number. This is the defining mechanic of Cut-Throat Cricket — you inflict points on others rather than earning them yourself.

Dead numbers: Once all players have closed a particular number, it is dead. No further marks or points can be scored on it by anyone.

Segment values for scoring purposes:

• Single segment = face value (e.g., single 20 = 20 points)
• Double ring = 2× face value (e.g., double 20 = 40 points)
• Triple ring = 3× face value (e.g., triple 20 = 60 points)
• Outer bullseye = 25 points
• Inner bullseye = 50 points

Example: Player A has opened the 20 (three or more marks). Players B and C have not yet closed the 20. Player A throws a triple 20 on their next visit. The resulting 60 points are added to both Player B's score and Player C's score. Player A's score remains unchanged. If Player B had already closed the 20 but Player C had not, only Player C would receive the 60 points.

Excess marks on a closing dart: If a player needs only one mark to close a number and hits a double (2 marks) or triple (3 marks), the excess marks beyond the third count as scoring hits. For instance, if Player A has two marks on the 19 and throws a triple 19, the first mark closes the number, and the remaining two marks generate 38 points (2 × 19) added to every opponent who has not closed 19.

In Cut-Throat Cricket, points are penalties — the lower your score, the better your position. Points are never added to the thrower's own total. They are inflicted upon opponents who have left a number unclosed.

Concrete example of a full visit: Suppose Player A has opened 20 and 18, and still needs marks on all other numbers. Player A's three darts land on: triple 20, single 18, and single 17.

• Triple 20 (60 points): Added to the score of every opponent who has not closed 20.
• Single 18 (18 points): Added to the score of every opponent who has not closed 18.
• Single 17 (1 mark): This is a mark toward closing 17 for Player A — no points are scored because Player A has not yet opened 17 (needs two more marks).

If there are three opponents and none of them have closed 20 or 18, Player A's visit inflicts 60 points on each of the three opponents via the 20, and 18 points on each of the three opponents via the 18 — a total of 78 points added to each opponent's score in a single turn.

The maximum single-dart scoring infliction is a triple 20 (60 points) applied to every open opponent, making 20 the most dangerous offensive number on the board. The maximum bullseye infliction per dart is 50 points (inner bull).

A player wins the game when both of the following conditions are satisfied simultaneously: (1) the player has closed all seven numbers (20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and Bull), and (2) the player holds the lowest score (or is tied for the lowest score) among all remaining players.

If a player closes all seven numbers but does not have the lowest score, the game continues. That player can no longer mark or score on any numbers, so they must wait while the remaining players continue to throw. The game persists until a player who has closed all numbers also holds the lowest score, or until the natural conclusion of play resolves the score disparity. This means closing quickly without attending to the scoreboard can leave a player stranded — unable to act while opponents chip away at the deficit.

Instant-Close (Sudden Death) Cut-Throat: In some informal or machine-based formats, the game ends immediately when any single player closes all seven numbers. The player with the lowest score at that moment wins — even if the closing player does not hold the lowest total. This speeds up play considerably and is sometimes the default mode on DARTSLIVE electronic dartboards.

Expanded Number Sets: Some groups add additional target numbers beyond the standard seven (for example, including 14 and 13) to lengthen the game and increase strategic complexity. The core mechanics remain the same; only the list of active numbers changes.

Standard (Points) Cricket: Cut-Throat Cricket is a variant of the parent game, Cricket (also called Mickey Mouse in some regions). In standard Cricket, points scored on open numbers are added to the thrower's own score, and the highest score wins. Cut-Throat reverses this dynamic entirely, making it far more suitable for multiplayer games where point inflation from a single dominant player can be redistributed across the field.

No-Score Cricket: A simplified variant in which points are not tracked at all. The first player to close all seven numbers wins outright. This removes the offensive scoring element and focuses the game purely on accuracy and closing speed.

Close defensively before attacking: Your top priority should be shutting down any number that an opponent has already opened. If Player B opens the 20 and you have zero marks on it, you are exposed to potentially devastating scoring visits. Closing high-value numbers that opponents have opened is the single most important defensive action you can take — every turn you leave a high number unclosed is another opportunity for opponents to pile points onto your total.

Prioritize high-value numbers first: Open and close 20, 19, and 18 early. These segments carry the highest point values per dart (up to 60, 57, and 54 respectively on triples), which means they inflict the most damage when used offensively and expose you to the most risk when left unclosed. Controlling the top of the board dictates the tempo of the game.

Read the scoreboard before every visit: With three or more players, the board state changes rapidly. Before you throw, identify which numbers each opponent still has open and who has the highest score. Target your attacks at the player closest to meeting the win condition — adding points to a near-winner's total can prevent them from closing out. Conversely, avoid wasting darts on numbers that only one low-threat opponent has left open.

Use the bullseye as a late-game weapon: The bullseye is worth 25 or 50 points per hit but is the hardest target to close (requiring three marks on a small area). Many players leave it for last. If you close the bull early while opponents still need it, you hold a powerful offensive lever — each inner bull inflicts 50 points on every opponent who hasn't closed it. In a four-player game, that is 150 points distributed in a single dart.

Don't rush to close everything: Closing all seven numbers while holding a high score is a losing position — you'll be stranded, unable to throw, while opponents continue playing and potentially lowering the gap. Balance your closing pace with offensive pressure. It is often better to keep one or two numbers open so you can continue attacking opponents and inflating their scores before you close out with the lowest total.