Roulette Darts

Roulette Darts transforms the dartboard into a casino-style roulette wheel. Players place wagers — using chips or an agreed currency — on various outcomes (specific numbers, colors, odd/even, and more), then one or more darts are thrown to determine winners. The goal is to accumulate the most chips, either by reaching a predetermined target or by outlasting every other player at the table.

Two or more players are required; the game is ideal for larger groups and party settings. Each player begins with a starting bankroll of 20 chips (poker chips, coins, or any uniform token). A standard bristle dartboard is used with no special modifications.

Before play begins, prepare a betting sheet or display board listing all available bet types and their corresponding payouts (see Scoring). Agree on house rules: will one designated neutral party throw the darts each round, or will players rotate as the thrower? If players rotate, the current thrower may also place bets. Determine the number of darts thrown per round — typically 1 to 3 darts, agreed upon before the session starts. Finally, decide on the victory condition: a target chip count, a fixed number of rounds, or last-player-standing elimination (see Winning).

Throwing order, when players rotate as thrower, is decided by each player throwing a single dart at the bullseye; closest to the center throws first, with rotation proceeding clockwise.

Roulette Darts is played in successive rounds. Each round follows this sequence:

• Betting phase: All participating players place their chips on one or more available bet types. Every bet must be announced (or physically placed on the betting sheet) before any dart is thrown. Late bets are void.
• Throwing phase: The designated thrower throws the agreed number of darts (1–3). Each dart's landing position is read independently to resolve bets.
• Payout phase: Winning bets are paid out according to the posted odds. Losing bets are forfeited — the wagered chips are removed from the player's bankroll.

The following bet types are commonly available:

• Specific number (1–20): Bet that at least one dart will land in a chosen number's segment (single, double, or triple of that number all count). Pays the highest odds.
• Color (black or white): Bet on the color of the segment the dart lands in, using the dartboard's standard alternating black and white (or red and black) wedge coloring. Pays even money.
• Odd or Even: Bet that the dart will land in an odd-numbered segment (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19) or an even-numbered segment (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20). Pays even money.
• High or Low: Bet Low (numbers 1–10) or High (numbers 11–20). Pays even money.
• Segment type: Bet that a dart will land in a specific ring — single, double, or triple. Double and triple bets pay higher odds due to their smaller target area.

Bullseye resolution: If a dart lands in the outer bullseye (25) or inner bullseye (50), it does not belong to any numbered segment. Unless a specific bullseye bet is offered as a house rule, all number-based, color, odd/even, and high/low bets lose on a bullseye hit. Agree on bullseye treatment before play.

Miss penalty: If a dart misses the board entirely, it counts as a losing result for every bet that round (for that dart). In some house-rule versions, a complete miss may carry a flat penalty of 5 chips deducted from the thrower's bankroll.

Side bets: Players may agree to allow side bets on whether the thrower will hit or miss a particular target. These are resolved independently of the main bets and must also be declared before the throw.

Roulette Darts uses a chip-based economy rather than traditional darts subtraction scoring. Each bet's payout is expressed as a multiple of the chips wagered. Recommended payout odds are as follows:

• Specific number (1–20): Pays 5 to 1 — wager 2 chips on the number 17, and if a dart lands in any 17 segment (single, double, or triple), receive 10 chips plus your original 2 back.
• Color (black/white): Pays 1 to 1 (even money) — wager 3 chips, win 3 chips.
• Odd/Even: Pays 1 to 1 — wager 4 chips on odd, and if the dart lands in 7 (odd), receive 4 chips.
• High (11–20) / Low (1–10): Pays 1 to 1 — wager 2 chips on high, dart lands in 18, win 2 chips.
• Double ring: Pays 3 to 1 — wager 1 chip, dart lands in double 14, receive 3 chips.
• Triple ring: Pays 5 to 1 — wager 2 chips, dart lands in triple 6, receive 10 chips.

When multiple darts are thrown per round, each dart is resolved separately. For example, if a player bets 2 chips on the number 19 and three darts are thrown landing in single 19, single 5, and double 3, the bet wins on the first dart (paying 10 chips) regardless of the other two results. Players may choose to apply their bets to all darts collectively (any hit wins) or to each dart independently (winning once per dart that hits) — agree on this before the session.

Bankrupt players: A player who loses all chips is eliminated from the game unless house rules allow borrowing or a one-time rebuy of 10 chips.

Before the session begins, agree on one of the following victory conditions:

• Target bankroll: The first player to accumulate a set number of chips — commonly 200 chips — wins the game outright.
• Fixed rounds: Play a predetermined number of rounds (e.g., 10 or 20 rounds). At the end, the player with the most chips wins. In the event of a tie, tied players each throw one dart at the bullseye; the closest dart wins.
• Last player standing: Play continues until all players but one have gone bankrupt. The surviving player wins.

For longer sessions or tournament play, multiple games may be played as a best-of series (e.g., best of 3 games), with each game using any of the above formats.

Drinking Roulette: Instead of wagering chips, losing players drink an agreed-upon amount (a sip, half a glass, etc.). This social variant removes the bankroll mechanic entirely — play for a set number of rounds, and the player who has consumed the least is declared the winner (or simply play for fun with no formal winner).

Skill-Handicap Roulette: To level the field between experienced and novice throwers, skilled players may be restricted to betting on only half the board (e.g., numbers 1–10) or required to hit doubles or triples for their specific-number bets to pay out. Beginners receive no such restrictions.

Red/Black Color Mapping: Some groups map the dartboard's segment colors directly to the red and black of a casino roulette wheel, using the board's alternating black and white (or red and green) coloring as the basis for color bets. This variant emphasizes the roulette theme and may introduce a "zero" pocket rule: if a dart hits the bullseye, all color bets lose — mirroring the house edge on a roulette table.

Casino Darts Hybrid: Some venues combine Roulette Darts with other casino-game mechanics — such as blackjack-style hit/stand decisions or craps-style pass/don't-pass bets — rotating between game types each round. This variant is best for large parties looking for extended play variety.

Start with even-money bets: Color, odd/even, and high/low wagers cover roughly half the board each and pay 1 to 1. While the returns are modest, these bets protect your bankroll in early rounds and keep you in the game while you gauge other players' betting patterns.

Exploit the thrower advantage: If you are rotating as the thrower and are also allowed to bet, wager on areas of the board you can hit reliably. A confident treble-20 thrower, for instance, might bet on the specific number 20 and a high-numbers bet simultaneously, covering the same region for overlapping payouts.

Manage your bankroll aggressively late, conservatively early: With a starting stack of 20 chips, a single bad round of large bets can eliminate you. Risk no more than 3–5 chips per round in the early game. Once you have built a comfortable lead, you can afford higher-risk specific-number bets to pull further ahead.

Diversify your bets within a round: Placing a small even-money bet alongside a smaller specific-number bet hedges your risk. For example, bet 2 chips on "low" and 1 chip on the number 7. If the dart lands in single 7, you win both bets (2 chips from the low bet + 5 chips from the number bet). If it lands in any other low number, you still break even on the round.

Watch the thrower's tendencies: In games where a neutral party throws, observe where their darts cluster over several rounds. If the thrower consistently groups in the lower-left quadrant (e.g., around 19 and 7), skew your bets toward those segments and their corresponding color, odd/even, and high/low categories.