By far the most often played game, 501 is a subtraction game where the object is to get to 0 from 501 by subtracting your total score for a throw of three darts. Any number hit on the board counts toward your score. Double and triple rings count accordingly.
The winning throw must be a double ring value that will leave the player with 0 points.
For example; a player with 40 points left must score a double 20 to win. Any score less than the needed amount leaves the player needing to score a double corresponding to the new score. In our example, if the player scores a single 20, he/she is left with 20, and a double 10 will win the game. If the player scored an odd number, then the resulting score would have to be made even by the next throw to attain a number that can be "doubled out".
Any throw that exceeds the present point total invalidates the entire turn(usually called a "bust" or "busting" the number),and the next time up, the player starts where they were at the beginning of the previos turn. Using our example, if the player has 20 left, and needs to score a double 10 to win, but scores a double 15 instead, they scored 30 and they have "busted" the double 10. Their next turn would start again at needing a double 10 to win. The busting of a number can occur during the throw of any dart in a turn (a player needing a double 4 to win who throws his/her first dart into the 18 has busted and his/her turn is over)
Many players will try to leave themselves a score of 32. This is because if the double 16 is missed and the single 16 is hit instead, then the player is left with 16, and now needs a double 8. If the double 8 is missed and the single 8 hit instead, then the player is left with 8 and then needs a double 4. As you can see, this strategy allows the play to throw at a double that, if missed, leaves another double and eliminates the need to get the score even again and thus waste a dart.(your opponent may very well be trying to double out as well!)
It is also vital to set up out shots. This means positioning yourself for potential outs well before actually getting to the out number. Throwing 501 in competition will certainly show this: experienced players are thinking about their outs when they have well over 100 points left. It's easy to see why: a good player may double out in one turn that started on a number like 126 or 101 or even 170(the highest possible out). Doubling out in 501(and 301) needs to be thought of as a process: the dart that hits the objective double is only part of a series of planned throws. Go to the Morgantown City Dart League page and select the link for the 3 dart out chart for more information. It will prove well worth it in your game!
501 is the game played in all head to head competitions, right up to the world championships. World class players routinely complete games of 501 in less than 15 darts.
As with any game of scoring, there can be(and are) perfect games thrown. A perfect game of 501 is 9 darts and the scoring, by turn, would be 180-180-141. It has even been done in championship competition on television!