Halve It Darts: Rules and Strategy

Last updated 10 November 2026

Halve It rewards consistency over brilliance. One big round can put you clear, but one round where every dart misses the target cuts your score in half. It is a great leveller for groups of mixed ability.

The rules

Everyone starts with 40 points.
Each round has one target, and every player throws three darts at it.
Each dart that hits the target adds its value to your score.
If none of your three darts hits the target, your score is halved, rounded down.
After the last target, the highest score wins.

The targets

The DartScore.uk scoreboard uses nine rounds in this order:

Round	Target	What counts
1–6	20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15	Any single, double or treble of that number, at full value
7	Any double	Any double on the board, scoring twice the number
8	Any treble	Any treble on the board, scoring three times the number
9	Bull	Outer bull scores 25, inner bull 50

A worked example

Round 1 (20): all three darts miss the 20. Your 40 is halved to 20.
Round 2 (19): you hit treble 19 with one dart. You score 57 and move up to 77.
Round 3 (18): another blank. 77 halves to 38, because the half is rounded down.

Notice how losing half of 77 costs much more than losing half of 40. The bigger your score, the more a blank round hurts.

Strategy

Hit something first. One hit protects your whole score. With your first dart, aim at the biggest, safest part of the target.
Then go big. Once you are safe, go for the treble with your remaining darts.
“Any double” is a free choice. Pick the double you hit most often, not necessarily double 20.
The bull is the danger round. It is the round where players most often blank. A lead going into it is less safe than it looks.

Scores to know

The maximum possible score is 1,435: the starting 40, plus three trebles on each of 20 to 15 (945), three double 20s (120), three treble 20s (180) and three inner bulls (150).

Common house rules

Starting from 0, or from a single round of free scoring.
Different target lists, often including specific doubles such as double 16.
Halving only the points scored so far in that leg.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if you score 0 in a round of Halve It?

Your total score is halved, rounded down. You only need one dart on the target to avoid it.

Does the inner bull count as a double in Halve It?

On DartScore.uk, the "any double" round counts only the double ring. The bull has its own round at the end, where the outer bull scores 25 and the inner bull 50.

What is the highest score in Halve It?

With the DartScore.uk targets and a 40-point start, 1,435.