The variation is fun to play and competition in itself, which has much been compared to normal cricket darts but is now with a slightly more direct form in scoring. To some extent, both leisure and competitive ones can be entertained by this variation.
For an individual who never played this type of game in the past, easy to learn for nobody has any required skills to try this out for himself. Clear and simple ways to play are presented here with Cutthroat Cricket Darts.
Basic Rules of Cutthroat Cricket Darts
In the usual game of darts, usually, there will be certain numbers to score the points. While playing Cutthroat Cricket, certain numbers have to be targeted for “closing,” and avoiding points for the opposing team to be scored on that particular number is key. It varies from the traditional darts game where people try to make as much points as possible.
To get things started, Cutthroat Cricket darts takes a standard dartboard, three darts for each player, and a way to keep score-a piece of paper and a pen will work just fine, or a scoreboard can be used if available. Players usually decide among themselves over the number of rounds or decide whether to play a timed game. The game is usually played by 2 to 4 players.
There are bullseyes to the numbers in Cutthroat Cricket of 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, and 15, which are numbers meant for players to get during the play. Unlike playing cricket, cutthroat cricket darts shuts down these very numbers but avoids allowing your competitor or opponent to achieve these as you throw them yourself during your turn in trying to obtain the numbers
The objective in the game Cutthroat Cricket is rather simple: close any of the key numbers (20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and bullseye) before your opponents do. While closing the various key numbers, you are going to want to maximize your points. You have to close all of the key numbers first. By the end of the game, you want to have the lowest score possible to win.
Players must score on a particular number to close it. Once closed, players can score points on that number until all players have closed it. This is where the “cutthroat” part comes into play. It’s not just about closing your own numbers – it’s also about stopping your opponents from scoring.
How to Close a Number
A player closes a number by hitting that number three times. When the player is aiming for the 20s, the 20 section has to be hit thrice — either by hitting a single 20, a treble 20, or a double 20. The quicker way of closing a number is by hitting a treble or double. This is how it’s done:
One Hit: One hit of the target number, such as hitting one 20 counts as one of the needed three hits.
Two Hits: A double, such as hitting double 20 counts as two of the needed hits for that number.
Three Hits: A treble hits the triple 20 section of the target and counts as three of the needed hits for that number, closing it completely with just one throw.
Once a player closes a number, they no longer have to aim for it, and they can start focusing on other numbers. Just remember, your opponents can still hit that number and score points on it if they haven’t closed it yet.
Scoring
There are points to score in Cutthroat Cricket Darts. All players are concentrating on closing a number, however also avoid letting that be the target number for other competitors to score at. If no one has closed a number you hit, the hits go to score.
- A player scores if he hits any closed number that other player hasn’t closed. He gets a point which is the exact amount of the closed number.
- In case you hit a number that you already closed, you earn points for yourself, but you provide your opponents with the chance to close that number, too.
For example, if you hit a treble 20 and your opponent has not closed the 20s yet, you score 60 points. If the 20s are already closed, you don’t score any points but can still stop your opponents from scoring.
Ending the Game
The game ends when all the key numbers (20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and the bullseye) have been closed by one player. The winner is the player with the lowest score at the end of the game.
If you have closed all your numbers but your opponents still have open numbers, you can continue to score points by hitting those numbers. This makes it important to close numbers quickly while also keeping an eye on your opponents’ progress.
Playing Strategy
While Cutthroat Cricket darts is partly about skill, there’s a good amount of strategy involved too. Here are some tips to improve your game:
Focus on Closing Numbers Quickly: The quicker you close a number, the fewer points your opponents can score on it. If you’re good at hitting a certain number, prioritize closing it early.
Pay Attention to Your Opponents: Keep track of the numbers your opponents are closing and try to stop them from scoring points. If you see an opponent getting close to closing a number, aim to hit that number and prevent them from scoring on it.
Use the Bullseye Wisely: The bullseye can be a game-changer, but it can also be tricky to hit. If you’re good at hitting the bullseye, focus on closing it early. However, if your opponents are ahead of you, consider using the bullseye to rack up points instead.
Don’t Ignore the Other Numbers: It’s easy to get fixated on closing the numbers you need. However, don’t forget that you can earn points by hitting numbers your opponents haven’t closed yet. If you’re good at hitting 16, for example, aim for it even if you don’t need it to close.
Practice Your Accuracy: The key to winning Cutthroat Cricket is hitting your targets consistently. The more accurate you are with your darts, the easier it will be to close numbers and score points. Practice your aim and work on hitting the bullseye and the 15-20 section of the board.
Conclusion
Cutthroat Cricket Darts is a very exciting and tactical variation wherein players have ample opportunities to think on their feet and adjust their strategies according to the flow of the game. It takes much expertise and concentration to close numbers and score points while at the same time trying to hinder your opponents from doing so.
Although this may take a few rounds to get used to, Cutthroat Cricket can be a very enjoyable and competitive game once one knows the rules and strategy behind it. Whether one is playing casually with friends or in a more competitive environment, there’s much fun and excitement.