Strategy Definitions

The simplest strategy. Close targets in strict descending order: 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, Bullseye. Never score until all 7 targets are closed. Once all targets are closed, score on whatever the opponent has not yet closed.

S1 serves as the baseline strategy in every tournament. It is predictable and entirely defensive — it never builds a point lead during the closing phase. Against strategies that score early, S1 frequently falls behind on points and must rely on closing out first to win. Its simplicity makes it a useful reference point, but it is rarely competitive.

These four strategies introduce the score/cover decision. They differ only in how large a point lead is required before switching from scoring to covering.

S2 (threshold = 0)

Score until you have any lead at all, then switch to covering. Even a single point ahead is enough to trigger cover mode. This is Frongello's optimal strategy among the original 17 — it balances offense and defense effectively. By requiring only a minimal lead, S2 avoids over-investing in scoring while still ensuring it never covers from behind on points.

S3 (threshold = 3×)

Score until your lead exceeds 3 times the highest unblocked target value. At the start of a game with 20 still open, that means building a 60-point cushion before switching to covering. This provides a moderate safety margin against opponents who score back.

S4 (threshold = 6×)

Require a 120-point lead (when 20 is the highest open target) before covering. More aggressive scoring means more time spent on offense, which delays closing but builds a substantial point buffer.

S5 (threshold = 9×)

Require a 180-point lead before covering. Very aggressive scoring. The risk is oscillation: the strategy can alternate between scoring and covering as the lead rises above and drops below the high threshold, wasting darts on mode switches rather than making steady progress.

These strategies mirror S2 through S5 in their threshold behavior but add the extra-darts redirect. When you are closing a number and cannot finish it this turn (marks needed exceed darts remaining), redirect those remaining darts to scoring on your highest closed target instead.

The extra-darts mechanism salvages darts that would otherwise make only partial progress on a close. For example, if you need 3 marks to close 19 but only have 1 dart left in the turn, that single dart aimed at 19 gains just one mark toward closing. Redirecting it to score on an already-closed target (say, 20) earns immediate points instead.

• S6 (threshold = 0, extra darts): S2 logic plus extra-darts redirect.
• S7 (threshold = 3×, extra darts): S3 logic plus redirect.
• S8 (threshold = 6×, extra darts): S4 logic plus redirect.
• S9 (threshold = 9×, extra darts): S5 logic plus redirect.

These strategies mirror S2 through S5 but add chase as the highest priority action. Before evaluating the score/cover decision, the player first checks whether the opponent has closed any target that the player has not. If so, close it immediately, starting with the highest value. This blocks the opponent's ability to score on that number.

Chasing is a reactive, defensive maneuver. Frongello found that it is generally suboptimal because it forces the player to close targets in the opponent's preferred order rather than their own. Instead of proactively choosing which numbers to close, the chaser responds to the opponent's actions, often at the cost of tempo.

• S10 (threshold = 0, chase): S2 logic with chase priority.
• S11 (threshold = 3×, chase): S3 logic with chase priority.
• S12 (threshold = 6×, chase): S4 logic with chase priority.
• S13 (threshold = 9×, chase): S5 logic with chase priority.

The combined group enables both extra darts and chase. These strategies represent the full parameter space — every mechanism turned on simultaneously.

• S14 (threshold = 0, extra darts, chase): S2 with both mechanisms.
• S15 (threshold = 3×, extra darts, chase): S3 with both mechanisms.
• S16 (threshold = 6×, extra darts, chase): S4 with both mechanisms.
• S17 (threshold = 9×, extra darts, chase): S5 with both mechanisms.

In practice, the combination of chase and extra darts does not produce a synergistic improvement. Chase diverts darts to defensive closing, and extra darts redirects some of those same darts to scoring, partially undoing the chase priority. The combined strategies tend to perform comparably to or slightly worse than their chase-only counterparts.

S2 logic with a modified closing order. Instead of closing Bull last, close it right after 17. The full closing order becomes: 20, 19, 18, 17, Bull, 16, 15.

The rationale is that Bull is worth 25 points — higher than any number except 20. Under the default order, Bull is closed last, which means its scoring potential is never realized during the main game. By closing it early, the player creates a high-value scoring avenue that can be exploited if the opponent does not close Bull promptly.

S2 logic with a covering twist. When the strategy is in cover mode and has a point lead, it skips the highest target it can currently score on. That target is left open deliberately as a future scoring trap.

If the opponent later catches up on points, the player already has a ready-made scoring avenue — the target it intentionally left open. This sacrifices immediate closing progress for a strategic reserve of scoring potential.

Exploits the moment a target is closed mid-turn. When the player closes a number on dart 1 or dart 2, they immediately score on that freshly closed target with any remaining darts. The opponent has not yet had a turn to respond, so the closed target is temporarily an exclusive scoring opportunity.

After the turn ends, normal S2 logic resumes. The greedy element is purely opportunistic — it capitalizes on the information advantage of knowing a target was just closed before the opponent can react.

The lead threshold scales dynamically with game progress rather than remaining fixed throughout the game.

• Early game (many targets unclosed): threshold = 3× the highest unblocked value. Score aggressively like S3 to build a point lead while many targets remain available.
• Late game (few targets remaining): threshold approaches 0. Cover quickly like S2 to close out before the opponent can respond.

The formula is: multiplier = 3 × (unclosed_count / 7). With all 7 targets unclosed, the multiplier is 3.0. With only 1 target left, it drops to approximately 0.4. This creates a smooth transition from aggressive scoring to aggressive covering as the game progresses.

S2 logic but adapts the hit type to the number of marks needed to close a target. When only 1 mark is needed, aim a single (96% reliable at pro level). When 3 marks are needed, aim a triple. When 2 marks are needed and it is the last dart of the turn, aim a double.

The insight is that triples are high-risk, high-reward: they close 3 marks at once but miss more often. When you only need 1 mark, risking a miss on a triple is wasteful — a single gets the job done with near-certainty. Smart Aim matches the dart selection to the situation.

S2 logic but always aims singles (except Bull, which is always double). A control experiment that trades scoring power for maximum consistency. Every dart lands with ~96% reliability, but each hit only contributes 1 mark or 1× face value in points.

Spoiler: it is terrible. The consistency advantage cannot compensate for the dramatically reduced scoring throughput. Closing takes 3 darts per target instead of 1, and scoring produces a fraction of the points per dart. E6 exists primarily to quantify how much triples matter.

S2 logic but always aims doubles. A middle ground between E6 (always single) and the default triple-everything approach. Doubles contribute 2 marks per hit and score at 2× face value, with reliability between singles and triples.

Aims triples when scoring (maximize points per dart) but switches to singles when closing or covering (maximize reliability of making progress). The logic is that missing a scoring dart wastes an opportunity but missing a closing dart wastes tempo — and tempo matters more when you are trying to shut out the opponent.

A three-phase approach that shifts behavior based on how many targets remain unclosed.

• Early game (5+ targets unclosed): threshold = 3×, scoring aggressively like S3. Many targets remain, so building a point lead is the priority.
• Mid game (3–4 targets unclosed): threshold = 0, standard S2 behavior. Balance scoring and covering.
• Late game (1–2 targets unclosed): pure cover mode. Just close out — the game is nearly won.

Unlike E4 (Adaptive Threshold) which uses a smooth formula, E9 uses hard phase boundaries for sharper behavioral shifts at critical game stages.

S2 logic with a mid-game scoring surge. When 3 to 5 targets remain unclosed, the lead threshold doubles to 2× the highest unblocked value. In all other phases, the threshold is 0 (standard S2).

The idea is that mid-game is the best time to invest in scoring: enough targets are closed to have scoring avenues, but enough remain that the opponent cannot close out quickly. The surge builds a point cushion during this window, then reverts to tight S2 play to finish.

Combines phase shifts, smart aim, and the honeypot mechanic into a single strategy. The everything-bagel approach.

• Phase shifts: Early game (5+ unclosed) uses a 3× threshold, mid game (3–4) uses 0, late game (1–2) always covers.
• Smart aim: Adapts hit type to marks needed when closing (single for 1, double for 2 on last dart, triple for 3).
• Honeypot: When covering with a lead, skips the highest scoreable target to preserve it as a future scoring avenue.

E11 tests whether combining multiple individually beneficial mechanics produces a stronger whole or whether the interactions create conflicting signals.

S2 logic with a targeted closing optimization. When behind with nothing scoreable, instead of opening a new target immediately, E12 first checks whether any opponent-closed target is exactly 1 mark away from being closed. If so, it finishes that target with a reliable single before moving on.

The rationale: one reliable single permanently stops the opponent’s scoring on that target. Opening a new target requires 3 marks (typically a triple or multiple darts), during which the opponent continues scoring on their open lane. By finishing the cheap close first, E12 eliminates the bleeding before investing in new scoring opportunities.