Nine dart finish

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A nine dart finish is the ultimate checkout in the game of darts, constituting a perfect game. It is notoriously difficult to achieve, even by the game's top professionals.

With each player starting from a score of 501, nine darts is the fewest number of throws necessary to finish the game. Although other methods are possible, the traditional way is to score maximum 180 tallies with each of the first two sets of three darts (a treble 20 per dart) thereby leaving a score of 141.

This final outshot, under any circumstances, is difficult but achievable, but in the pressure of a nine dart situation it suddenly becomes even more difficult and thousands of instances have occurred whereby players have achieved the two maximum scores but missed a crucial dart during the 141 outshot.

This outshot is traditionally done one of three ways:

  • treble 20 (60), treble 19 (57) and double 12 (24) (the most common)
  • treble 18 (54), treble 17 (51) and double 18 (36)
  • treble 20 (60), treble 15 (45) and double 18 (36)

(All games of darts have to end with a double or the bullseye)

The first televised nine dart finish was achieved at the World Matchplay championship in 1984 by John Lowe, who used the second method above as his outshot after scoring two maximum 180s. For this he received a prize of £102,000 and then went on to win the whole event. The first and only player to manage the outshot in the world championship was American player Paul Lim in 1990. He favoured the first method of those listed above for his outshot.

Phil Taylor is the only player to have achieved this feat more than once on television, having done so three times: the first in 2002, during a quarter final tie at the Professional Darts Corporation World Matchplay Championship in Blackpool, and also in consecutive appearances at the Professional Darts Corporation UK Open Championships in Bolton, in 2004 and 2005.

On March 23, 2006 Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld achieved his first televised 9 dart finish during the Professional Darts Corporation Premier League competition. He hit 7 x T20, 1 x T19 and 1 x D12.

BDO Stalwart Shaun Greatbatch has also achieved a televised 9 dart finish (7 x T20, 1 x T15 & 1 x D18). He accomplished this feat in 2002 in the Dutch Open; his was the first to be seen "live" on television.

It is said that the most perfect nine dart finish constitutes a player scoring 167 with each set of three darts in the following way:

  • treble 20 (60), treble 19 (57) and bullseye (50)

This takes away the chance of any dart being deflected which means the element of luck is reduced to zero. It is only usually seen in exhibition matches as, in tournaments, players are inclined to aim for the treble 20, only switching to the treble 19 for a cover shot.

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