Below is my take on Cut-Throat Cricket—how I got into it, why it’s such a chaotic blast, plus tips and handicap ideas I’ve picked up along the way. It is very similar to the standard darts game cricket but with a twist – If you hit a number that’s closed your opponent gets the points. I’v found this leads to some very high scoring games!
How Cut-Throat Cricket Darts Works
- Basic Premise
- The core rules are similar to standard Cricket: you’re aiming to “close” numbers 20 down to 15 and the bullseye by hitting them three times (singles, doubles, or trebles).
- However, the major twist is in scoring: when you hit a number you’ve already closed, any opponents who haven’t closed that number get the points, not you.
- In other words, you’re actively piling points onto your opponents if you keep hitting the numbers they haven’t yet closed.
- Winning
- In regular Cricket, you want the highest point total; in Cut-Throat, you want the lowest.
- The game ends once all numbers (20–15, plus bull) are closed by everybody. At that point, whomever has the lowest total is the winner.
- Turn Flow
- Everyone takes turns throwing three darts.
- If you close a number (by hitting it three total “marks”), you no longer receive points (nor can you add points) on that number—but you can still accidentally give points to others if you throw at it before it’s closed on your side.
- Managing what’s open and what’s closed for each player is the strategic heartbeat of Cut-Throat.
Personal Experiences
- Turning the Tables
The first time I played, I foolishly thought I was safe closing 20 and 19 quickly. Next thing I knew, my friend hammered 19 repeatedly, dumping points onto my other buddy, who hadn’t closed 19 yet. Meanwhile, I was forced to watch them both zoom ahead in points (which in Cut-Throat is actually a bad thing!). It was a head-spinning moment that drove home how different this version is. - Chaotic Group Play
We once had six players in a single Cut-Throat match—imagine the confusion! It was actually a blast, though, because alliances formed (“Don’t close 18 yet; let’s rack up points on Bob!”) and dissolved in the span of a turn. If you like social, slightly mischievous games, it doesn’t get better than that. - Epic Comebacks
What I love about Cut-Throat Cricket is that being “behind” can become an advantage: if you haven’t closed a number that others have, they risk handing you a boatload of points—pushing you further behind in standard Cricket terms, but in Cut-Throat, that means you’re winning, because your total is the lowest.
Tips & Tricks
- Strategic Closure
- In normal Cricket, you might rush to close numbers to prevent your opponents from scoring. In Cut-Throat, you might actually leave a number open if you think your opponents will keep hitting it and handing points to someone else.
- Be careful, though: if they close it on their end, you lose that advantage.
- Aim to “Force Points” on a Single Opponent
- If one player is about to run away with the game (meaning they have the fewest points), everyone else might temporarily gang up by not closing certain numbers, hoping to funnel all the points onto that one “leader.”
- Know When to Bail Out
- If you’re the one with the fewest points (doing well, ironically), close numbers quickly so you can’t accidentally get saddled with points. That might mean shifting your aim away from big scoring hits to more precisely close out a number.
- Watch the Bull
- The bullseye can be a huge factor since it’s the last target many players close. If you leave it open, you risk your opponents piling points on you. But if you close it too early, you might lose the chance to dump points on someone else. It’s a delicate balance.
Handicap Ideas
Cut-Throat can be intense, especially for beginners. Here are ways I level the field:
- Team Play
- If you have a wide range of skill levels, pair a newbie with a more experienced player. They share marks/targets, so the strategy still applies, but the newbie gets coaching.
- Extra Marks for Newcomers
- Let novices start each number with 1 mark already—so they only need 2 more hits to close. That slightly protects them from an onslaught of points.
- Limited Points Dump
- Cap how many points can be added to a single player in one turn. For instance, if you throw two or three trebles in a single turn, only the first triple’s worth of marks goes to the opponent. The rest is wasted. This prevents total runaways.
- Shorten the Numbers
- Instead of 20–15 plus bull, maybe just do 20, 19, 18, 17, and no bull for beginners. Less ground to cover means fewer opportunities to get slammed.
- Start with a Point Buffer
- Give newbies a negative points “head start.” For example, they begin at -20 points, while advanced players start at 0. That way, it’s harder for them to end with a high total.
Why I Love Cut-Throat Cricket
If Cricket is known for its balance of offense (scoring) and defense (closing), Cut-Throat flips that on its head in the most entertaining way possible. You find yourself celebrating hits that in normal Cricket would be “bad” because they’re adding loads of points… to someone else. Meanwhile, you’re racing to close certain numbers, yet sometimes deliberately leaving others open to lure opponents into giving points to a rival. It’s part skill, part mind game, and 100% chaos when you have three or more players.
Every match feels like a social event—people form temporary alliances, cheer or groan dramatically when someone accidentally dumps points on the wrong player, and the scoreboard can flip in surprising ways. If your group thrives on friendly rivalries, Cut-Throat Cricket is a must-try. Just be prepared for some playful trash talk and keep your strategy flexible—because in Cut-Throat, anything can happen!
Whether you’re a fan of standard Cricket looking for a twist, or you just want a raucous, unpredictable game for a party night, Cut-Throat Cricket delivers. It’ll sharpen your strategic thinking and keep everyone on their toes until the last dart’s thrown. Enjoy the madness—and may your score stay low!