Bob's 27

Bob's 27 is one of the most popular darts practice games in the world, created by former World Champion Bob Anderson. Known as "The Limestone Cowboy," Anderson was the number one ranked player for most of the late 1980s and developed this routine to sharpen his doubles finishing.

The game is designed to test and improve your accuracy on the double ring, which is essential for checking out in games like 501. Professional players like Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries, and Luke Littler all use doubles practice routines like Bob's 27 to maintain their checkout percentages.

How to Play

You start with 27 points and work through every double on the board in order, from Double 1 up to Double 20, finishing with the Bull. For each target, you throw three darts:

• Hit the double: Add its value to your score (hit multiple times for more points)
• Miss all three: Subtract the double value from your score
• Bust: If your score drops to zero or below, the game ends

Scoring Examples

Starting at 27 points, if you hit Double 1 once, you add 2 points (now 29). If you hit it twice, you add 4 points (now 31). If you miss all three darts at Double 2, you subtract 4 points. The maths keeps you honest—your score should always be odd if you're tracking correctly.

Target Scores

The perfect score of 1,437 requires hitting every double exactly three times—a feat even professionals rarely achieve. A good target for beginners is simply to finish the game without busting. As you improve, aim for scores above 100, then 200, and beyond.

Regular practice with Bob's 27 will dramatically improve your doubles accuracy and give you the confidence to hit crucial checkouts under pressure.