Today we'll explain the perfect darts game. It's the so-called 9-darter, which you probably also know as a nine-dart finish or 9-dart out .
Anyone who doesn't know it yet will definitely be wiser afterward, as we will explain what it actually is and what options there are for the 501 Double-Out.
You'll also learn how the prize money for the perfect match is calculated . We'll also look at the 9-dart finishes of Phil Taylor and Michael von Gerwen. At the end, there's a list of 9-dart finishes prepared on TV.
What exactly is a 9-darter?
First, let's consider the definition of a 9-darter. Also known as a perfect game in darts , this describes the perfect way to double out 501 with 9 darts .
Generally speaking, the goal of the 501 game is to get the score down to 501. There are various ways to do this. However, mathematically, at least 9 darts are required .
In the Double-Out game mode, you must finish the game with a throw into a double. A nine-dart finish can be achieved in this mode with 18 different possibilities for the nine throws.
The 3-dart scores can be thrown in 71 different ways. Nine-darters have a long history in darts. Many players have achieved multiple nine-darters to date and have enjoyed additional prize money from the PDC .
9 Darter Ways: What options are there?
Below, we'll look at the finish paths for a 9-dart finish in 501 Double-Out mode. As already described in the first chapter, there are 71 different ways for the 3-dart scores .
The 71 possibilities for the perfect game can be further subdivided. But that sounds worse than it is.
- You have a total of 3,944 possibilities for the perfect game. 2,296 of them end on the bullseye.
- There are also 672 that end in D20.
- There are also 792 on D18, 56 on D17, 120 on D15
- And only 8 possibilities that are finished with D12 .
Not to be forgotten is the Double-In/Double-Out game mode, which is also played at the PDC World Grand Prix of Darts. Here, each player must start their game by throwing into any doubles field .
Here, the perfect game can only start and end on bullseye, D20, or D17. This variation can be achieved with seven different combinations of the nine rolls.
There are 30 different 3-dart scoring possibilities for a successful 9-dart finish.
When was the last 9-darter?
In the World Championship final, Michael Smith actually managed to cause a stir with a 9-darter. He played a perfect match in a high-class duel with Michael van Gerwen.
It was the 14th nine-darter in World Cup history , and in this match in particular, no one had ever achieved it before. Thus, the semi-final defeat of Gabriel Clemens provided a very special highlight in the World Cup final.
In darts history, however, the perfect game has been achieved 463 times . Phil Taylor has achieved the 9-darter 22 times.
What is the perfect 9 darts?
What is the perfect nine-darter? This is a question many people naturally ask themselves. But it's not so much about playing the perfect nine-darter, but rather simply achieving it.
The ideal numbers are, of course, a triple 20 , a triple 19 , and a double 12. There are also countless 9-dart possibilities, as you've already seen.
You can therefore play combinations as a 9-darter or even a 9-darter without a triple 20. However, what the perfect 9-darter is depends on each individual , and what they actually consider to be perfect.
What do you get for a 9 darts player?
Next, we look at the prize money for the 9-dart masterpiece. This prize money is available exclusively from the PDC and is paid out for 9-darters on TV at major PDC tournaments.
A 9-darter throw is worth 5,000 British pounds per tournament . If no 9-darter is thrown , the prize money for the next tournament increases by 5,000 pounds .
For example, the prize money at the 2017 Darts World Cup was £15,000. If multiple darts players achieve a perfect game in a tournament, the prize money is split . This means that darts players are unlikely to build a fortune.
The first prize money for a 9-darter went to John Lowe in 1984. With the first TV 9-darter ever, he received a prize money of 175,000 US dollars .
Paul Lim received £52,000 in prize money 6 years later for the second TV 9-dart finish in darts history.
9 Dart Finish on TV
Since John Lowe's first 9-dart finish on TV, there have been numerous other 9-dart finishes. There have now been 73 (as of September 2023).
In contrast, there were a total of 463 times in which a 9-dart finish was achieved and counted by the PDC. In the following chapters, you will find lists of the most popular 9-dart finishes in darts history.
List TV 9 Darter
Here you can find an overview of all 9-darter matches that were broadcast live on TV. The most recent 9-darter was achieved by Michael van Gerwen against Luke Humphries on September 17, 2023.
Phil Taylor holds the record for most TV 9-darters with 11. Other top ten finishers include Raymond von Barneveld, Mrevyn King, Adrian Lewis, James Wade, Gary Anderson, Kyle Anderson, Darryl Fitton, José de Sousa, and Gerwyn Price.
9 Darters by Phil Taylor
Phil Taylor is by far the most successful darts player of all time . But the multiple world champion hasn't just won titles. He's also thrown several nine-darters during his career.
He managed a total of 11 live on TV. He is also the only player to have thrown two 9-darters in a single match . He achieved this in the 2010 Premier League Darts final.
He also threw 11 more at the PDC, although these were not broadcast on TV.
9 darters from Michael van Gerwen
Michael van Gerwen is the current reigning world champion , and he, too, has delivered the perfect match several times. He performed the feat on TV five times .
Raymond van Barneveld has just as many. However, he has already announced that he will retire soon. This means MvG still has some time to equal Phil Taylor's record. In total, Michael van Gerwen managed 17 nine-dart finishes in the PDC .
Conclusion
We hope that with this explanation we were able to explain the perfect game to you and that you now know the 9 dart ways as well as the 9 dart possibilities.
Of course, you could see how many paths lead to a 9-darter, and we were able to explain a little bit about what the perfect 9-darter is. But as you can all see, it's not really that easy. This perfect game has only occurred 14 times in history .
FAQ
What is the probability of throwing a 9 in a dart?
Finishing a darts game with the perfect game, i.e. nine throws, is a rarity and definitely sensational.
The chance of this nine darter happening twice in one game is actually only 1 in 67 million .
For comparison : The chance of being struck by lightning is 1 in 20 million!
Who threw the fastest 9-darter?
The fastest 9-darter was probably achieved by Scot William Borland against Englishman Bradley Brooks in the first round of the PDC Darts World Championship .
Borland needed just 11.28 seconds , a full second less than Michael Smith. Both players, along with many others, are on the darts record list.
9-darter: Which woman did it first?
The first woman to hit a nine-darter in history was 29-year-old Englishwoman Fallon Sherrock .
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