How do you finish 122 in darts?

The two main routes for 122 in darts are DBull → T20 → D16 and T18 → T20 → D4. The bull-first route is preferred by the D-Artist system because a miss on the bull into single 25 leaves 97 — still a viable checkout (T19 → D20) — while the T18 route collapses to S18 → 104, which has no two-dart finish. The bull route also closes on D16, a stronger finishing double than D4.

Why start on bull for the 122 checkout?

Starting on bull for 122 produces D16 as the closing double rather than D4, and keeps the finish alive through the most likely miss. If the bull dart hits 25 instead of 50, the leave is 97 — which is finishable with T19 → D20. If T18 misses into single 18, the leave is 104, which cannot be finished in two darts. The bull route is more structurally resilient.

What does T20 leave on a 122 checkout?

On a 122 checkout, hitting T20 (60) as the first dart leaves 62. The continuation is T10 → D16 — a valid two-dart finish. However, a miss from T20 into single 20 leaves 102, which has no clean two-dart finish. This makes T20 a more volatile opening on 122 than the bull.

What is the best route for the 122 checkout in 501 darts?

The best route for 122 in 501 darts is DBull to T20 to D16. This closes on double 16 — the strongest finishing double — and its most likely miss (single 25) leaves 97, still finishable with T19 to D20. The traditional T18 route closes on the weaker D4 and collapses when T18 misses into single 18, leaving 104 with no two-dart finish.

For the quick route reference → 122 checkout page

122 Checkout in Darts — Why Bull First Wins

Updated April 2026

The route that closes on D16 instead of D4

The 122 checkout in darts is not difficult on paper. It is one of several scores in 501 darts strategy where route selection separates consistent finishers from players who bust under pressure. Three darts, a clean hit on each, and the leg is done. The question — as always — is what happens when the first dart is not clean. On 122, the answer to that question is what separates a structurally sound route from an arithmetic one. And on this number, the bull-first approach wins that comparison clearly.

122

D-Artist Recommended Route

DBull → T20 → D16

50 + 60 + 12 = 122 | Closes on the strongest finishing double

What Every First Dart Leaves on the 122 Darts Checkout

This is the question that determines route quality. Not "does it reach zero on a clean hit?" — but "what is left when the first dart misses, and is that position still workable?"

First Dart	Score Hit	Leave	Status	Continuation
DBull ✓	50	72	Clean — finish in 2	T20 → D16
Single 25	25	97	Alive — finish in 2	T19 → D20
T20	60	62	Clean — finish in 2	T10 → D16
S20	20	102	No 2-dart finish	Requires setup
T18	54	68	Finish alive	T20 → D4
S18	18	104	No 2-dart finish	Requires setup

The bull route survives its most likely miss — 25 instead of 50 — with 97 remaining and a clean two-dart path available. The T18 route's most likely miss is single 18, which leaves 104 with no two-dart finish. That difference is the entire argument for bull first on 122.

122 Darts Checkout Route Comparison — The Double That Matters

Opening	On Clean Hit — Leave	Continuation	Closing Double	Miss → Leave
T18	68	T20 → D4	D4 — weak	S18 → 104 ✗
T20	62	T10 → D16	D16 — strong	S20 → 102 ✗
DBull ★	72	T20 → D16	D16 — strong	25 → 97 ✓

The T20 opening also reaches D16 — so why prefer bull? Because the T20 miss into single 20 leaves 102 with no two-dart finish, while the bull miss into 25 leaves 97 with one. The bull route is the only opening on 122 that closes on a strong double and survives its most likely miss with the finish still intact.

The D-Artist verdict on 122: DBull → T20 → D16. The bull-first route is the correct structural choice — not because it reaches zero most cleanly, but because it closes on D16, the strongest finishing double, and remains alive when the bull dart hits 25 instead of 50. The miss outcome is what elevates this route above the alternatives.

Why the 122 Darts Checkout Routes to D16

D4 works mathematically. So does D6 or D7 or D9. But D16 is preferred in the D-Artist system because its split-recovery chain is the strongest on the board: miss D16 into single 16 → 16 remaining → D8. Miss D8 into single 8 → 8 remaining → D4. Three steps, all in the same region of the board, all practised doubles. The route to zero stays available across multiple missed darts.

D4 has no equivalent chain. Miss into single 4 → 4 remaining → D2. That is one step, on a small double, at the edge of the board. It works — but it provides no cushion. On a checkout number like 122, where pressure is already elevated, routing toward D16 rather than D4 is a structural decision that pays dividends precisely when the throw is least perfect.

Related Darts Checkout Scores

The 132 checkout shares the same bull-first logic — and the structural case for it is even stronger. See the 132 checkout strategy.