How to Play Shanghai Darts

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Shanghai Darts is a competitive throwing game for two or more players using a standard bristle dartboard. Each round targets a specific number in sequence, and only darts landing in that number score. It rewards accuracy over raw scoring power, because a player who is behind on points can end the game immediately by hitting a Shanghai, one single, one double, and one treble of the round's number in a single turn.

The game is a staple of British pub culture and works equally well at home. Rounds move quickly, the sudden-death Shanghai rule keeps every player in the match until the final dart is thrown, and the format scales neatly from a two-player head-to-head to a boisterous group game with six or more participants.

A little history

The precise origins of Shanghai Darts are unclear. The game almost certainly grew out of the broader tradition of round-the-board darts formats that became popular in British pubs during the twentieth century. The name is widely used across the UK, the United States, and Australia, and variations of the format appear in numerous darts rule collections from the mid-twentieth century onwards, but no single inventor or date of invention is reliably documented.

Setting up

1. Hang the dartboard so the centre of the bullseye is exactly 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) from the floor.
2. Mark or place the throwing line (oche) 2.37 m (7 ft 9.25 in) from the face of the board.
3. Decide the number of rounds before play starts. The classic game runs from 1 to 7; longer games run to 9, 12, or 20.
4. Determine throwing order. The traditional method is to have each player throw one dart at the bullseye; the nearest to the bull throws first, and the rest follow in order of proximity.
5. Appoint a scorer and draw up a scoresheet with a column per player and a row per round number.

How to play

1. Round 1 targets the number 1. Every subsequent round targets the next number in sequence (2, 3, 4 and so on up to the agreed final number).
2. On your turn, stand behind the oche and throw all three darts. Only darts that land in the current round's number count for anything.
3. Scoring follows standard dartboard values: a single scores face value (e.g. 3 points in round 3), a double scores twice face value (6 points), and a treble scores three times face value (9 points). Darts in any other segment, including the bull, score zero for that round.
4. Record each player's score for the round before moving to the next number.
5. If, in a single turn, one player hits a single, a double, and a treble of the current round's number with their three darts (in any order), they score a Shanghai and win the entire game immediately, regardless of the current scores.
6. If no Shanghai is scored, play continues through all agreed rounds. After the final round, add up each player's cumulative points total.
7. The player with the highest total wins. If two or more players are tied after all rounds, play a sudden-death extra round on the next number up until the tie is broken.

Winning and scoring

There are two ways to win. First, score a Shanghai, a single, a double, and a treble of the current round's number in one three-dart turn, and you win the game outright at that moment, whatever the scores show. Second, if no Shanghai is scored during the entire game, the player with the highest cumulative points total after all rounds are complete wins. A single in any round scores the face value of that number, a double scores twice, and a treble scores three times, so the maximum score per round is single + double + treble = 6x the round number (e.g. 42 points in round 7).

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns dart order when claiming a Shanghai. The rules do not require the single, double, and treble to be thrown in any particular sequence, all three simply need to land in one turn. However, all three darts must be thrown in the same uninterrupted turn; a dart that falls out of the board before the turn ends does not count as having scored, and the player may not rethrow it. If a dart bounces out cleanly after a valid landing, standard pub rules treat it as not scoring; it may not be rethrown.

A second common question is whether the bull counts in any round. It does not, unless the game explicitly designates a bull round at the end, which is an optional variant rather than the default rule. Players should also agree before play on what happens if a dart lands on a wire and its placement is genuinely ambiguous: the standard ruling is that the dart scores for the segment in which the larger portion of the point rests, or, if that is unclear, the lower value is taken.

How to win more often

• Prioritise the treble of each round's number. A treble alone outscores a single and a double combined, and three trebles would give you the maximum possible score for the round.
• Keep the Shanghai win condition live. Even when you are well behind on points, maintaining the mental focus to attempt a Shanghai in each round costs nothing and can overturn any deficit instantly.
• In the early low-number rounds, total scores are small. Do not panic if you fall behind in rounds 1 to 3; the high-number rounds (6, 7 and beyond) award far more points per dart and can swing the scoreboard dramatically.
• When you are comfortably ahead in the final rounds, switch your aim to consolidating points rather than chasing a Shanghai you do not need. A steady single and double are worth more than two misses and a lucky treble.
• Watch your opponents' scores actively. If a rival needs a Shanghai to beat you and is throwing in a round where they are capable of it, consider whether your own throw earlier in that round puts enough pressure on them psychologically.

Variations

Full Board Shanghai

Instead of stopping at 7 or 9, this version runs through all 20 numbers on the board, sometimes adding a final bull round. Games take considerably longer but reward consistent accuracy across the whole board rather than just the lower numbers.

Shanghai Killer

Each player is randomly assigned a number at the start of the game. To become a Killer, you must first hit a double of your own number. Once you are a Killer, you aim at other players' numbers to reduce their lives (each player starts with three). A player whose lives reach zero is eliminated. The last player standing wins. A Shanghai of an opponent's number removes all three of their lives in one go.

Mickey Mouse Shanghai

Played on numbers 15 to 20 plus the bullseye only. Players must hit three of each number (singles, doubles, and trebles all count toward the tally) to open it, then score on it before their opponent closes it. A Shanghai of an unopened number opens it and scores simultaneously. It blends Shanghai's sudden-win mechanic with a territory-control element familiar from Cricket darts.

Shanghai with Forfeits

A social variant common in pubs where any player who scores zero across all three darts in a round pays a forfeit agreed before play, such as buying a round of drinks or sitting out the next game. The core Shanghai rules remain unchanged; the forfeit rule simply adds a penalty for a completely wasted turn and sharpens concentration in the early low-value rounds.

Shanghai Darts: frequently asked questions