Legs: Beat the Last Score or Die Trying
Sixty-two to beat, and your first two darts have scraped together 26. One dart left, one leg on the line, and the whole pub is doing the math with you.
Legs is one of the oldest pub elimination games in darts. The rule fits in a sentence: beat the score of the player before you, or lose one of your three legs.
What Is Legs?
Legs is a rotation game for three or more players where survival, not accumulation, is the goal. Every player starts with 3 legs — think of them as lives.
On your turn you throw three darts and total them normally, doubles and triples included. If your total doesn't beat the previous player's total, you lose a leg.
Lose all three legs and you're eliminated. Last player standing wins.
Setup
- Best with 3–8 players — a natural fit for bar darts nights with a crowd.
- Chalk every name on the scoreboard with three marks (legs) beside each.
- Bull-up for throwing order, closest to the bull going first.
Don't skip the bull-up, because order matters in Legs. The game's first thrower has no score to beat — the only free turn anyone gets.
- 15 darts in one jar means plenty of spares for group play
- Anodized aluminum shafts with locking holes stay tighter than plastic rods
- Comes with extra flights, rubber O-rings, and a sharpener to keep points game-ready
How a Round Works
The first player throws three darts and posts a total — say 45. The second player now needs 46 or better.
If they make it, their total becomes the new target for the next player. If they fail, they lose a leg, and the next player only has to beat the score that was just posted — even though it failed.
House rules vary on that reset, so agree before the game whether a failed score becomes the new target or the old one stands. Play circles the order until one player has legs left.
Strategy: Post a Big Number
There's no checkout math and no doubles pressure here — just raw scoring. Aim where you're most consistent, because a safe 60 in the fat 20s beats a triple gamble that bounces out.
The real pressure play is posting a huge score right before a weak player. A 100-point turn can be a near-guaranteed leg taken off the next thrower.
Know your reliable scoring zones — the fundamentals in how to score darts apply directly. If your 20s wander, the 19 and 16 neighborhoods are forgiving fallbacks.
Common Mistakes
- Chasing triples when a solid single-20 turn would beat the target comfortably.
- Forgetting the target changes every turn — confirm the number before you throw.
- Playing with unclear reset rules, which starts arguments the moment someone fails.
- Ignoring throw order at setup; standing after the table's best scorer is a hard place to live.
How Many Darts Per Turn?
Three, scored normally. Your total must strictly beat the previous one — a tie loses the leg in most house rules.
What Happens When You're Eliminated?
You're out for the rest of the game, and the rotation simply skips you. That's why Legs finishes fast even with a big group.
Can Two Players Play Legs?
You can, but it turns into a plain scoring duel. Head-to-head, a game like Killer darts or a straight 501 gives you more game.
Chalk three legs next to every name and find out who folds when there's a number to beat.