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Game modes · Mini game · unrated

Bowls

Bowls on a dartboard works like the lawn game. A jack goes on the board, everyone throws three bowls at it, and the closest dart takes the end. Sridu measures every distance to the millimetre, so there is no arguing over who is closer.

  • Two or more players, bots welcome
  • Distances measured in millimetres
  • Play to 5, 7 or 11 points
  • Unrated, so it never touches your average
Play Bowls
How it works
Bowls · to 7 End to Ben, +2
Anna4Best 31 mm
BenShot5Best 12 mm
End 312 mmBen
  1. 46 mm
  2. 12 mm
  3. 24 mm

End to Ben, +2

End 3. Anna opened: her first dart is the jack, her other two lie 31 and 57 mm away. Her darts are pulled, but Sridu keeps them on screen in grey. Ben gets two bowls inside her best and takes the end with two shots. Drawn the way the app shows it.

The rules

How Bowls darts works

A game is played in ends. Each end has its own jack and is worth one or more points to one player.

  1. A jack goes on the boardBy default the opener’s first dart that lands on the board is the jack. Their other two darts are already bowls. If all three miss the board, Sridu sets the jack.
  2. Everyone throws three bowlsEvery dart is a bowl. Sridu measures how far it lies from the jack. A dart off the board is no bowl at all.
  3. The closest bowl takes the endThe player with the closest bowl scores one point for every bowl that lies closer than everyone else’s best. If the two best bowls are level, it is a dead end and nobody scores.
  4. First to the target winsPlay to 5, 7 or 11 points. The winner of an end opens the next one, so they also place the next jack.

Scoring

How many points an end is worth

Each line runs from the jack outwards. The dashed mark is the best bowl of the other player: everything inside it scores.

AnnaBenBest bowl of the other player
  • Anna takes two
    End to Anna, +2

    Ben’s best bowl lies 30 mm away. Anna has two inside it, so she scores two points. Her third bowl at 48 mm counts for nothing.

  • Ben takes one
    End to Ben, +1

    Ben holds the shot with 14 mm. Only that one bowl beats Anna’s best of 18 mm, so the end is worth one point.

  • A dead end
    Dead end, nobody scores

    Both best bowls lie 22 mm from the jack. Nobody holds the shot, so nobody scores and the next end starts.

With three or more players the rule stays the same: you score for every bowl closer than the best bowl of all the others together.

Setting · The jack

The opener’s first dart, or a spot Sridu picks

The classic jack belongs to the opener. If you would rather nobody gets to choose, let Sridu set it.

  • First dartDefault

    The opener’s first dart on the board is the jack, the classic way. If all three miss the board, Sridu sets one. Whoever wins an end opens the next one.

  • Set by SriduFair for all

    A random spot somewhere on the scoring area, the same for everybody. Nobody can drop the jack where they like it, and every dart of the opener is a bowl.

Only with a camera

Your bowls stay on screen after you pull them

On a real board the darts of the player before you are long gone when you step up. Sridu remembers where every bowl landed and keeps them all on screen until the end is decided.

On the boardOnly Ben’s three darts. The jack and Anna’s darts were pulled when she finished her visit.
On screenThe jack and every bowl of the end, measured to the millimetre. The bowl that holds the shot is ringed.

Typing darts in instead? That works too, but a dart entered by its field counts from the middle of that field, so close ends are decided by the field rather than the millimetre. For real distances you need the camera scoring.

In the game

What you see on screen

The board in the middle shows the end as it stands, the cards show who holds the shot.

  • The jack: a white ball with a dashed ring. Before it is set, the hint reads Your first dart on the board is the jack.
  • Every bowl of the end: yours in green, the others in grey, each with its distance. The bowl that holds the shot is ringed, with a dashed line to the jack.
  • Who is ahead: the hint line says Anna holds the shot (31 mm), and her card gets the Shot tag. Level at the top, it reads Level at the top.
  • Your darts: each chip shows the distance of that bowl, or missed for a dart off the board.
  • After the end: End to Ben, +2 or Dead end, nobody scores. Each card shows the points and how many are still to go.

Setup

Start a game

Open Party & duels in the game setup and pick Bowls, or search for it by name. The rest works like any match.

  • PlayersTwo or more at your board, plus bots if you like.
  • Points to win5, 7 or 11, 7 by default. 7 makes a good game for two. 5 is quick, 11 takes a while.
  • The jackFirst dart (the default) or Set by Sridu. See the jack.
  • HandicapsGive a player a head start of 1, 2 or 3 points.
  • LegsOne leg, first to 2, first to 3, or more. Every leg starts at 0 points. There are no sets in mini games.
  • Who throws firstThe first player in the list, a bull-off or random. After that, whoever wins an end opens the next one. After a dead end the next player in line opens.
  • UnratedBowls doesn’t count towards your average, statistics or leaderboards. Only your wins are recorded.

Tips

How to win more ends

  • Place the jack where you score. When you open, drop the jack in your favourite part of the board. A jack in the middle of a big single is easier to reach than one on a wire.
  • Hold the shot early. One close bowl forces everyone else to beat it. Then use your last darts to add more bowls inside their best.
  • Group your darts. Points come from bowls that lie closer than the other player’s best, so three tight darts beat one perfect one and two strays.
  • Against a good opener, use Set by Sridu. Then nobody can place the jack on their home ground.
  • Great for grouping practice. Every end trains the same thing as a tight group on the treble, without counting towards your average.

Game modes

More ways to play

Who gets closest tonight?

Open the app, pick Bowls under Party & duels and throw the first jack. Play with friends at your board or against a bot.

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