Treble 20 vs 19: When Smart Players Switch
Your first dart sits fat in the treble 20, flight splayed across the bed, and your mate mutters it before you do: "go 19s." That little hop down the board is one of the smartest habits in darts.
Why treble 20 is the default
Treble 20 scores 60, the most one dart can earn. Across a leg of 501 those three extra points per treble beat the 19, which is why every serious player builds their scoring around the top of the board.
There's a hidden bonus: miss the treble and you usually still bank a single 20. The neighbors are the catch — the 20 sits between the 1 and the 5, so a wide miss gets punished hard, a deliberate feature of how the dartboard is numbered.
What treble 19 offers
Treble 19 scores 57, only three points back. Its neighbors are the 7 and the 3, so a stray dart costs far less than drifting into the 1 or 5 up top.
The 19 bed also sits at the bottom left of the board, an angle some players find suits their natural throw. None of that makes it a better default — it makes it an excellent second home.
The matchup at a glance
| Treble 20 | Treble 19 | |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 60 | 57 |
| Neighbors | 1 and 5 | 7 and 3 |
| Cost of a wide miss | Brutal | Mild |
| Position | Top of the board | Bottom left |
| Best role | Default scoring | Blocked 20s, odd leaves, resets |
Switch when the treble is blocked
This is the most common reason pros move mid-visit. A first dart in or near the treble 20 can physically hide the bed behind its barrel and flight.
Switching to a clean treble 19 costs you three points at most; a deflection can cost sixty. That trade isn't close.
- First dart in T20 blocking the bed: consider moving down
- Two darts covering the treble: switching is usually automatic
- Dart hanging low out of the 20: judge whether the path is truly blocked
Switch when you need an odd number
Checkout math sometimes demands odd scores. From an odd number you need one odd dart to reach an even finish, and treble 19 (57) is the biggest odd treble on the board.
That's why the 19s appear in so many standard routes — 141 checks out T20, T19, D12. Our guide to why dart players go for 19 digs deeper into the odd-number logic.
Switch when the 20s have gone cold
Confidence is a real variable, and if the 1 and 5 keep swallowing your darts, a spell at the 19s resets your rhythm at a nearly identical scoring rate. It's a fresh target, not a demotion.
The board itself matters too. On an old pub board the area around the 20 takes the most abuse, and the 19 bed is often in noticeably better shape.
- Built to official tournament specifications for serious practice and match play
- Dual-density core improves dart retention and keeps the board playing consistently
- Ultra-thin wiring increases the scoring area and cuts down on bounce-outs
When to stay put
Don't switch reflexively after one loose dart — a single miss into the 5 is noise, not a pattern. Don't switch while you're hot, either; a warm hand at the 20s outscores a cold restart at the 19s.
And stay put when the leg math favors it. If your route works off 20s toward a leave like 40 or 32, hopping to 19s forces recalculation under pressure — and rushed arithmetic loses legs, as our broader dart strategies guide covers.
Treble 19 FAQ
Do professionals really score on 19s?
Constantly. Watch any televised match and you'll see players drop to the 19s the moment the 20 bed gets crowded — it's a standard tool, not a novelty.
Is treble 18 ever the right call?
Occasionally — mostly in checkout routes (154 goes T20, T18, D20) or when both the 20 and 19 beds are blocked. As a scoring base it gives up too much.
Throw thirty darts at the treble 19 next session so the switch feels like home, not exile.