How to Play Shove Ha'Penny Darts

Shove Ha'Penny Dart Game Rules

Originally played on a polished board using actual pennies, Shove Ha’Penny is a classic British game now designed for the dartboard. 

Number of Players

This game can be played with any number of players, but is best with 2 to 4 players. Determine who throws first with the toss of a coin or the single nearest dart to the bullseye.

How to Play

To play Shove Ha’Penny, the dartboard is segmented 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and center including the inner and outer bullseye. The other segments on the board have no scoring value.

The object of the game is to get three darts in each of the scoring segments. Once a player gets three darts in a scoring segment, the segment is closed for that player. Whoever gets all three in each segment first, wins!

Unlike many dart games, the order in which you get all 3 darts in each segment does not matter. Any player can throw a 2, 5, and 7 in one turn and they all would count.

But, the name of the game is much trickier. If a player has previously closed a scoring segment, and hits that scoring segment again, the dart then counts as a point to another player that needs the point to ‘close’ that segment.

 Keep a keen eye because one loose dart could cost you the game!