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How is a strike scored in tenpin bowling?
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Tommy Jones competing in the Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions final in Uncasville, Conn., April 1, 2007.
In tenpin bowling, a strike is achieved when a player knocks down all ten pins on the first delivery of a frame.1
Scoring for a strike is calculated as 10 pins plus the total number of pins knocked down on the player's next two deliveries. Because of this bonus structure, consecutive strikes significantly increase a player's score:1
* A double (two consecutive strikes) counts as 20 pins for the first frame plus the pins knocked down on the first delivery of the third frame.1
* Three consecutive strikes (a turkey) result in 30 pins for the first frame.1
A perfect game consists of 12 strikes in a row, totaling 300 points, which includes two additional deliveries permitted in the tenth frame to complete the bonus counts for the final strikes.1