Gone are the days where darts was considered to be a hobby that you would play after a few drinks at a local bar. The sport has gained momentum across the world, with recent stars such as Luke Littler and Luke Humphries becoming household names.
Darts dates back to the 1860s, but it wasn’t until the late 90s and early 2000s following heavy investment that the popularity reached new heights. Nowadays, the sport is played across the world, and is ranked as the 15th most popular physical activity.
A breakthough in the United States was achieved earlier this year when over 3,600 fans packed out Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theatre to witness the US Darts Masters. That isn’t surprising, given that 17 million Americans play the sport, highlighting a pool size that is five times greater than ice hockey.
If you’re a newbie to the sport, you can learn everything that you need to know about darts here.
How to Play Darts
One of the main assets that darts has in its favor over other sports is the fact that it is among the easiest to get involved. To start playing, all you will need is a dart board, and three darts.
Next, you will need to determine the game that you will play, with ‘501’ being the one competed at professional level. This is the simplest game to play, as players will take it in turns to throw darts, with the score recorded taken away from 501.
A score is recorded providing that you hit the board. Any dart that misses the numbers is recorded as zero. In order to finish the game, a double or bullseye must be hit — and that’s how to play darts.
How to Throw
There is more to the art of throwing darts than simply standing at the oche and throwing a dart in the direction of the board. To begin with, a player must find their chosen darts stance.
A forward stance will see a player facing directly toward the board with their right foot narrowly ahead, while a closed stance is where a player will face their feet to the right. An open stance is also a preferred choice, with a player putting both of their feet on the throw line.
Holding the art will be the most important factor to take into account, but feeling comfortable is vitally important. A player will need to grip the barrel with three fingers, but it will be player’s preference whether the grip is more comfortable at the front of back of the barrel.
Aiming a dart can often be overwhelming for newcomers. However, a key tip is to hold the dart at eye-level, using the same eye as your throwing arm to aim. After this, make sure that your throwing arm is pointed toward the board and ensure that your shoulder, hand, and elbow are all aligned at a 90 degree angle.
Darts Betting
Betting on darts is exceptionally popular, especially when the biggest events on the schedule are taking place. Bets can be placed on the outright tournament winner, as well as individual matches. A selection of the most popular darts betting markets are explained below:
- Match Result- Place a bet on the winner of a match, returns are awarded if the selection is correct.
- Most 180s- Bet on the player that will hit the most maximums in a darts match.
- Highest Checkout Score- An over/under market that will see bettors wager on whether the highest checkout will be higher or lower than the benchmark set.
- Correct Score- Bets can be placed on the exact scoreline and the player that will win.
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Rules and Scoring
Taking into account the scoring in darts is vitally important. The dart board used by the World Darts Federation is 1.73m from the floor, and is situated 2.37m in front of where players stand to throw darts.
The board is made up by 20 numbered sections, scoring 1 to 20. If you throw the dart into the large portions into a numbered section, the player will score the value of that number.
The inner portions, which are located halfway between the outer wire and centered circle, will see triple the point value of the score recorded. The thin outer portions located around the top of the board will see double the point value scored.
A shot in the central circle area around the bull will score 25, with the bull itself scoring 50. The highest possible score per visit is 180, which is obtained by landing three triple 20s.
A ‘checkout‘ is required to win a leg, with the highest possible checkout being 170. To achieve this you will need to hit two treble 20s and the inner bull. In order to check out, you must finish on a double.
Biggest Darts Tournaments
PDC World Darts Championship
The standout event on the darts schedule is the PDC World Darts Championship. It is staged between December and January, with Alexandra Palace in London hosting the event since 2008.
The winner of the most prestigious event on the PDC schedule picks up the Sid Waddell Trophy.
World Matchplay
The World Matchplay forms one of the three legs of the Triple Crown. It is played in a legs format and is sanctioned by the PDC. It has been staged annually since 1994, and has been held at Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes since 2020.
Phil Taylor is the most successful player in the history of the event with 16 wins.
Premier League
The most notable new event added to the darts schedule is the Premier League. It is played between February and May, with weekly knockout events staged in arenas across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The top four players in the PDC rankings earn spots in the competition, as well as four wild cards. The final week sees the top four in the regular season standings compete for the Premier League title.
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