As a generally ignorant American, I’ve been enjoying watching the world cup of Darts on ESPN. I have a few questions for those of you who actually know what’s going on:
(1) Do those guys actually do all multiplication and subtraction instantly in their heads to figure out where they need to throw the darts? Or have they just seen all the numbers so often that they immediately know what adds up to 165, etc?
(2) Your last dart has to be a double, or the bullseye, I get. Does that include either the 25- or 50- point bulleye?
(3) If you end up below zero, or hit zero without a double, or get to 1, then you lose your current 3 darts worth of points, is that right?
thanks!
I’m not a seasoned darts thrower, but I played in a league some years back, so to the best of my recollection:
(1) You just learn to recognize darts math after a while. In fact, a few months ago, a coworker was surprised at my ability to do some sort of arithmetic in my head and I explained it away as “darts math”.
(2) In a game where you must “double out” the double bulls-eye for 50 points does indeed count to finish the game, but the single bulls-eye for 25 does not.
(3) Any series of darts which takes you to one or below that does not conclude on a double is void, meaning yes you lose all of the points earned with the first two darts.
As a pub league player in my youth* I can add to your knowledge by telling you that, should you find yourself playing standard 501 in a UK pub you may also find that you are playing “doubles away” meaning that you have to hit a double before you start scoring.
Also the standard way of deciding who throws first is a single dart “nearest the bull”. After which you either alternate or “mugs away” meaning the loser throws first on the next game.
That doesn’t happen in the pro championships though.
*the tradition after defeating your opponent is that the loser buys the winner a pint, good fun when you play for a pub team at age 14 and are quite handy with the arrows!
A former boss of mine, whose father owned a pub, had an unofficial rule. If your score got down to one point, you could throw a single dart to split the ones, meaning in-between the '1’s in the number ‘11’ on the outer ring of the board. I won a couple games that way, and have hit a double bull for the win.
drillrod has answered all your questions accurately but I just wanted to add that with respect to point 3, occasionally you will see players (even pros) deliberately bust with their last dart, for example if they started their turn with a score of 8 (so double 4 required) and they hit single 4, then single 2, they might deliberately aim the last dart at a high number in order to bust and leave themselves on 8 again next time, as double 1 is very unforgiving. Of course, if your opponent is already on a “finish” themselves, you may feel you have to go for the double 1 anyway, but if your opponent was not on a finish, you would certainly do this. Quite entertaining if you then get a bounce-out :).
Also, I found it amusing that the example you gave in option 1 is a score you cannot achieve with 3 darts (where the last one must be a double). The possible three-dart (or fewer) outs go like this: everything under 159 is achievable (except 1, of course, as noted earlier), 159 is not (you need an odd number and the highest odd numbered throw is 57 - this leaves 102 which you cannot achieve in 2 darts, one of which must be a double). Then it goes 160, 161, 164, 167, 170 (which is the highest possible 3 dart finish).
This reminds me of the game “Big 6”, where the first player has to hit the “big 6” (i.e. the section of the 6 segment between the treble ring and the double ring, so called because it is bigger that the section between the treble ring and the bull). If they fail with all three darts, they lose a life. If they succeed, they can then aim at another section of the board which becomes the target for the next player. Obviously the aim is to hit things like the bullseye or a treble to make it hard for the next player(s). We used to play a variation where you could go for any clearly-defined area of the board, such as within the “0” marking the number 10, say.
“Dart math” is quickly learned (and just as quickly lost!) when you play alot. The top guys pretty much do it like a second language and most likely have the “3 dart out chart” commited to memory.
The rest of us carry a little laminated pocket card!
I’ve gone out on 157 a few times, and got a trophy for coming in with 160. I once shot ton-80 while holding a baby!
That’s very common - lots of pro darts players look like they’re holding a baby :).
And I’m sure most dart players would agree that checking out 157 is significantly more difficult than 160; if you hit the T20 with your first dart, sometimes you’re just “in the zone” and the second follows it in. To adjust to T19, and then go back up to double top, is much more impressive IMHO. Both are far higher than I’ve ever managed - I think I checked out 115 or something random once, can’t even remember how I did it - and it was definitely an exception. I’ve never hit a 180 but I think I got 140 in practice once. Then again, I only play a couple of times a year on average.
Story is that I was competing in a cricket tournament - I was doing very well - was up by a couple of hundred points - only had to close out the bulls - I lost because I could not - for whatever reason - hit the last bull I needed.
Immediately after I lost - I stood up to the line and threw three darts - all hit the double bull in such a pretty grouping that was not even funny- well, it was hilarious at the time.
One fun multi-player game we used to play was “loopy”.
You each start with five lives, the first person steps up and throws a single, wrong-handed dart to get the game underway.
Whatever that dart hits the next player has their own three darts to hit it as well (throwing with their correct hand of course).
If they fail, they lose a life and get three more darts, rinse and repeat until they either lose all their lives (and are out) or they hit the target. At which point they have the remainder of their three dart set to hit a target for the next person in.
The twist being that a legitimate target can include any scoring bed on the board, (big 20, little 12 double three etc. etc.) but also the “loops” on the 10, 20, 8, 18 etc. You get the picture. Whatever you hit the next man has to hit.
And yes, you play it for money. And yes, beer helps move the game along.
And if we are not-so-stealth bragging then my record for consecutive 180’s in practice is 4, I’ve hit 9 dart finishes in practice but in a real game alas not. Though I did have a final dart bounce out of the wire of the 18 when going for it. (my mind went blank after that and I actually lost that match).
ETA: bugger, I see Dead Cat has described pretty much the same game as me.
If we ever meet in person, remind me to not play you for money :). That is quite impressive.
The “real game” factor is an interesting one, though. As I’m sure you remember, a few years back a journalist decided to practice darts intensively with the objective of qualifying for the world championship. Long story short, he achieved a very good standard in pub level terms, and thought he had a chance in the world championship qualifying event. But come the day, he found the pressure got to him and his perfectly-honed technique was no match for his nerves, well before he came anywhere close to the televised stages of the event. So like a lot of sports, it’s more about the mental than the physical at the very top level.
Ah well, reading the thread is for wimps :). A colleague of mine who played this game would go for, and get, the “little 8” with astonishing frequency. Oh, wait, I don’t mean “little 8” - I mean the loop of the number 8 that was slightly smaller than the other one. Of course, you tend to only go for such shots on your second dart (having hit the previous target with your first), as failing to hit any valid section whatsoever with your third dart is a stupid way to lose a life. Then again, beer is involved so it does happen quite often.
I am a modest man with much to be modest about but I will (on an anonymous message board at least) allow myself to state that I am very good at darts.
Or at least I was back when I was a teenager and practicing a lot.
Absolutely, the sporting world is littered with the washed-careers of exceptionally talented people who didn’t have the mental strength to compete.
To paraphrase Brian Clough, “you can teach skills, you can’t teach character”
Yes, and after several beers it suddenly seems like going for an outrageous target on your final dart is worth the risk. Bragging rights are a real currency in the world of pub.
You can see the mental game in action with the BDO series on BBC. Some rank horrible throwing on display every year - averages of 53, players stuck in the mad house, that sort of thing. I bet those guys are exceptional dart throwers in general, but get under the lights on tv, game on, unsurprisingly many go to pieces.
