Super, Smashing – Bullseye! Darts is a competitive throwing sport as well as traditional pub game played by people of all ages and skill level.
There are lots of different games played using a dartboard, but playing a game of darts usually involves two players, with one player at a time throwing three darts per turn. The throwing player must stand so that no portion of a foot extends past the ‘oche’ (aka throw line or toe line), but can lean over it and stand anywhere else in the playing area.
The most common objective of darts is to reduce a score from a starting total (e.g., 301 or 501) to zero (called “checking out”) as the score for each thrower’s turn is deducted from the total; however, the final dart must land in either the bullseye or a double segment in order to win. When two teams play, the starting score is sometimes increased to 701 or 1001, but basic rules remain the same. Most professional matches are a simple game called “501 up”. See Darts Regulation Authority Rule Book → Here
Expert thrower, Darren Parzow, explains how to play 301 and 501 in an instructional video from the series ‘How to Play Darts’ → Here
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The 2019 Australian Open Darts Tournament was open to amateurs as well as elite professional players, providing an amazing opportunity for amateur dart players to take on the world’s best.
If you missed the live stream broadcast, you can watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select matches from video posts located in upper right corner of the media player below.
If you missed the darts competition at the 2017 Arnold Classic Australia competition darts, there’s still time tow watch a video recording. Just Click/Tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below. Also available is arm wrestling competition finals.
Before WWI, pubs in the UK installed dartboards made from solid blocks of wood, but it wasn’t an ideal target as the boards had to be soaked in water to keep the wood soft, and the darts damaged the surface causing holes to develop. In mid-1930’s, a pub owner and chemist came up with the idea of bundling and compressing plant fibers to make dartboards, and this successfully solved the problems of durability and maintenance.
Adding to the fun, electronic dartboards were introduced in the 1970’s, offering a wide variety of programmed scoring and games.
♦ Inspired to give the game a go? → Use this Amazon link to shop for your dartboard and darts. Then, start throwing! (Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a purchase you make via the link. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.)
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