The exact history of Darts is disputed, but most people do agree that it originated as a military pastime in medieval England, all the way back in the 14th century. Initially, soldiers threw sharp objects such as spearheads at overturned barrels as a way of dealing with boredom and to practice their aim. Eventually this progressed to cross-sections of tree trunks, which is probably where the circular pattern on the modern board comes from.
The popularity of the game spread like wildfire, even reaching the royal courts of England where it is said King Henry VIII was an avid enthusiast. Finally, in the 1800s, the many different variations were whittled and Lancashire carpenter Brian Gamlin created the modern, numbered version of Darts that we get to enjoy today in 1896. This modern iteration is simple to play, but the arrangement of the board makes it very complex and allows for complete fairness.
With so much going for it, it’s no wonder that Darts is one of the best loved and most-played bar games in the world. However, it’s so much more than that too – it’s a professional sport, and we’ve got all the details on how you can bet and win on it.
Playing Darts
The standard dartboard is round and divided into 20 equal pie-piece segments that are alternately coloured in black and white. There are also 2 thin rings (an outer ring and an inner ring) that are alternately coloured in red and green.
Players hitting a white or black panel get the amount of points indicated by the segment’s number, while a dart landing in the outer and inner rings gets points worth double and triple the panel’s number, respectively. The central circle has an outer green section (the outer bulls eye worth 25 points) and an inner red or black section (the inner bulls eye worth 50 points).
Most Darts games are contested by 2 players, and there are several games (also called legs) within a set. Whoever wins the most sets wins the match. Tournaments are generally played in a knockout format, and you can place pre-game and live bets on who the overall winner will be, where the other players will place, specific scores, totals, handicaps and a few props bets. That’s make placing bets on sports betting brands in New Zealand easier. As always, pay attention to recent performances, read expert opinions, and find out as much information as possible before you place any wagers.
Darts Competitions
There are plenty of Darts competitions and tournaments to put money on. Almost all of them are run by the Professional Darts Corporation (or PDC) and the British Darts Organisation (or BDO). Though there has been acrimony between the two bodies for several years, they are the main organisers and regulators of the game.
Look out for the BDO and PDC World Championships, the Premier League, the Players Championship Series, the World Cup of Darts, the Grand Slam of Darts and many more events throughout the year. As you can see, there’s a whole world of Darts action waiting to be discovered and bet on.
