Darts Betting With NetBet

If you’ve ever taken part in a game of darts, you probably know that it’s a game ripe for betting. Unusually for a game that started out as a typical pub game, darts has grown popular enough to have official standards and formal rules applied by large governing sports bodies. The most high-profile darts matches, such as the Champions League of Darts and the PDC World Championship, are typically shown on TV and attract massive live audiences. As a highly diverse sport, the variance of darts is huge – there are matches of various sizes, and all sorts of tournaments! Take a look at NetBet’s sports page to find all the best darts odds and maybe even do some darts betting.

All About Darts

One of the most common and recognisable games in the world, darts stands out as an easy and inexpensive pursuit. The key to its appeal lies in its accessibility; it can be played by people old and young, male or female, and hardly needs much in the way of space when setting up the game is as simple and quick as hanging the dart board on a door or on a wall. You don’t even have to be particularly fit (some of the champion darts players are pretty hefty!) – all you need is a decent throw and a sense of fun! It’s a game that beginners can enjoy every bit as much as experts – and you can find it in pubs, bars, and social clubs virtually everywhere.

Being a relatively low-intensity game in terms of physical effort, darts tends to be more about mental agility and hand-eye coordination. Strong accuracy and a steady hand are the key to success. But more than anything else, when you’re playing casually, darts is about fun!

The rules of the game

If somehow you weren’t aware of how the game is played, here’s a quick overview of the rules. Players stand at a fixed distance from the board and take it in turns to throw darts at the dart board. Different areas of the board are worth varying amounts, with the various segments arranged in a circular fashion. A small circle in the middle is known as the bullseye and is surrounded by a green ring known as the “25 ring”. The larger ring surrounding these is the “treble ring”, with the much larger ring at the edge of the board being the “double ring”. Each of the numbers around the board indicate how much will be scored. So, for instance, if the player hits the “treble ring” area under the number 14, they will score 14x3 (42 points) – hitting the plain white or black area will simply score them the number without a multiplier.

In professional games, such as those in the Champions League of Darts, players will start with 501 points and each amount they win is taken off that amount (this ruleset is known as “501 up”). The objective here is to get down to zero, with the caveat that the final throw has to be a double or a bullseye. It is not necessary to throw all three darts to do this. Going below zero is a bust; that player’s turn will end immediately, and their score will be returned to what it was before that throw. The challenge here is being able to get a score which totals an odd number. A variation on this game works the same way but has the players start with 301 instead.

A popular but little-known darts variation is “Around the Clock”. In this game, each player takes a turn to throw their 3 darts and must hit their dart in every segment from 1 to 20, finishing with the 25 and bullseye. Players must start with 1 and are not allowed to move on to the next number until they successfully manage to hit the number they’re on – so if they hit another number prematurely, it doesn’t count. In this game, doubles and trebles do not count at all. The first player to hit all of the numbers and then finish with the bullseye will be the winner.

Facts and Statistics

The maximum length a dart can be is 12 inches, though the vast majority of darts are much smaller than this. The large tailpiece of the dart (known as “flights”) weight the back of the dart to stop it from flipping over in mid-air. Originally these were fashioned from bird feathers (often turkey) but are now more commonly made from plastic.

Darts is a game with a very long history. Growing out of games such as axe-throwing, it was typically enjoyed by off-duty soldiers, many of whom would amuse themselves by throwing broken arrows or crossbow bolts at tree trunks. In fact, the earliest dart boards were simply big circular slabs of elm wood, which bar owners would need to soak in water overnight so that the holes would close up (modern dartboards are usually fashioned from vegetable fibre, wire, and metal). Even King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were both said to thoroughly enjoy the game, but a game of darts wasn’t broadcast on British television until 1962.

Different forms of darts betting

The most common (and obvious) form of darts betting is match betting – simply placing a bet on which player will win the match. This form of betting comes with some minor variations – for instance, gamblers can try to predict whether each of the players will score 180. There are all sorts of other types, such as over/under betting, handicaps, and the distinctive King of the Oche, in which a player has to not only win the match but have the best individual statistics and the most 180s. This is a good way to bet on favourite players who perform well. With so many types of darts bettings, there’s a lot of fun to be had and the darts odds can vary widely!

Get the best darts odds with NetBet! Check out NetBet’s sports page and see all the latest darts odds. As the best place to bet on great British sports, NetBet have a wide variety of darts odds. Come take a look and see for yourself!