ONE HUNDRED AND EEEEEEIGHTYY!!! (Darts in General)

Member Name: rob_writer

Product:	Darts in General
Date:	03/07/01 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap to play, Fun for all

Disadvantages: Hard, Frustrating, Bad image

Darts may not be the most popular sport in the world, but it has to be one of the easiest to get started with, and considering the success of recent TV coverage of World Championships, it's certainly a sport on the way up.

Of course, to become mainstream Darts must shred it's seedy, smoky pub image. You think of a darts player and you think of a middle aged man, with a pint in his hand and a beer belly hanging out of a T-shirt. And I guess this still is the case, because a lot of darts matches do take place in dark, smoky pubs between local teams. But don't let all this put you off darts, because as a game it is very easy to get in to, and fun for everyone to play.

Darts takes place on a board (as if you didn't know) split up in to 20 sectors of a circle, all emanating from the centre. Each strip is numbered and has four sections. Points are awarded depending upon which section the dart lands in, with the two larger sections being worth the value of the strip, and two smaller band being worth double and triple the value of the strip. Did I mention the darts? These are what you throw at the board. They consist of a sharp pointed end, a middle straight bit and a flight on the end. The players throw these darts at the board, and obviously the better player will be able to control the position where the dart lands with greater accuracy.

So, put basically, how good you are at this game depends on how good you are throwing. Doesn't sound up to much does it? But surprisingly, it is! There is a certain sense of achievement to be had from becoming proficient at hurling these arrows accurately at the board. To begin with hitting the board is about all you can manage, but as the time passes it becomes possible to aim with increasing accuracy until you too can score that hallowed 180!!

So, each player takes it turns to throw three darts at the board. Ask any none darts player the best way to create a game out of this, and
they would surely say the first player to a certain target wins. But alas, that is not the case at all. Instead in darts you start with a number such as 301 or 501, and you work your way down to zero. And mind you, you have to get exactly zero - not just less than it. That's not the end of it all either, as you must make it to zero by getting a double, triple or a bulls eye! Should you drop under zero then you are bust, and return to the score you had before your turn started!!

Darts is fun, but it can also be very frustrating when the dart won't go where you want it to, which is a little too often!! Also try to make sure you're opponent is of a similar standard to you, because if he is much, much better then it can get rather boring indeed!!

Cost wise darts is cheap, with a decent board costing around £20 and a set of darts being around £10. And if you get sick, just put a picture of your worst enemy on it and fire away!!! Careful with young children though, as a stray dart could do some damage!

Professional darts can be seen on BBC 2 at various times of the year. It ranks alongside 'Indoor Carpet Bowls' as one the best watched sports on TV (as if!!) but like snooker, has that rather addictive feel to it, which keeps you in your chair (probably by making you drowsy!!).

Whether you play in a pub, at home, or simply watch it on TV, Darts is not at all a bad sport!

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