OT: Darts, is it the new poker?

[CCSUblue]

Is darts the next poker?

Remember when ESPN started broadcasting poker in the early 2000s and it blew up? Old game that exploded in popularity. I predict darts is going to explode just like poker did.

I keep seeing it all over social media, especially since that 16 year old kid made the world dart finals.

Do y'all have dart boards in your basement bars?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Is darts the next poker?

Remember when ESPN started broadcasting poker in the early 2000s and it blew up? Old game that exploded in popularity. I predict darts is going to explode just like poker did.

I keep seeing it all over social media, especially since that 16 year old kid made the world dart finals.

Do y'all have dart boards in your basement bars?

Might be. I was in Ireland recently and at a pub where a guy was playing acoustic music, all the TVs had the world darts championship on. I'm an old time dart thrower (we played darts at least 1-2 hours a day at UConn) so I was quite interested to see it. The skill level was just insane, and some of the guys were real characters. So I'd watch it if ESPN carried the usual SkySports coverage of those events.

Yes, I have a very nice dartboard in my basement bar, with a laser throw line, dedicated lighting, and four sets of darts (including my original set I spent a lot on back in my UConn days). I think I drove to West Hartford or something to a specialty store to get those darts.

 

[7774]

Is darts the next poker?

Remember when ESPN started broadcasting poker in the early 2000s and it blew up? Old game that exploded in popularity. I predict darts is going to explode just like poker did.

I keep seeing it all over social media, especially since that 16 year old kid made the world dart finals.

Do y'all have dart boards in your basement bars?

Can the average person win millions at darts if they get lucky? Because it's probably going to be difficult to explode like poker if the answer is no.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Might be. I was in Ireland recently and at a pub where a guy was playing acoustic music, all the TVs had the world darts championship on. I'm an old time dart thrower (we played darts at least 1-2 hours a day at UConn) so I was quite interested to see it. The skill level was just insane, and some of the guys were real characters. So I'd watch it if ESPN carried the usual SkySports coverage of those events.

Yes, I have a very nice dartboard in my basement bar, with a laser throw line, dedicated lighting, and four sets of darts (including my original set I spent a lot on back in my UConn days). I think I drove to West Hartford or something to a specialty store to get those darts.

Darts is huge in Ireland and the UK. It always cracks me up with how big and rowdy the crowd is for it. It's like taking a WWE crowd and allowing them to drink heavily

 

[JMick]

I grew up with a dart board and played a lot in my teens and early 20s. I don't really have any interest now. It was fun for a while but it didn't have any staying power for me, personally.

If I'm at a bar and there's an open dart board or open pool table, I'm playing pool 10/10 times.

I do think that darts could be popular with younger people, though. You don't need a ton of room to have a dart board and you can realistically put a board in most apartments.

 

[Palatine]

Darts, Pool and Bowling; is it the new triathlon?

 

[Huskyhoops25]

I play in a dart league at Canaan Country Club during the winter months. They also have two nine foot pool tables that we use in between rounds.

 

[superjohn]

That 16 year old Darts champion looks like he's in his 40's.

 

[superjohn]

I grew up with a dart board and played a lot in my teens and early 20s. I don't really have any interest now. It was fun for a while but it didn't have any staying power for me, personally.

If I'm at a bar and there's an open dart board or open pool table, I'm playing pool 10/10 times.

I do think that darts could be popular with younger people, though. You don't need a ton of room to have a dart board and you can realistically put a board in most apartments.

If there's a ping pong table, darts and pool take a backseat.

 

[cullaville]

Darts, Pool and Bowling; is it the new triathlon?

you are forgetting corn hole which ESPN televises a lot

 

[StllH8L8ner]

you are forgetting corn hole which ESPN televises a lot

I watched more cornhole than I’d care to admit while home during the pandemic a few years ago.

 

[XLCenterFan]

Darts is super fun. I used to go to The Spigot in WH alot to drink and play with a buddy. Now I have a dart board in my tv room in the basement. I can see it gaining popularity, but nothing like the poker boom.

 

[Devland]

For viewing purposes, darts lacks the strategy that poker has. I have enjoyed playing darts in the past (it's been years). But like golf, bowling and baseball. I have played and enjoyed but don't enjoy watching. It seems like some people feel the need to watch sports they play even if they don't enjoy watching them.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I watched more cornhole than I’d care to admit while home during the pandemic a few years ago.

On ESPN and not on the internet I hope.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Might be. I was in Ireland recently and at a pub where a guy was playing acoustic music, all the TVs had the world darts championship on. I'm an old time dart thrower (we played darts at least 1-2 hours a day at UConn) so I was quite interested to see it. The skill level was just insane, and some of the guys were real characters. So I'd watch it if ESPN carried the usual SkySports coverage of those events.

Yes, I have a very nice dartboard in my basement bar, with a laser throw line, dedicated lighting, and four sets of darts (including my original set I spent a lot on back in my UConn days). I think I drove to West Hartford or something to a specialty store to get those darts.

I will say that it seems to me that darts are especially popular in England and Ireland.

I can see potential for darts to get popular. ESPN2 broadcasts college kids playing corn hole. There are plenty of big potential “wow” moments with darts that get people excited to watch. It does need some more grassroots movement, and more bars need to have it though in order to get young people playing and interested. It’s not as accessible as something like cornhole; anyone can play Corn hole just about anywhere at any time, but darts has a more specific set up. Plus kids can start playing corn hole as soon as they can throw anything; especially if exposure is limited to bars, it’s tough to build a following of young players.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I will say that it seems to me that darts are especially popular in England and Ireland.

I can see potential for darts to get popular. ESPN2 broadcasts college kids playing corn hole. There are plenty of big potential “wow” moments with darts that get people excited to watch. It does need some more grassroots movement, and more bars need to have it though in order to get young people playing and interested. It’s not as accessible as something like cornhole; anyone can play Corn hole just about anywhere at any time, but darts has a more specific set up. Plus kids can start playing corn hole as soon as they can throw anything; especially if exposure is limited to bars, it’s tough to build a following of young players.

Darts is relatively easy to play anywhere. Any house with a garage, basement or patio can hold a dart board mounted to a wall. I can understand hesitancy of putting it in a room in the house for some. Difference with corn hole is its readily portable to take anywhere whereas darts is almost exclusively in a fixed location (Probably wouldn't be too difficult to get a piece of plywood, some hinges and a brace to make a portable dart board but I've yet to see it).

 

[Hunt for 7]

Can the average person win millions at darts if they get lucky? Because it's probably going to be difficult to explode like poker if the answer is no.

Darts were big in Chicago. When I lived there the best league in the country was the Windy City. In the late mid 90’s for about five years I played in the highest division. It was called the Masters division. It was insanely competitive. I traveled and played in cash tournaments. Every year we had two huge tournaments held in a large event hall at the Holiday Inn by O’Hare airport. One was the Windy City Cup which were mostly players from the Chicagoland area. But good players from the Midwest made the trip. There were different events singles, doubles and four man team. If you made the stage you could make about $1K or $2k. But there was at least 800-1000 entrants at $20 per event. And they paid out the top ten or twenty participants so the further in the tournament you made it the more you could make. Then the big one was the Windy City Open and the guys from England would come to those. One year I was playing well but the hardest part is maintaining the right level buzz. Not drunk but loose enough not have the yips. I played a guy named Eric Bristow. I was using his signature darts. He noticed early. I was lucky enough that day to beat him probably played my best darts over the weekend and walked away with a few thousand in winnings. Made the stage in three events including the four man 701 where our team lost to at the time what was billed as the Canadien national team. Electronic Darts plastic darts became way more popular in the late odds. By 2010 most of the traditional dart leagues were transitioning to the new Bullshooter electronic dart games. Better for the bars since you had to pay to play like a pinball machine.

 

[mauconnfan]

you are forgetting corn hole which ESPN televises a lot

We have indoor cornhole leagues up here at Crestview CC in Feeding Hills. Would like to do it but UConn games may be on same nights so no can do.

Darts is great was a leaguer back in the day. To me 301 is a great game!

 

[Hunt for 7]

Darts is relatively easy to play anywhere. Any house with a garage, basement or patio can hold a dart board mounted to a wall. I can understand hesitancy of putting it in a room in the house for some. Difference with corn hole is its readily portable to take anywhere whereas darts is almost exclusively in a fixed location (Probably wouldn't be too difficult to get a piece of plywood, some hinges and a brace to make a portable dart board but I've yet to see it).

We have indoor cornhole leagues up here at Crestview CC in Feeding Hills. Would like to do it but UConn games may be on same nights so no can do.

Darts is great was a leaguer back in the day. To me 301 is a great game!

Yes 301 was my favorite. Had too double in and double out. That was what I was best at. Loved the right side of the board to double in but we if you did not take a big number out like 97 with a trip 19 double 20, you always tried to get to 32 or double 16. It also helped if you were good at math because the quicker you could subtract allowed more time to focus on how to take the number you had left. Loved the 01 games better than cricket.

 

[storrsroars]

If there's a ping pong table, darts and pool take a backseat.

Bar shuffleboard for me. Learned to play at the Springdale VFD as a kid, and later on at The Colony when they had one before they replaced with a crappy pinball machine and later, more seating.

I'm no ace at darts but enjoy playing with others of similar skill level. Problem I have with darts as a spectator sport is that I'd expect top guys to hit their mark almost every time, or at least as much as pro bowling, if not more. With poker, you have to play the hand you're given and there are both single game and longer term gambling strategies that simply don't exist in darts.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I watched more cornhole than I’d care to admit while home during the pandemic a few years ago.

I mean the rest of us were watching fat guys try to finish giant steaks, so that doesn’t seem all that bad.

 

[GemParty]

I used to play in a league, 20 yrs ago in Pompano Beach, Florida. 15 games in a night. Throwing tons was something to do between cheap beers.

Played for a bar called The Penalty Box. The owner was one of the top players in the state and our Captain. If you gave him a good game, during the week at his bar, he’d ask you to join the league.

The owner, if you follow old school hockey, was Rosaire Paiement.

Mainly known as an enforcer, he once beat Bobby Orr so badly he needed to cancel several tv commercials he was scheduled to shoot. Rosey, played for the New England Whalers and several NHL teams. Had a 34 goal season and hat trick. Oh, the stories he could tell. Was elbowed and sucker punched, during a game and lost vision in his eye ending up getting a glass one. Yet, you could rarely beat him in a game of darts.

 

[THC]

I play every Wednesday night mid October thru mid march in the Central Connecticut Dart Association. The league has 6 divisions, with at least 6 teams in each division. There's some good throwers out there.