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Darts is a wonderfully social game whether you play at home with friends and family, or you play just to meet new people at your local bar. Darts is a fairly simple game to play, but requires a lot of practice and skill to become good. There are many different games you can play, but nearly every one of them involves each player alternating turns to throw three darts at the board, then recording that score. Darts does not require a lot of equipment. All you need to play it is a dartboard, a set of three darts, and an opponent.
Nearly all dart games require some basic math skills as you are throwing the darts at number targets. The dartboard itself is divided into twenty sectors separated by a wire. These sectors are labeled from one to twenty. They are easily differentiated by alternating black and yellow areas on the board, and are also called singles as they are worth the same number of points as the value of that sector.
Regardless of whether you use a bristle dartboard or electronic dartboard, you will also notice that there are two rings that go around a dartboard that use alternating red and green colors. The outside ring is called the double ring. This corresponds to the numbers around the dartboard but are worth double the points.
The smaller inside ring is the triple ring. This corresponds to the point value of its sector, but is worth three times as much.
The center circle on the dartboard is known as the Bull. The green ring known as the outer bull or single bull and is worth 25 points. The inner red circle is known as the inner bull, double bull or bullseye and is worth 50 points.
Finally, there is also an out of play area on a dartboard. This is the area from the edge of the dartboard to the the outside wire of the double ring where the numbers are displayed. If a dart land here, it is worth nothing.
The highest score possible on a dartboard with three darts is one hundred and eighty points. This is done by throwing all three darts into the triple twenty.
To decide who gets to throw their darts first, both players throw one dart at the board and whoever is closet to the bull goes first. This process of determining who throws first is known as "diddle for the middle."
The most common way to play darts is the game known as '01. The game starts with each player on a set number like 301, 501, or 701. 501 is the game you will see professionals playing on TV. The players then take turns to see who can be the first to reach zero by subtracting the points they scored after each turn. However, zero can only be reached with your last dart landing into a double or the bullseye. You can never have less than two points as double one is the lowest double. If you score more than the required number to finish, you are said to have bust, and your score remains the same. Finishing a game of '01 is called checking out. The highest checkout possible in a game of '01 is 170 points, achieved by throwing two triple twenties and a bullseye. A game of 501 can be won in just nine darts. This requires the player to throw 180 (three triple twenties) on their first two turns, which leaves a score of 141. This can then be finished in a number of ways, the most common being triple twenty, triple nineteen, and double twelve. Another way to play '01 is to start with a double-in so no player can start scoring until they hit a double first. This is just one example of how to score a game of darts but their are many other different games you can play.
If it is your first time throwing darts, you might be surprised to find how easy it is to miss the dartboard. While there is no right or wrong way to throwing darts, there are a few pointers you can follow to make sure you hit the board. You need to concentrate on the target you are trying to hit, and throw the darts from eye level in a effort to make the dart fly along the imaginary line from your eyes to the board. Don't flick the dart with your wrist when you throw. Instead, when you release the dart, let your arm follow through in a smooth fluid motion. Darts fly through the air quite easily, and will easily stick into the board. You do not have to throw them with all your strength. Make sure both feet are touching the ground, and do not lean too far forward or you'll lose your balance.
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