Secrets of Betting on Darts

The popularity of such a discipline as darts is growing rapidly. The main advantage of the game is all-season. Unlike hockey and basketball, the darts betting line is available all year round. Moreover, the line does not include amateur matches, but full-fledged tournaments among professionals. It is useful to know information about the rules of darts, major championships, players, as well as varieties and strategies for betting on the discipline.

Game Features

The target for darts is divided into 20 sectors. Each of them is labeled with a number from 1 to 20. In the middle is a bull’s eye, for hitting which the player is awarded 50 points, as well as an additional green area, estimated at 25 points. The inner and outer sectors are marked around the target. They are painted green and red. For hitting the inner sector, the points are multiplied by 3, for the outer – by 2.

Rules

Players retreat to a specially marked throwing area and throw darts. The distance from the target to the athlete is at least 2.37 m. In one approach, the player performs three throws, and then his opponent does the same. The maximum number of points that can be scored in this way is 180. To do this, you need to hit the triple multiplier of the number 20 3 times. It is this combination that brings the most points, and not hitting the bull’s-eye.

Unlike other sports in darts, players do not gain points, but, on the contrary, subtract. Depending on the tournament regulations, the game starts with a score of 301 or 501 and is called leg. The task of the athlete is to shoot the required number of points faster than the opponent and reduce his own indicator to zero.

In professional tournaments, the game goes up to 501 points. To do this, you will need to perform at least 9 dart throws. It is necessary to finish the set of points by hitting the doubling or bullseye of the target. By winning 3 legs faster than the opponent, the competitor wins the set. Their number varies depending on the rules of the championships.

Tournaments

Major darts tournaments:

1. World Grand Prix.
2. UK Open.
3. World Matchplay.
4. Europe championship.
5. Premier League.
6. PDC World Championship.

It is the last two competitions that are the main ones in the calendar of professional athletes. They play the largest prize pool. The winner of the PDC World Championship receives not only universal recognition, but also £500,000. Since 2015, this tournament has been sponsored by British bookmaker William Hill.

Players

One of the brightest figures in darts is the Englishman Phil Taylor. He became world champion 16 times. Between 1994 and 2007, Taylor did not miss a single World Cup final. Phil owns a 44-game unbeaten streak in the World Cup. After losing the final to Rob Cross in 2018, Taylor ended his professional career.

The strongest athletes in darts:

• Gerwyn Price (Wales).
• Michael Van Gerwen (Netherlands).
• Peter Wright (Scotland).
• Johnny Clayton (Wales)
• Dimitri van den Berg (Belgium).

Types of bets

In legal bookmakers, this discipline is presented in great detail. You can bet on the following outcomes:

• The main result of the match. It is necessary to predict who will be the winner of the game.
• Total of sets and legs. Bets on the number of games played.
• Correct match score. The bettor can bet on the outcome of the event, up to each set won.
• Total approaches of 180 points. It is necessary to predict how many times during the match the dartsmen will be able to shoot the most productive combination of points.
• Victory in a leg.
• Total of the last approach.
• What color will the final roll fall into.
• Long term bets.

Betting on the winners of the World and European Championships regularly appears in the line of bookmakers. At the same time, the World Cup is held before the start of the year. For example, the 2022 World Championship took place in December 2021.

How to bet on darts

Although the discipline is often associated with beer pubs and is played in large bars, darts is a professional sport that is subject to analysis. There are key factors to consider when choosing a bet:

• Tournament status. There are dozens of competitions throughout the season, from Friday leagues to world championships. Weekly tournaments are often perceived by darters as analogous to training. Players hone their skills on them and do not always strive to win. But at the finals of the championships, they give everything to the maximum.
• Psychology of players. All darters are different, someone knows how to cope with emotions and is ready to turn the outcome of any match, the other, on the contrary, seeks to quickly complete an unsuccessfully started set. For example, Michael Van Gerwen is considered one of the most consistent darters, and Gervin Price often makes unnecessary mistakes in difficult situations. Although both athletes are among the strongest in the world. You can track the current state of the player using the video broadcast of the event.
• The principle of opposition. In the world of discipline, there are fights in which, regardless of the status of the tournament, both darters will give their best.

The most fundamental confrontations:

• Peter Wright vs Michael Van Gerwen.
• Gary Anderson and Gerwyn Price.
• James Wade vs Johnny Clayton.

Strategies

There are the most popular darts betting techniques that can be applied to any championship in the discipline.

Martingale on the way to complete the legs

In a match between dartsmen, 3-5 sets are played, each of which consists of the same number of legs. This allows you to apply the Martingale strategy. Its essence lies in betting on one of the outcomes with a gradual increase in the size of the bet up to a win. In darts bets, there are those whose odds do not change, which allows you to pre-calculate the amount of each stage of the cycle. This is a bet on whether the leg will end up with a throw – green or red. At the same time, the status and participants of the match do not matter; you can apply the strategy in any event.

Example. The odds for the leg to end with a throw to the green sector is 1.85. The expected profit from the Martingale cycle is $1,000. To calculate the amount of the bet for each stage, you can use the calculator:

be successful, in which the desired outcome played. The costs of previous bets are deducted from the payout amount:

10,308 – (5,572+2,560+ 1,176) = $1,000 net winnings.

Method of betting on the favorite

In the early rounds of major championships, equal opponents rarely meet. Most often in matches there is a pronounced favorite and an outsider. The task of the bettor is to bet on a handicap (-1.5) in sets on a stronger dartsman. At tournaments of this level, professionals make a minimum of mistakes and win with a score of 3:0 or 3:1.

Example. PDC World Cup 2021 bracket. Playoff stats:

To apply the strategy, it is better to choose the matches of the preliminary rounds, as well as the playoffs, starting from 1/32 and ending with 1/8. In the next stages, the difference in the class of darters is not so noticeable.

Arbs on the winner’s feet

In the legs, situations change very often, so it is not uncommon for players to see situations where the odds per player are very high at first, and then it drops almost to the limit. This can and should be used. The essence of the strategy is this: first we bet on the winner of the leg with odds higher than 2. We are waiting for a situation in which the quotes change so that the value of 2+ is already on another player. We make a reverse bet (preferably in another shop). Now there is no need to worry about the outcome – the player will receive profit in any case.

The strategy is dangerous because bookmakers are actively fighting bettors who make arbs. We do not promote the game on arbs, but this strategy can be working and effective if the player is good at analyzing darts matches.

Betting against the favorite

In this case, it is also recommended to apply the Martingale strategy to the opponents of a stronger player. The meaning is this: you can play in sets to win the underdog. The odds per event will be from 2 and higher, in some cases very high – above 7. But it is important to conduct a pre-match analysis, and not bet on matches in all pairs of “favorite – outsider” – this can lead to a quick drain of the bank due to incorrect evaluation of the class of players.

Try to bet on those darts, in a pair of whom the underdog can impose a fight. The bet will be justified, and the probability of a complete loss for the match will be less. The player’s task is to bet on the victory of the underdog in the set and, if he loses, increase the bet by 1.5 times. As soon as the outsider wins, the bettor will receive excellent profits and cover all the minuses.

Analysis and forecasting

When choosing a bet on darts, you need to analyze the following factors:

• The current form of the player. Even the favorites have unsuccessful series, when it is better to refuse to make a bet.
• Competition status. It is necessary to study whether the tournament is important for the player, or whether he can afford to be eliminated in the early rounds.
• Match format. Some darters find it easier to play short games of one or two sets. Others, on the contrary, shoot for a long time, but at a distance they are able to win.

Statistics

The results of face-to-face meetings in darts are not so important. There is practically no interaction between the players, it all depends on the individual skills and accuracy of the athlete.

It is not worth overestimating personal achievements, but the latest results are important. Thanks to them, you can understand what shape the dartsman is in.

Live bets

In the live line of bookmakers, the sport is much more popular than in prematch. First of all, due to the fact that the result of a bet on darts is determined quite quickly. However, you should not use discipline, wanting to win back a minus or earn in a few minutes. It is better to turn on the video broadcast and calmly track which of the dartsmen has a better chance of winning.

In live mode, you can bet on the following outcomes:

• Leg or set winner.
• How many times will 180 points be scored.
• Throw in which zone the leg will end.

Best betting shops

Darts betting is available at most legal betting shops. When choosing a company, pay attention to the following indicators:

• The value of odds and margins.
• The number of selections available for betting.
• Live bets.
• Statistics and video broadcasts.

Some secrets and tips for successful bets

Below is a list of recommendations that will help increase the patency of the bet:

• Watch matches. Most often, tournaments are held on weekends, and they are not inferior in entertainment to other sports.
• Do not overestimate the statistics of personal meetings. Darts is a non-contact sport; rivals cannot interfere with each other. Therefore, personal excellence comes to the fore.
• Bet on the favorite in advance. As the event approaches, the odds for a stronger dartsman creep down. Therefore, it is more profitable to bet on an outsider before the start or in live, and on a favorite – 2-3 days before the game.
• To make successful bets on darts, you need to carefully monitor the current shape of the athletes. In darts, it is not often that there are athletes of the same class. Usually, the athlete who is at the peak of his form wins the tournament. If there is one at the tournament, it is logical to bet on it.

Advantages and disadvantages of betting on darts

Betting on darts is a mystery for most bettors – tournaments in this discipline are rarely shown on large screens. Also, it is not always possible to find complete statistics on players that will help you decide on the choice of bet. These are the disadvantages of betting on the sport in question.

The advantages include the presence of broadcasts – the vast majority of matches are equipped with live broadcasts from many bookmakers, which allows you to follow the match and respond to bets on what is happening. The list of bets on darts from bookmakers is wide, despite the low popularity of matches among bettors. Also, bookmakers do not include a high margin in the odds set for matches and can frankly overestimate them – this leads to the formation of values. Knowledgeable bettors can turn such situations to their advantage and reap great benefits.