When you think of darts and the many different types of games that the term encompasses, you typically think of a fun bar game that you play after a few beers. If you know a little bit more about the sport, you probably also know that it originated in the UK and is, by most accounts, most popular there.

Despite its English influence, darts is truly a worldwide game that is played by millions. Believe it or not, there are multiple professional darts organizations across the globe and a number of darts betting events that are quite popular.

No matter whether you are in England, China, the US or elsewhere, there are plenty of betting options for you. Because so many people are incredibly unfamiliar with the game, we feel it is only right to introduce you to the game itself as well as the most popular events and leagues that can be wagered upon.

Darts—An Introduction

The game of darts is played, believe it or not, on what is known as a dartboard. The history of the dartboard itself is long and interesting, however we will not get into that too much here. In competitive darts, a regulation dartboard is circular and 17 ¾ inches in diameter. The circular board is divided into 20 radial sections.

Each of the radial sections is split in the middle by a small strip that goes through the middle circumference of the circular board. Another, similar strip accounts for the very outer edge of the dartboard. In the center of it all is a bullseye. The bullseye itself is split into an inner and outer section.

There are a lot of different stories that go along with how historians believe the game of darts came to be, but it is generally agreed upon that it was a pastime created by soldiers. In the earliest days, the soldiers would try to accurately throw small javelins at the bottom of a cut tree trunk or a cask.

As for the modern game, many people say that the 20-section dartboard emerged from Lancashire, England. With that being said, this, like many aspects of the history of darts, is widely disputed. As far as professional darts are concerned, this is something that really began to come into play in the early to mid-1970’s. Quickly, the British Darts Organisation (BDO) emerged as the most popular. Governing the BDO is the World Darts Federation (WDF), an organization that is the governing body for more than 50 professional dart organizations worldwide.

In the early 1990’s, another organization formed and was known as the Professional Darts Corporation. Despite the BDO having more of an annual viewing audience, the PDC is known today for having higher prize monies for winners. Realizing that both organizations are wildly popular and would do better together than they would separately, they decided to join forces to host the annual World Professional Championship. The WPC consists of the championship tournaments of both the BDO and the PDC and is held annually, falling on the calendar around Christmastime.

Apart from the BDO and PDC, there are other high-profile tournaments held by different national darts organizations.

Top Darts Events/Tournaments to Bet On

World Championships

Briefly touched upon above, the World Championships are, by far, the premier darts event and the most heavily wagered-upon. The event takes place at the Alexandria Palace in London and happens over the course of about a week. The culmination of the World Championships happens after the New Year’s holiday, so it is always the first big darts event of every year.

Premier League Darts

Premier League Darts is where you will find a whole boatload of skill and, by extension, competitiveness. The Premier League is made up of only 8 players. There are 4 chosen from the top four spots in the PDC standings as well as four that are considered to be “wild cards.”

Though it is referred to as a tournament, Premier League Darts is similar to a league. It happens over the course of 3 and a half months and will see every competitor play every other competitor twice. After those 14 weeks occur, the top four performers will participate in a playoff where an eventual champion is crowned.

UK Open

Though Premier League Darts features some of the most highly skilled players in the world, the UK Open is brimming with excitement, upsets, and great matchups. By virtue of this event being called an open, it means that literally anyone can participate. The field is eventually widdled down to a final 128, but that is only after amateurs—of which there are thousands—have been weeded out. The great thing about this event is that each and every year sees at least a few amateurs make it through qualifiers and into the main event.

As far as wagering on this event is concerned, you can typically only place wagers on events that feature the final 128. Sometimes the field must be weeded out even further before wagers exist in any good number.

World Grand Prix

The World Grand Prix takes place in Dublin, Ireland each and every June. For many, this is the best event because it has an interesting setup. The earliest rounds of the event are quite short, so this creates instances where underdogs can help facilitate a massive upset. Thanks to the unpredictability of the event, it attracts a large number of bettors and live viewers.

Betting on Darts

When it comes to betting on darts, there are a number of different options that you have. As you might have guessed, the most simplistic wager that one can make pertains to who will win a given event. This can be with regard to given event as a whole, or a match between two players.

In the same breath, you can wager where in the standings a particular player will finish. If we are talking about Premier League Darts, you can place wagers with regard to where a certain individual will finish after the 14-week season has run its course.

Most games consist of rounds, and by virtue of this one of the most popular bets that can be placed is with regard to what will happen during a certain round. You can bet on the correct score, a range of scores, who the winner will be, and so much more. Though it is not the most common thing to see, some sites offer live betting on most professional darts events. This allows for fluid betting on the things that happen in certain rounds and throughout a match or event as they play out.

When it comes to betting on darts, there are so many different things that can be wagered upon. Because you might be new to the world of professional darts, we highly recommend that you watch a few events before you wager on any. Even if you have to look up professional darts clips on Youtube, we really suggest that you learn as much as you can. Though darts is fairly straightforward, there are a number of different types of games that fall under the blanket term that is darts. Once more, these games are easy to understand, but it would behoove you to learn as much as possible before ever placing a wager.