Understanding Darts Betting

Darts betting offers a number of exciting options for the punter - many major tournaments are now televised and interest in the game is at an all-time high thanks to increased exposure. It's therefore possible to get a good idea of form, player strengths and weaknesses, key rivalries, and who might be favourites well in advance of each event.

Match betting

A majority of tournaments work on a knockout basis, with bets offered for the outright winner of each match plus an overall tournament winner. An exception is the yearly Premier League, which works on a round-robin format and with matches able to be drawn. This tends to involve the world's top 10 players and so choosing match winners can be a little more difficult than in standard tournament play - as with many tournaments the big name players such as Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen are always a good bet.

Short format tournaments

Some tournaments work on a very short format basis, for example the first player to win 2 out of 3 sets (with 3 legs required to win a set). This format often leads to upset victories, where the favourite is slow to get started and has little time to regain form. Taking on an outside bet is definitely a possibility here.

Starting on a double

The Professional Darts Corporation's World Grand Prix event differs from almost all other tournaments in that players must not only finish on a double but also start with one - again this can lead to dramatic upsets or players with a perceived double weakness (such as Gary Anderson) likely to fall victim to a more consistent player.

Sets vs Legs

Some tournaments are based on set scores, with 3 legs of darts required to win a set. Other tournaments are purely based on a "best of x legs" format. A weaker player can often benefit from playing in a set format rather than in a straight number of legs game. For example, sets which are scored 3-0, 2-3, 3-0, 2-3 lead to an overall set score of 2-2 (and hence no advantage to either player), whereas in "leg" format, the first player would be 10-6 ahead, a clear advantage!

Most 180s in a match

Some players are renowned for scoring maximum 180 scores. Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis and Michael van Gerwen in particular are worth a bet in this format, whereas Phil Taylor often has a dart at treble 19 and scores 177 rather than the maximum and therefore doesn't perform as well in this type of bet - a useful tip!

Highest checkout in a match

Again, certain players are renowned for being able to finish on high scores. Australian Simon Whitlock is a particular master of the high checkout and is often worth a punt in this type of bet.