A Beginner’s Guide to Betting on the Darts

Published: 9th May 2018
Author: Joe Kizlauskas
Last Updated: 11th March 2021
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A Beginner’s Guide to Betting on the Darts

Darts is a fantastic sport to both watch and bet on, and the number of people who have started following the sport over the last decade has increased dramatically. With so many games taking place in one session, and the speed of which games can be played, this is a great sport to bet on, and one that offers you many different betting opportunities.

Whether you watch at the moment, but don’t bet or you want to start watching and betting at the same time, getting into darts betting is very easy. There are many different games to place bets on, and a multitude of different ways in which you can put your money down, giving an advantage to the punter.

The Basics of Darts

Darts is a fantastic game to watch, with excitement, tension and drama all put together to give fans a great night of sports entertainment. When you watch the darts, many games take place each session, usually on a night but the big events also have afternoon sessions meaning a full day of darts action is on offer to those watching.

Games are played between two players, and different games are played over different lengths. The final of the World Championships is played over more sets than standard games at other tournaments, so try and find out the format and how many games are involved before you begin to bet. Some players prefer longer games, while others can begin playing at a high level straight from the start of a game, which gives them an advantage in shorter versions.

Darts Betting Sites

If you are new to betting on darts, then you will be pleased to know that all bookmakers will give you odds on the big events. The majority will also price up all the regular events throughout the season, so you will always find somewhere to place your bets. When it comes to the biggest events, these are priced up well in advance, allowing you to place ante-post bets months in advance. This is especially the case when it comes to the World Championships.

Most bookmakers cover the smaller events on the calendar, but some of these events will only be priced up just before they begin. One advantage that you will gain when it comes to darts betting is to have multiple betting accounts with various bookmakers. This will allow you to get a bet on as soon as one of your bookmaker’s price up if you need to, but it will also allow you to take advantage of the best odds out there. With so many bookmakers offering odds, they will compete with each other for business, and if you hold multiple accounts, you can go with the bookmaker that is offering the best odds every time.

Some of the best darts betting sites include William Hill, SportNation, Betfred, Ladbrokes, BlackType.

Major Darts Events

The big events in the world of darts bring together the very best players, and they all perform to the best of their ability to try and win the title. The main event each year is the World Darts Championships, which takes place over the Christmas period. This event is looked forward to by fans and players alike, this really is the best two weeks of the year for those people, and something everyone gets excited about. Winning the World Championships means everything to the players, and it is the one event that they all want to win every single year. You can get some huge darts betting odds and bonuses for this event.

Elsewhere, a relatively new event that has been created is the Premier League of Darts. This is an event that takes place towards the beginning of the year and is played every Thursday night across Europe. The top players take part, and those who finish bottom of the league are relegated and replaced by other players each season. The winner is crowned champion of the Premier League, and with so many games taking place this is a real test of endurance and form for the players, it is not a two-week battle, and the Premier League is played over months.

While these two are the main events that take place throughout the season, there are many more events taking place each month. From standard events to bigger televised events, there is always something to look forward to on the darts calendar, and a way to place bets on the players that are becoming your favourites.

Darts Betting Odds & Ways

With more people watching and betting on darts, bookmakers have created more ways for people to get their money down, these are the betting rules. You no longer have to stick to betting on who will win the game, there are now many other ways in which you can place a bet.

Standard win betting

The easiest way to get involved is to bet on who will win the game. There is nothing else to this bet, it is an easy and simple way to start, and with only two or three possible outcomes you have a great chance of winning.

Betting on 180s

As bookmakers find new betting markets they can offer to darts fans, they have decided to focus a lot of their attention on the number of 180s in a game. This is the maximum score a player can hit with three darts, and something that the fans love to see happen so if you want to place a bet but don’t want to choose a player to win, this is a popular way to do that. There are two main ways to bet on 180s, the first is the over/under line that is based on how many 180s you think will be in the game in total. The second is to bet on which player you believe will have the most 180s in the game. Both ways offer you the chance to bet on something that is great and exciting to see, while not actually picking who you think will win the game, something which has made them a very popular way to bet.

In Play

Darts is in fact one of the sports in which you can be live on. You can get a taste for the match and this will allow you to make a better judgement of what the outcome of the match is or what else may unfold during the course of the event. You can get some great in play Darts betting odds at some of the top bookmakers. Take a look at our in-play betting guide for some tips and tricks.

Handicap Betting

Another new darts betting method is handicap betting, something you can use when you believe a big heavy favourite will win a game with ease. To give you a better price on them to win, and make them a betting option they are given a handicap deficit. This means they not only have to win the game, but they also have to win by enough of a margin to cover the handicap. For example, if the handicap line is -2.5 then your player has to win by three sets or more for your bet to win.

Darts Betting Tips

When you are looking for players to back, look out for previous form that can help you out. Darts events are played across a one or two week period with the exception of the Premier League, meaning if a player is in form, they will be playing again soon after and are likely to carry that form with them into that game.

Darts can also be a test of character between two players and it is often worth looking back at the head to head meetings between the two players that are facing each other. If one player has the upper hand and has shown previously they have the beating of the other one, which will give them the advantage in the upcoming game.

If you are going to place bets on the 180s markets that are available it will also pay to study how many 180s the players have been scoring recently. The top players are often much better at scoring these maximums than the lower ranked players, so check out what players have been doing recently and if they are in form. It is possible for players to lose games and score many 180s, and it is these players that often offer value because they are the outsider to lose the game, but could be favourite to have the most 180s.

With many darts events taking place throughout the season, players will drift in and out of form, so try to keep up to speed with the results even if you don’t have a bet, these results will be able to help you. We recommend responsible gambling.

Conclusion

Darts is a hugely popular sport with many events taking place throughout the season. These events have given punters something to bet on regularly, and that has transformed darts betting for the better. On top of this, due to the interest, many bookmakers have added new markets for punters to bet on, giving more choice and freedom to bet how you like.

With so many bookmakers offering odds, and many different ways to bet, the way we bet on darts is very different to how it used to be. There are now many things in the punters’ favour, so when you are placing your darts betting selections make sure to look around and use everything you can find to your advantage. Take a look at our other online sports betting guides, which include the likes of how to bet on the football and how to bet horse racing.

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About Joe Kizlauskas

Joe is a seasoned iGaming copywriter and speaker who has been in the business since 2015. He's written more words on all elements of iGaming than he likes to remember, and he's contributed material to a number of well-known brands. Joe may be seen playing 5 a side, at the gym or playing games on his Playstation when he is not writing.