Hello there.

I love watching darts and all that has anything to do with darts.

However, when I first picked up darts (little more than a year now) I thought there was loads of different game types.

I remember googling "dart games" etc to find some interesting games.

So. When I realised that all darts you was going to see on telly was 501 kinda hit me. I actually thought there was loads of different combination of games being played.

The japanese seems to think the same. They have some variation on their softtip game.

What do you English fellas think? Is darts enough with 501 for you?

And could it be that it's only 501 that's being played just because it has always been so? Or why is it?

Interesting question that one Donkey. The Americans and Japanese play a lot of cricket.

Most other dart games are played with multiple players usually at home or as training drills, so those games aren't likely to make it to the tv.

I think 01 and cricket games are more a test of the players skill and strategy than most other games as well.

I've often wondered that myself Donkey. Good question! Seems the BDO and PDC play strictly 501 for televised matches.

I do like a mixture like the Japanese and Americans do it with some type of 01 and Cricket blend.

Interested to see what our UK brethren who watch a lot of darts on TV and traveling to matches have to say.

Id like to see more cricket played due to the stratagy and skill combined

I used to play a game we call Mickey Mouse. Its like cricket anly we use 20 - 12 in numbers, with triples, doubles, bulls and beds.

Same principle as cricket, get 3 to open the scoring on them and 3 to kill them. Its a fun way to practice doubles, triples and your grouping for the beds.

From memory I'm sure we used to play 1001 in the old London Super League. I'm going back around 35 years now so the memory may be playing tricks on me, but if it wasn't that league then it was one of the others I played in lol.

i have watch a little soft tip darts and realy enjoyed the format they play thought thay may have had a comp simalar in steal tip by now i think they play 3 lots of 501 and cricket and last game is on choice not real sure how all goes but it was diffrent and enjoyed it anyway

In the UK darts was different from region to region and often played on a variety of boards and the Oche was different lengths from 6ft up to 9ft. I think when it got more standardised 501 became the preferred format but it was usually double to start and double to finish. I think they dropped the double to start mainly to make it more exciting for fans to watch.

So I think the 501 was more to appease fans than anything else. They still played a lot of 1001 matches and double in double out 301 and 501 but for comps were there was spectators 501 straight in seemed the best option and its stuck.

In the Leagues I play in I've played:-

501
601
701
801
1001

That's on different nights in different Leagues. I'm pretty sure that at one point there was a different 01 version for a Tournament on TV back in the 80's I think. I'll have a nosy round and see if I can find it.

You make a great point Donkey, The Grand Prix is my favourite event of the year because it's a little bit different. I think it would be great to add two or three different events throughout the year. I like the mugs away format too, shakes things up abit.

I think they should do a 701 event and see who can be the first to record an 11 dart leg!!

how many times have you played various games and won most O them but someone says "I won the game that counts" refering to an 01 game?

501 is easy to schedule for television. Legs don't last long unless Pipe is throwing.

I'd love to see more strategy games played. And more team games as well. Seeing how guys play alongside each other rather than against one another would be great.

And while I'm thinking about it, maybe more tourneys that aren't single elimination, or at least not such short formats?

1 game, best of 6 legs looks pretty common from what I can tell and that's just mentally brutal. I suspect that pressure keeps players who just take a bit to settle in from playing to their potential.

I'd be curious if they went to a double elimination as standard, or maybe best of 3 sets, if the order of merit wouldn't get shaken up a bit near the #10-20 range.

/tinfoil hat