Mistakes Made Shooting Darts

XXX This thing needs to be re-written as a "Things to do do play better" section instead of "things to not do"

I find myself doing these things, but I also see other players doing them too. Stop doing them and you'll do better in a match!

At first this started out as a Things Not To Do On The Dartboard, then I found a few items to expand upon to particular things Not To Do In Games.

You can also checkout my page on Wasted Darts to look at things in a different but similar vein ... from a more abstract level.

• Why Does This Happen?
• Things To Not Do
• Why Newer Boards Make This Worse
• Things Not To Do In General
• Things Not To Do In Cricket
• Things Not To Do In '01 Games
• On ScumBags and Politeness In The Bar

Why Does This Happen?

Most of these problems occur on electronic dartboards instead of traditional. They occur because players are disconnected from the updating of the darts status and aren't aware of a change .. or a change that didn't happen.

It also occurs because we are so used to things working normally. The problem when something goes wrong is that we are creatures of habit, and we do what we always do, or what we planned to do... and it's the wrong thing to do this time!

It also happens because we stride up to the board ready to release darts to what is in our mind instead of walking up to the dartboard, thinking, and then shooting.

These things can also happen because you are formulating your strategy before you see what your opponent throws. Wait to see what they do, then plan out your own actions! Otherwise you walk up to the board to shoot at what was, not at what is. Ooops.

Things To Not Do

• Not realizing the board hasn't sequenced to you and throwing a dart on another player's round.
  Take the time to make sure your name is highlighted BEFORE shooting!
• Not noting what the last opponent did before shooting. This can really kill you -- shooting at marks that are closed that you can't point up on, not unfreezing your partner, etc.
  Always check what the board says and make your strategy, then shoot!
• Not noticing the board hasn't sequenced when you are done shooting and pulling your darts from a live board.
  Always look for Round Over before pulling your darts -- hit player change first if needed before pulling darts!
• Picking up your darts on the floor first instead of pulling darts from the board first. I do this because I'm afraid of my darts getting stepped on. Let your team-mates handle your wayward darts while you stand at the line.
  Pull your darts from the dartboard first!
• Pulling darts from useless areas first. You don't want to accidentally give your opponents scores from removing darts if the board sequences too fast!
  Pull darts from cricket numbers first, other numbers, and lastly from the surround.
• Screwing up everyone's stats or the game by running the dartboard wrong.
  Live with your screw up -- or Figure out what to do by checking with everyone. Otherwise you can destroy everyone's PPD or MPR by adding an extra round to the game. That may not hurt the current game, but it can destroy standings!
• Listening to advice of more experienced players ... when they are wrong. If you don't believe in what you are shooting, their "right" strategy won't help you shoot all. You know something -- more experienced players aren't always right -- they do wrong things too and people think they are right because they are better players.
  Shoot at what you believe will work for you.

Why Newer Boards Make This Worse

The crazy thing about it is that many of these problems happen even more on newer more modern dartboards. Dartboards that should be easier to shoot on!

Why? It's a combination of factors:

• A cluttered display that makes it difficult to quickly read the information presented. Older dartboards have simpler, less cluttered displays that are easier to read, and easier to find out what happened. If you don't know what happened you don't know what to do! Smaller displays, your getting older .... aieee!
• Miss detectors that use cameras instead of motion detectors. If a dart missed between frames (due to a slow frame rate) it will not be detected.
• Acting like an older board when things go wrong. Some newer boards dim lights when a round is over. The problem is that older boards don't dim the lights, and we are so used to that. We don't pickup on the fact that something is wrong, because the board is acting like all the old ones did.
• Noisy dartboards. Great, the new dartboards have a lot of extra noises that help you pick up on things. So do all the dartboards around them, bar noises, music, TV etc. Picking up the audio clues can be a big hassle, and the clues off of other dartboards at the wrong time (for us) make it worse!

Things Not To Do In General

Switching back and forth between a couple of different game formats it can be really easy to make a horrible mistake.

You aren't thinking about what game you are throwing, you are just ready to throw. You walk pu to the board, aim by habit, and ... throws for the wrong game.

I used to be horrible about this -- I used to play so much cricket that I'd always walk up and go for T20 when starting an '01 game!

You got to switch gears starting a new game. After a few too many times doing this, I force myself to choose which game I'm shooting before I shoot. It may not sound like a big deal but it is -- the bulls don't hurt all that bad in cricket, but a 20 +5 +1 == 26 point '01 round is a crappy way to start the game!

Even if you catch it after the first dart -- you still have a wasted dart in the game, which might make all the difference between getting out or not.

Things Not To Do In Cricket

The biggest mistake you can make playing cricket is to chase.

Don't chase.

• Don't chase.
• Don't get upset about point whores. When an opponent is going out of their way to point up on you it is really easy to get upset and try to close down the marks they are pointing up on instead of following good strategy. It can really put a bee in your bonnet to see this happen. Don't let it bother you, and just keep on doing the right thing. Go for closes and points of your own. Here's the deal:
  1. They are asses and just going for incredible marks per round to drive up their stats, and they are just going to win anyway. They are way better and there is nothing you can do about it. Don't let it get to you and just keep plugging away doing the right thing. Play your game and be good at it in a tight situation, don't let them bother you. If it's a handicapped league this will come back to bite them in the ass, so just be happy.
  2. It's the only thing they can hit. Get ahead in points and shut them down. Once you get close in points, you want to divide your effort (2 for points, 1 for closing them down) so they can't point -- but you are still behind.
  3. They can't hit bulls and need the points for the end of the game, so they have breathing room. Don't give them that breathing room -- get bulls now -- so that every bull you throw later will hurt them badly. They'll be foced to switch to bulls now, and you have made them react to your play, instead of reacting to them.
  4. If they throw a Wasted Round don't fall for the temptation of trying to shut them down now. If you are close in points, go for the shutdown first (2 darts), and then your points last. If they are still far in the lead, you need points, so keep on plugging away (maybe throw 2 and try to get one in their mark).
  5. If you divide efforts you are better off going for points, and for 1 mark in their segment. Don't go for their triple. A fat single misses to either a double or a trip, and has a way better chance of being hit! By dividing your efforts in a smart way, you might get lucky... and you are also hammering on them all the time ... they might get spooked!
• If your opponents close out bulls quickly ... you need to start getting points now. You need points because they just got rid of the bull race at the end. The points give you breathing room to make them chase so you have a chance to get more points and close the bull yourself. By the way, you aren't an ass in this case to point up -- they've just eliminated part of the game and you need to compensate.
• Don't let your opponents get points by accident (by miss) in the end. It's close to endgame (the bull race), points are close, and you don't have all your marks closed. You need to both close your marks and go for bulls. If you don't close your marks, your opponent has a chance on every bull miss to point up on you. Don't give them the chance. Esepcially if they don't have bulls yet -- shut those marks down on them to keep the race in your favor. If they have bulls you need them too, so you may need to divide your efforts. This is a tough call ... but if they get too ahead in points they will win the bull race and you'll lose.
• If you are having problems hitting targets on the board don't go for the targets you are having trouble hitting. Instead ...
  • Go for another number and come back to this one later. Especially go for another number that you can hit all night long -- and hit it hard!
  • let your partner know about it and have them go for the stuff you can't hit ... and you'll go for the stuff you can. Work as a team like this to get through the slump you are having.
  Either has the affect of making your opponents divide their effort too -- if they don't they can find themself behind one or two shooters who can shoot well on the numbers they are hitting now.
• Say you're shooting with a great '01 bull shooter.
  Have them close the bull and start going for outs that they are good on to get points on the board. Take advantage of their skills, and make the other team chase!

Things Not To Do In '01 Games

Sometimes there are things that seem a good idea to do. I find time and time again that they are overall strategic failures. Yes, in certain circumstances you may have to go for it .... but one thing to remember -- make the opponent win -- don't give the game to them by being stupid!

Others are failures that will stop people from playing with an opponent because they are a bad sport.

One thing to remember, that is easy to forget, is that '01 is a points game -- the lowest points wins. If you keep on driving points down, and never bust, it always favors you. Sure, if you shoot great you'll always hit at what you aiming for and it's great; some of this won't matter. I'm not that good -- I need to do things that will help an imperfect shooter get out in the long run.

The thing is --- if you are shooting team that stuff matters just as much -- get the low points to stay alive. If you have a 1 and your partner a 2, and opponents have 1 and 3 -- they are frozen and you can get out!

I make a lot of redundant statements about getting points in '01 in the following items. Why? It's because I see people lose all the time by not following my strategy. People (even great players) go for the bull, and miss, peppering around it with random values. The other team's trailer then also goes for bulls and does the same. Instead of just shooting safe and making sure their team is ahead. It works for singles too.

• You just shot a great round in x01, giving you a giant lead above your opponent. You have one dart left with an easy out. Don't throw it. You just handed yourself a decisive lead or a big catch-up from being behind. You are now in bust territory, a throw could undo all the work you just did. You could lose that entire round -- which will put you hugely behind your opponent; and they have yet to shoot.
  Keep that lead, don't squander it to a bust on a high-pressure shot, or give the game away.
  Walk to the board, hit Player Change, and make your opponent sweat bricks trying to get out with you putting the pressure on him or her!
  This is especially important when playing partners. Get low, and give your partner a chance to get low so that either of you can get out. If you have a big lead, keep it by staying low in points. It puts the pressure on the other team, and takes if off of yours. It isn't a matter of skill -- it's a matter of numbers.
• You are shooting '01 and are behind in points. You just aren't connecting with the Bullseye that will move you up. Don't shoot at the bullseye -- take some of the pressure off and put in on your opponent. Shoot at the left half of the dartboard! Ignoring the 5 next to the twenty, three darts on the left side of the board will average 12 points per dart. The lowest PPD you will get is a 7. That's if you just hit singles. If you go for the trips row, your average goes up; assuming you hit one of the mid 3 trips (11, 14, 9) 1/3rd of the time, the average PPD increase to 18 PPD or 54 PPR. Whoa -- that's a bull right there, when you aren't hitting any.
  Why not go for the Bull? It's because, ignoring the bull, the avg PPD for a miss around the bullseye is 10 points, with a lowest of 1 point. It's worse, because you have 6/20 (3/10, about 1/3) of the hits are less than the lowest point on the left half of the board. Don't shoot at the bull (unless you hit it), don't shoot at the right half of the board (that's where a lot of lower points are); shoot at the left half of the board to keep pressure on your opponent when you can't bull!
  Again, this is critical when playing partners. You might not get out, but you got to keep your points coming down so that your partner can get out. If you get a couple of ones in a round (versus a couple of sevens) you aren't going anywhere!
• You are closing in '01 and have a tight out you could take with either a single or a double.
  Go with the double. Why? You are increasing the area of the board you can hit that will win the game and not bust you. The miss on the single hit has a triple fail on the inside and a double fail on the outside. The double out goes like: You double out and win. You single and get to throw again .. or not (see the next item). You miss outside and get to throw again, no penalty.
  One of the coolest outs on the board is 16! Shoot high and outside -- you'll hit either 16, 8, or double 8. Take the win, the points, or try it again.
• You are shooting '01 and have a horrible out surrounded by busts. Or have an odd out that isn't working. You manage to get one dart in that lowers your points. Don't throw the second -- you are likely to bust. Walk up and hit player change, and throw another round.
  It's a points game -- get lower points, don't bust, and keep on trying hard.
  This is also a math thing -- if you have a low percentage shot the chance of making two low percentage shots back to back is way lower. Say you have a 1/3 chance of hitting your target. Hitting that twice in a row in the same round it's a 1/9 chance. If you throw in two seperate rounds you have a 1/3 chance, and then another 1/3 chance.
  I'm not trying to tell you to not go for it; if you are shooting well you'll get out. If you aren't -- this can help!
• You're playing '01 with a partner, and they are shooting way better than you, getting close to an out. You're not shooting so well, going for bulls and missing.
  STOP going for bulls You need to support your partner. Start going for the left side trips. You need to keep your points coming down so your partner isn't frozen and can get out.
  1 point can make a huge difference! If both you and oppositions trailer are throwing for bulls and missing, it's pot luck who is frozen. If you are throwing left, you are guaranteeing points.
  If you are the trailer and know you need to freeze the opposition... Make sure you count the points to freeze them and plan on throwing to get those points. If you don't have those points, your team stands a big chance of losing in the next 3 darts thrown by your opponent. If you get them ... your team still has a chance.
  Shoot left so your points keep on coming down and your partner has a chance to get out. THis also puts pressure on the opponent's trailer, which makes them more likely to miss. It also takes the pressure off of you so you can shoot better. This can be critical if you are going back and forth between being frozen and freezing out the other team.
• You're throwing '01 with a partner and teams are going back with being frozen. You think you are frozen and so you don't go out. The problem was... you weren't frozen!
  Take the time to do the arithmetic so you know what is up. Remember -- if you are tied, you can get out. But ... you need to add the numbers together to find that out.
  The flip side of this is also true. Make sure you aren't frozen -- otherwise you'll bust and give the game ... just due to arithmetic!