What's the Little Game???
It's time for something a little lighter than some of my previous blogs, but yet again, this has been prompted by a barrage of questions over the
last few weeks. I say "barrage", but it's actually just the one question, simply asked by dozens of people!
There is an old video of me on Youtube, engaged in battle with Bob Anderson at the 1993 Lada UK Masters in Norwich. Nothing unusual in that, except that Americans keep coming up to me and asking, "What on earth were you guys playing?" The answer is simple : EQUAL DARTS.
Not a common format, but it has been used on occasion, and one that was used particularly by the WDC (predecessors of the PDC) in the early 90's. With very few televised events, the WDC wanted to add a little variety, and did so by using different formats for the different tournaments. As today, the World Championship was played over sets, and the World Matchplay was played over legs. In addition, we had the Samson Classic in Newcastle (double start) and the aforementioned UK Masters (equal darts), which I will come to in a minute. Finally, there was the Sheffield-based UK Matchplay.
The UK Matchplay was played on a dartboard that is rarely seen today; the Harrows 'Quadro' board. Identical to the standard clock board in dimensions, the Quadro board had an additional quad (4 x the score) ring halfway between the triple ring and the bull. This means that the new maximum score was 240 (I believe Dennis Priestley hit the first one), and the highest out was raised from 170 to 210. It also means that shots like 159, and 166 were now finishable!
Obviously much smaller than the triple, the quad ring received relatively little use, and only the late Tom Kirby hammered away at it with any consistency. The basic rule of thumb was : if you throw first, you throw triples, and if you throw second, you may want to think about throwing the quads.
Back to the Lada UK Masters, which in 1994, was to become the Greene King UK Masters, and bade us farewell in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
We all know that there is an advantage to throwing first in 501, knowing that we will get three more darts than our opponent. I'm not sure if that is unique to darts, but it is certainly not common practice in sport. Thinking of things like golf, archery, bowling, curling, shooting etc, both combatants receive equal opportunity. 'Equal darts' supposedly affords the same opportunity. However, having been weaned on regular 501, I can also say that it affects - detrimentally - the spontaneous emotion of the game.
Simply put, I throw first, and finish the leg in 18 darts. You are sitting on 60 after 15 darts. You have the chance to win the leg (by finishing in two darts), or to tie the leg (by finishing in three). The problem with the emotion is that normally, we get pretty excited if we hit a big out, especially when our opponent is sitting on a double. It doesn't always work like that here. If you throw first, and check out from 170, it doesn't give you any great feeling knowing that your opponent has a clean shot at 32, and two darts to win the leg (and one to tie).
What I will say is that it does change the outshot strategies and setups. Let's say your opponent is throwing first, and has left 60. You have thrown two darts, and are sitting on 70. If you are thinking about winning the leg, it is probably wise to throw the T20, knowing that a S20 will also give you a one-dart out (50). That is fine, because your opponent needs at least two darts for the 60. Makes you think!
Originally, a tied leg was a dead leg, but naturally, that means that a game could go on indefinitely. Then, it was decided that, in the case of a tie, each player would be awarded ½ point. That way, whatever happens, we are constantly moving nearer to a conclusion. If the first two legs are tied, it's still 1-1, just as it would be if both legs were won with the throw. I'll admit that it is fun to play occasionally, but I really wouldn't fancy it on a regular basis.
MY KIND OF TOWN.
Now, I'll move on to a particular format that is generally well known to Americans - even though most really don't know how to play it. I'm talking about Chicago - TRUE Chicago!I can't say that I know the actual origins of the game, but suffice to say, it is a common feature of the darts scene in the city of the same name. It is also a common format in other areas, including St. Louis, although virtually no-one outside of Chicago plays it correctly. There are a number of variations, so it is always best to check with the locals first.
For those unfamiliar with the format, it is basically 501, cricket, and 301 (double start). However, many seem to feel that the exact specifications are open to interpretation. Some play the games in that order. Some play cork every leg, with the winner choosing and starting the game. In St. Louis, it is cork every leg, but the loser of the first leg must call the game for the second leg - BEFORE corking. I have also seen it where the winner of the cork has the choice of starting the leg OR calling the game.
True Chicago is this :
Winner of the cork starts the first leg, AND calls the game.
Loser of the first leg starts the second leg (known as 'mugs away', or 'mugs') AND calls the game.
Cork for the third leg (playing the game that has yet to be played), with the winner starting the leg.
One of the first things I learned was the strategy; it is a good move to choose 301 for the first leg. This is really the game where the start is advantageous, and it can be very depressing to get to a third leg, know that you're playing 301, and then you lose the cork!
That's about it for now, and next time, I'll be discussing more formats in use in league and tournament play.