Hobbies And Interests
Boards and Darts
The American dart board is really a regional one, used almost exclusively in the northeastern part of the United States. In contrast to the English-style bristle board and steel darts that are more popular nationwide, the American board is made of a cross-cut section of wood (as if taken from a tree stump) or tightly twisted paper wound into a spiral. Both boards are divided into scoring wedges that are numbered in the same sequence. The darts used with the American board are also made of a single piece of lightweight wood, with a steel spike as a tip and turkey-feather flights; these darts are sometimes referred to as "widdies," for the company that originally manufactured them and the American dart board.
Board Games
The most popular game in American darts is "Baseball," a game for multiple players in which the spaces numbered from 1 to 9 represent an inning each. Each player throws three darts at that space in each inning. Darts scoring in the larger section earn one "run," those in the smaller section two "runs" and the player with the most "runs" wins. Ties are settled by extra innings.
Another popular game is "War," in which each player shoots at his chosen number to accumulate enough points so that he can then shoot at other players' numbers and "kill" them, putting them out of the game.
More complicated games include "Around the World," "Across the Board" and "Game 45." The closest American darts game to those played in English darts is "Game 201," in which two players shoot to score points and subtract those from 201 until they reach 0. Unlike in English darts, the final shot does not have to be a double, but whoever scores his last throw with the fewest darts is the winner. If played by teams, the starting number is increased to 301.
Variations
These basically simple games can be made more challenging by introducing variations, sometimes by players' consent and sometimes by house rules. For instance, it might be that any dart that lands in the blue outside ring on the board could either nullify any points scored or double them. "X or better to Count" means that any throw of three darts scoring less than X points--which is decided upon before the game--would not count ( this brings to mind poker's "jacks--or-better to open"). Sometimes players are required to throw with their "off" (non-dominant) hand. The object is to test the mettle of more skilled (or less inebriated) players.
Party Games
If artificial complications don't meet the need, you can always resort to props. Stick a dollar bill on the board, centered over the bull's-eye. Everybody puts an agreed amount in the pot--nickel, dime, quarter or whatever. Each player gets three darts and the object is to put all three into the dollar bill to make a hole-- nicking the edge doesn't count. Winner gets the pot. If nobody wins, ante up and play again. To raise the skill level, players throw their first dart at the toeboard or foul line. If they hit the bill, they throw the next dart from one step in front of the line. If they score with that one, they return to the foul line and throw the third dart from one step behind the line (changing the throwing distance can affect your aim).
For a very complicated party game, use both darts and a deck of cards. Deal each player three cards face down. Determine shooting order by shooting for the bull's-eye (nearest goes first and so on) or drawing cards (high card goes first). The shooter chooses a card from his hand, exposes it and shoots that numbered scoring wedge (count jacks as 11, queens as 12 and kings as 13; no jokers). If he hits the triple-score area, that card is dead (retired from play). First shooter to "kill" all three of his cards is the winner. The kicker here is, if another player has your same card in his hand and you "kill" it, his is also "dead."