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A new pub opened last winter in my hometown, and I heard it would feature a couple of steel
tipped dartboards. I was happy to have a new place to play so close to home, until my first visit.
Sure enough the boards were up. It was after 9 o’clock in the evening, and there was a
flock of children throwing overhand darts on both boards. There was no hockey, or line, the boards were the wrong height, the light was bad, and there
was nothing to keep score with. When I came back a few weeks later, the boards were gone, replaced by soft tip games, which were in turn soon replaced by
a pool table.
With a little effort, however, the relatively inexpensive dartboards could have paid for themselves many times over. This was supposed to be an Irish Pub, after all, and the dart game should have been part of the atmosphere. But there is obviously more to making a profit with darts than hanging a couple of boards.
![Doing it right: Fox & Hounds Irish Pub in Brandon, FL - A first rate dart pub. [photo]](./images/feature2306-03_p01pubplay.jpg "Doing it right: Fox & Hounds Irish Pub in Brandon, FL - A first rate dart pub. [photo]") If I were advising a pub owner on how to set up a successful dart game, I
would suggest he or she start with best quality boards. High quality bristle boards are relatively inexpensive, they last a long time,
and they play better than cheap boards. Then hang the boards with meticulous attention to the
dimensions of play, which means the center of the board is 5 feet 8 inches off the floor, and the hockey is 7 feet, 9 and 1/4 inches from a plumb line
dropped to the floor from the face of the board (not the wall it hangs on). If
the floor is concrete or tile, a protective matt should be employed to protect the floor, and the dart points when bounce outs occur. A high dollar set of
darts can cost upwards of $150 and players will not be inclined to see them strike a concrete slab too often.
One of the great things about a dartboard is that it doesn’t require much
space. All you need is enough ceiling height to be able to loft a dart at double 20 without hitting the rafters. Because of that, sometimes the board
will be crammed into a cubbyhole where it’s too damn close and cluttered to play comfortably.
The dartboard should be located where other people can watch play. Darts is
a good spectator sport, and the way to attract new players to the game is to let people see how much fun the games are. Also, players need enough
room to throw comfortably. Elbow height shelving or tables are needed as a place to set dart cases, beer glasses, and ashtrays.
The hockey needs to be well defined, and for this nothing beats one of those
rubber mats with the lines laid out on it. It’s one of those details that let’s the public know that serious darts are played here.
One of the problems I see in a few pubs is lighting. The targets on a bristle
board are small, and the player ought to be able to see where his darts lay
without have to walk up to the board. Overhead track lighting works well if the
ceiling height will allow it. There are also custom cabinets that come with their own fluorescent lights and built in scoreboards.
Scoreboards are perhaps the most neglected part of the dart game set up I
see in most pubs. If you can’t write a score on a board that can be seen and
erased easily, it’s annoying enough to discourage play. Personally, I prefer
chalkboards to dry erase or electronic scoring. But I am a traditionalist, and for me it adds something to the game.
Dry erase markers always seem to run dry when you need them most, and
the scoreboards become hard to erase as they become worn.
If a couple of well lit boards can be set up in a comfortable corner of a pub,
the next step is to generate interest. Here, the best dart players can be a detriment if they have to flaunt their egos by constantly thrashing the
beginning players. One way to placate them is to invite the veteran darters to
give seminars that cover the basics of darts. Once people know some of the
different games, and the basics of play, interest is bound to increase. The variety of games that can be played on an English bristle board, and the
strategies involved for each, make it a natural pub game.
The real catch for pub owners is that darts is a very sociable game that
encourages the sort of camaraderie that makes the beer flow. A successful dart room in any pub is apt to be more profitable than live entertainment.
Another way to enhance profitability is to carry some accessories. Shafts, flights, and an assortment of darts requires a small outlay of cash, requires
little space and the markups are good.
A house ladder is also a good way to generate interest. It’s basically a
leader board with moveable rungs. Players vie for the top spot on the ladder through challenge matches. Blind draw tournaments are also a good format
where beginning players can be paired with veterans. And if there are other dart pubs in the area, becoming a part of a league will guarantee a crowd on
the boards at least one night a week.
So there is more to making darts pay than hanging a board, but not that
much. There are a number of books out there about darts that will help. I will immodestly recommend A Bar Player’s Guide to Winning Darts because it
gives a detailed description of how to run a darts ladder. I would also recommend All About Darts which gives more of the history and traditions of
the game and other useful information.
A Bar Player’s Guide to Winning Darts is available from Bull’s-Eye News, PO
Box 321, Pickerington, OH 43147 or can be ordered here online in our books area  for just $13.95 plus $5.95 for shipping and handling. You can also
call us toll-free at 1.800.688.3278 and use your Mastercard or Visa to order your copy.
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