Cheating At Darts

Bending The Rules Of Another Pub Game

by Tony Blews (hat@mono.org)
written 18 Sep 1997

This article is classified "Real"


Darts, the great British pub game traditionally played by people who are
wider than they are tall.  The sort of game where body weight counts towards
victory, or so it seems.  In such a simple game of skill which basically
involves throwing little arrows at a stationary target, one would think
there were few opportunities to cheat.  Not so.  Here are some practical and
theoretical methods of bending the rules.


Causing A Distraction
---------------------
This can be as simple as sneezing as they throw their dart, through to
spiking their beer with vodka and getting them drunk.  In extreme cases,
hitting your opponent in the ear lobe is acceptable.


Manipulating The Scores
-----------------------
If you are naturally bad at maths, then fixing the scores is the best option
for you.  Always make sure that your score is lower than theirs.


Abusing Technology
------------------
A dart is essentially a pointy bit of metal with plastic wings, therefore a
collection of powerful electromagnets behind the board could be used to pull
the dart into the desired score area.  As yet, laser-targeted dart launchers
are not available, neither are fly-by-wire dart missiles, so those options
are out.


The Ways Of The Force
---------------------
Black magic, if you can get it to work, is your friend.  Cajoling spirits to
guide the darts to their destination may give you an advantage, and if
you're really good at it you might get away with trick shots.

So there you go.  You might as well just chuck the darts and hope for the
best.

See also:
  • Cheating At Pool

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