How to Bet on Darts in Ireland – Darts Betting Guide

How to bet on darts

Darts has some unique features. Therefore, you will need to learn about the dynamics of the events before placing a wager on a match winner or outright tournament winner. Typically, two players take turns throwing three darts at a dartboard to score points. 

The dartboard sections represent points ranging from one to 20. There are also two rings around the dartboard. The rings can double or triple the points depending on where the dart lands. The bullseye is in the middle. It has two parts, the inner and outer bullseye. Hit the inner bullseye and it scores 50 points. The outer bullseye is worth 25 points. 

Professional tournaments will use an intricate scoring system. Players play head-to-head, with both starting the game on 501 points. Every time a player scores a point, it is deducted from 501. The first player to reach zero wins. 

Tournament matches will follow one of two possible formats. A tournament can either be sets based or legs based. A legs-based tournament means a player must win a certain number of legs to win the fixture. A match may be best-of-seven legs. Therefore, the first player to win four legs is victorious.

A sets-based tournament requires players to win a certain number of legs to win the match. For example, a match may be a best-of-seven-legs series. The first player to win four legs would win the match. 

Some tournaments will set stipulations for winning matches. For example, a player may need to hit a double to win or they may need to win by two legs to be victorious. Knowing the stipulations, rules, and format of a tournament is vital for darts betting. 

Darts betting markets

If you want to bet on darts, then you will need to also understand the different markets. Betting websites will offer a variety of markets for tournaments and head-to-head matches. The odds of a tournament or match will reflect the strengths of the players. 

Here are the typical betting markets offered by leading sports betting websites:

Moneyline/Match winner	The moneyline bet is a wager on the person you predict will win a head-to-head match. A moneyline bet is the simplest darts bet you can make. Select the player that wins the match, and your bet wins.
Outright tournament winner	Before each darts tournament, sportsbooks will offer odds on the players competing in the event. You can predict the winner of the tournament before it begins. Your odds will be locked in, which makes an outright tournament winner bet a great choice. If your selection wins the final, your bet wins.
Leg/Set handicap	A handicap is a way to make a match more even. If a strong player plays a weaker player, the handicap gives the weaker player an advantage. In a leg/set handicap, the weaker player will be given a slight advantage and the stronger player will need to overcome it to win.
Leg/Set over/under	The over/under bet is a popular darts bet. The bookmaker will provide bettors with a specific number of sets or legs. Bettors must decide if the match will finish with over or under the specified number. For example, a match between Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith could be set at 4.5 sets. Bettors will either bet on the match finishing with over or under 4.5 sets.
In-play betting	Bookmakers allow in-play betting on darts events. You can place a bet on a darts match while the action unfolds. This allows you to see how the players are performing before placing a bet.
180s markets	Bookmakers provide odds on which player will score the most 180s during a head-to-head match.
Correct score	You can also wager on the correct score of a leg during a head-to-head match.

Tips for betting on darts

Darts is an easy game to learn, but it is difficult to master. The same goes for betting on the sport. There are some ways you can improve your chances of winning a darts bet. Below are some tips to help you pick a winner.

• Understand the darts events

First and foremost, it is important to understand the darts events. There are different tournaments held throughout the year. Some are more prestigious than others. 

The top players will often play the more lucrative events. Therefore, those tournaments will be more competitive. The leading competitions’ odds will reflect the amount of betting action on them. 

The biggest darts events of the year will be broadcast on television. You can watch the events and place in-play bets. Smaller darts tournaments won’t be broadcast, but you may be able to stream them online. Understanding the tournaments’ importance on the darts calendar provides context for betting.

• Study the markets

Darts betting markets are unique. You should spend some time studying the markets. Once you understand the markets, you can incorporate them into your overall betting strategy. 

The match-winner and outright tournament-winner bets are the simplest to make. Scoring markets become more complex, as do the handicap markets. 

The markets will be dictated by the number of legs and sets per match. Research is key to making winning selections. 

• Long and short format

Long-format tournament matches often see the favourite winning. For example, over the course of a best-of-seven series match, the favourite tends to defeat the underdog. A favourite can overcome a poor start in a long-format head-to-head match. 

In short format head-to-head matches, the underdog has a better chance of winning. Short-format matches provide the underdog with the opportunity to shock their stronger opponent. For example, a best-of-three series could see the underdog start out strongly and outplay their opponent. 

• Consider in-play betting

In-play betting is used by millions of online sports bettors. It gives you the chance to see the players perform before placing a wager. Perhaps one player overperforms in the opening legs, giving you the chance to place a well-timed wager. 

Good bettors will find openings in matches. These openings could lead to strong wins. For example, the favourite could lose opening two legs. The odds will then be in favour of the underdog. This gives you an opening to wager on the favourite to come from behind to win. The price on the favourite to come back to win would be well worth a punt. 

In-place betting also provides a glimpse into the scoring of the match. You may select an over/under bet or a correct score bet. In-play betting is a window into the match, providing you with the opportunity to make a well-timed wager. 

• Homework, study, and learn

If you want to be a good darts bettor, then doing your homework, studying, and learning is vital to winning. It doesn’t matter which sport you wager on, studying the tournaments and players will help you pick more winners than randomly selecting players to win matches. 

There is no substitute for studying and doing research. The more you know, the more likely you are to select a winner. You need to analyse the markets as well, not just the players and tournaments. You want to find the right bet to place. Moreover, you will want to locate the best price possible. You should have multiple betting accounts with different betting sites. Having multiple accounts gives you the chance to place a bet with the bookmaker providing the best price possible. 

Leading Darts Tournaments

There are major and minor darts tournaments held throughout the year. Some are larger and more prestigious than others. The biggest events will be broadcast on television, while the smaller ones may be shown on streaming platforms. 

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is the leading governing body in the sport. It was formed in 1992 following a split with the British Darts Organisation. The PDC holds events year-round and has a world ranking system. Bookmakers post odds on the latest PDC events. Outright tournament winner odds and head-to-head match odds are available. The largest PDC tournaments will have outright winner odds posted weeks in advance.

The PDC’s events often have the highest prize purses available. The 2023 PDC World Darts Championship featured a prize purse worth £2.5 million. The winner of the tournament received £500,000. The first-round losers received £7,500 each. The PDC World Darts Championship is the most lucrative of the tournaments and lures the best players in the world to London’s Alexandra Palace. 

PDC Darts Tournaments

Tournament	Month
PDC World Darts Championship	December to January
The Masters	January
International Darts Open	February
Premier League Darts	February to March
UK Open	March
US Darts Masters	June
World Matchplay	July
World Cup of Darts	September
World Series of Darts Finals	October
World Grand Prix	October
European Championship	October
Grand Slam of Darts	November

The tournaments above are just the major PDC events. There are smaller tournaments held throughout the year. The PDC isn’t the only darts league. There are other competitions run by different governing bodies. Bookmakers will provide odds on these competitions as well. 

FAQ on tips for darts betting