In recent years, there has been a selection of dominant sports that have edged their way above all of the others out there. Despite it not being one of the most physically enduring sports to watch or even play, darts still manages to be immensely popular. Darts itself sees two players push precision to the limits, aiming to hit the highest scores around the circular board before checking out on a double.
Due to its simplicity, darts has continued to see an incline in popularity, with darts matched betting also abiding by this. In the coming sections, we will break down everything there is to know regarding the sport of darts, the different betting markets available and how exactly you could apply a darts matched betting strategy effectively.
Darts Matched Betting Explained
Before we actually dive into the matched betting side of things though, we must first dissect exactly how a game of darts typically plays out. Dart sees two players facing off against one another aiming to check out either a 301 or 501 score first, the latter being the more predominant target in competitive tournaments and matches. Each player has 3 darts, in which they aim to score the highest score possible to subtract from their initial 501 starting point.
Due to the darts board being divided into various different segments, the players can hit a range of differing scores. There are 20 main segments on the board, ranging from 1-20. However, in the middle of these there is a smaller segment referred to as a ‘triple’, and another at the top of the segment referred to as a ‘double’. Players can land bigger scores by hitting these segments, with players being required to check out their score on a double in order to win the match. For example, if a player wittles their score down to 30, a double 15 is required in order to win the match at hand.
A full match of darts is usually a ‘Best of 5 legs’ or ‘Best of 7 legs’ match. A set requires a player to win at minimum 3 or 5 games depending on the format, with 501 needing to be hit first in order to do so.
This general breakdown is usually how a game of darts will play out, with each game providing unrivalled excitement in terms of impressive precision and ice cold composure. If you are relatively new to sports and sports betting as a whole though, the range of sports betting guides we house at OddsMonkey could help you familiarise yourself with all of the different aspects and the more specific aspects that are involved in each sport.
How Does Darts Matched Betting Work?
Now that we have broken down the sport of darts, we will now be breaking down exactly how darts matched betting works. However, if it is your first time encountering this strategy, you may be wondering ‘what is matched betting’. Essentially, matched betting involves a bettor covering all possible outcomes of an event by using different types of bets. The bets placed are referred to as back and lay bets. The former involves a bettor placing a stake on an outcome to occur and the latter involves a bettor placing a stake on the same outcome not to occur.
If these two bets are placed correctly, this can cover all possible eventualities, removing the reliance on luck and chance in regards to your selections. If this is done correctly, this can potentially lock in margins of profit, but this is more where free bets and bookmaker offers tie into darts matched betting. By using free bets given out by sportsbooks, the back bet can be placed without using any real money, and by identifying odd discrepancies in regards to back and lay selections, this could lock in those margins of profit to make the strategy actually profitable.
As darts matched betting relies on odds predominantly though, it is essential you get favouring ones that do not result in any losses. This is where a matched betting calculator could come into play, with this automatically calculating any theoretical returns that could be generated by specific selections. By simply putting the odds, stake and outcome of your selections, this could help you determine whether or not the odds would be effective for a matched bet.
Darts Matched Betting Markets
Now that we have broken down how darts matched betting works, you may be considering what darts matched betting markets are available to use. One of the most popular darts betting markets is the ‘Match Winner’ bets, with these being self explanatory. As a game of darts cannot end in a draw, players can select which player they think may come out victorious in a match. As these are extremely straight forward, they are heavily utilised in regards to darts matched betting, as backing and laying a player in a match can ensure both outcomes are covered effectively.
Like with football matched betting for example, darts matched betting markets also have a range of under/over options for bettors. These can correlate to various aspects within a match such as the number of 180s. These allow bettors to predict whether there will be over or under a set amount of 180 scores in a match, with these selections being displayed in 0.5 intervals. Once again, only two possible outcomes are possible in relation to this market, and by identifying different odds on different exchanges and bookmakers, they are often a good option in regards to darts matched betting.
In addition to these, highest checkout bets are another popular darts matched betting market. These refer to which player can hit the highest checkout in a match, with each player involved having their own respective odds. The same can be said for the ‘most 180’s’ in a match, with both of these markets being player specific.
Another darts matched betting market heavily reliant on specifics is the ‘Correct Set Score’ bets. Due to these needing to be exact, they often have higher odds than most other darts betting markets, however, due to the difficulty that could be present when trying to lay these options, they are often a lesser used darts matched betting market.
Things To Consider With Darts Matched Betting
Even though darts matched betting seems quite simplistic holistically, there are still a whole plethora of different factors that could potentially impact the outcome of specific darts games and grander tournaments. Due to darts only involving two competitors, the players at hand are one of the more influential factors. There are a number of things that could be taken into consideration by doing thorough research before making some selections.
One of the main factors is player form. Taking a look at previous matches players have participated in could indicate whether or not they are on a hot streak going into a game or leading up to a tournament. By noting a player’s form, this could help you make more informed decisions. However, when comparing this with the opponents form, this research could help affirm any potential decisions.
Delving more into the analytical side of things, you could potentially consider the average scores a player is hitting going into a match. Although results may not be favouring them, average score paints a larger picture, indicating how well a player is performing.
As well as this, researching any previous matchups between two players could also be an element to bear in mind. If players have a history of tense matchups or complete domination, these aspects could also tie into the decision making.
How To Start Darts Matched Betting
There are a handful of steps we recommend taking before starting darts matched betting. One of the main things is actually signing up to all of the different bookmakers and exchanges, claiming all of the welcome bonuses and sign up offers. This can get you ready for actually backing and laying bets, however, you should always keep track of the funds and offers each bookmaker has.
This is why you should learn how to manage your bankroll, with this being essential to ensure your darts matched betting experience remains effective. As darts matched betting involves stakes being placed across multiple different sites, it could become difficult to track where your funds are actually at, as well as any profits that may have been secured. However, by making sure all of this is accounted for, it means that your matched betting doesn’t become cluttered. Although this may initially seem tedious, it is an essential first step when starting darts matched betting.
Although we have already briefly touched upon the matched betting calculator, there are a whole host of other betting calculators that could be utilised when darts matched betting. By simply giving these vital pieces of information, these can automatically and accurately calculate any potential returns, negating the whole manual calculation process. In turn, this reduces the chances of human error, increasing the overall efficiency of your matched betting experience and streamlining the whole process.
These calculators usually only require the odds of each selection, the result of each one involved and the stake which you wish to place on these selections. By doing so, the potential returns could be accurately displayed, highlighting any matched betting opportunities or good value bets in general. Each of these betting calculators corresponds to a different type of bet, however, two of the most popular ones you should familiarise yourself with before starting darts matched betting are the accumulator betting calculator and the each way bet calculator!
Best Darts Matched Betting Offers
As we have already mentioned, darts matched betting heavily revolves around the use of free bets and bookmaker offers in order to secure profits. Free bets themselves are extremely useful to the whole strategy as it allows bettors to cover on half of the matched bet without having to use their actual funds. By doing this, these free bets could be converted into real cash or help the actual funds generate a return.
When signing up to bookmakers for the first time, it is vital to turn on marketing communications. Although it may seem like an unnecessary step, sportsbooks often send out exclusive offers and notify users of any ongoing promotions or free bets. If you chose not to opt into these communications, some matched betting opportunities could be missed out on.
Darts Matched Betting At OddsMonkey
Now that we have fully broken down everything that encompasses the world of darts matched betting, you may wish to start applying this strategy. If this is the aim, we here at OddsMonkey have everything there is regarding matched betting, being specialists in this strategy.
From the aforementioned betting calculators and sports betting guides, all the way to the dedicated matched betting blog which breaks down strategies in more detail, all of this could be extremely helpful when starting darts matched betting or any other form of matched betting.
