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dont_worry_im_here t1_j2unkdy wrote

Reply to comment by aflickering in The man who was born to be World Champion fulfils his destiny, as Michael Smith defeats Michael van Gerwen 7-4 to claim the biggest prize in darts and become world number one! by carnifex2005

Can you ELI5 to all of us what a "9-darter" is?

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DDougie t1_j2uo110 wrote

It's the minimum amount of darts you need to win a game of 501. Basically a "perfect game".

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dont_worry_im_here t1_j2uo8gd wrote

So is 501 the points needed and he had 9 dart throws to get there or something?

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DDougie t1_j2uq3sx wrote

Yes they start at 501 and go down from there, needing to hit a double to win (so if you have 40 points left you need to hit a double 20). He can throw as many as he needs to win, but the minimum possible is 9 darts.

Traditionally its 3 Triple 20s (180 points) on turn 1, 3 Triple 20s (180 points) on turn 2, then Triple 20 Triple 19 Double 12 (141 points). There are other combinations that work, but that's the standard.

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C_IsForCookie t1_j2uy0tg wrote

What happens if he gets more than 141 points in the last turn? Or goes below 0?

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DDougie t1_j2uykco wrote

If you go over (or leave just 1) you bust and your whole score for that turn doesn't count. So if you have 141 and get 150, your turn ends and you go back to 141.

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thepotplant t1_j2vebys wrote

Lol, if I ever tried darts I would 100% get stuck for 5 months on a score of 3.

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Oomeegoolies t1_j2wkob4 wrote

Yeah that's normal.

You tend to play single checkout when you first start playing because of how hard it is to checkout on doubles.

After a few months of decent play you can move to double checkout.

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meetchu t1_j2uyyzp wrote

It's a bust. You need to end on a double, and need to score the exact amount.

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ThePrideOfKrakow t1_j2v3znt wrote

So do you automatically bust if there's no double for an odd number on your final throw?

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slublueman t1_j2vjpac wrote

The only way that can happen is if you get down to 1 point, and yes

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meetchu t1_j2vzru5 wrote

A pro would usually have to deliberately make that happen, but you basically lose the leg yeah.

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itstinksitellya t1_j2ux9qv wrote

How come 20-19-12 on turn three is the standard?

Do people like throwing at 12 better tha throwing at 11?

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DDougie t1_j2uyv0r wrote

It's just how the math works out. You have 141 left and the most common triples are 20 and 19 which leave you at 24 (or double 12) as standard.

But even when not on a 9 darter, double 12 is preferred over double 11 by most players, especially professionals because if you miss and hit a single 12 you are still on a double (double 6).

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itstinksitellya t1_j2uzpth wrote

Oh gotcha - forgot the last one was a double not a triple.

If you went 20-20 you’re left with 21 left and there’s no double available.

Thx for the explanation.

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SpicyDaddyKyle t1_j2upru6 wrote

Yes, 9 darts thrown to score exactly 501 points with the last dart hitting a double. Any miss outside the tiny red/green segments would've extended the leg to 10 darts minimum.

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kellogg76 t1_j2uqngt wrote

You start on 501, and have to get to zero, ending on a double or the bullseye.

Smith hit 180 (60+60+60), 180 (60+60+60), and then 141 (60, 60, 24 as double 12) to do a nine darter in a world final. Incredible stuff.

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Kinglink t1_j2w1hen wrote

Your math for the 141 is off. One of them is a Triple 19, not triple 20.

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Kinglink t1_j2w1fpl wrote

small thing. "He used" not "Had".

if you don't hit 501 in 9 darts (or go over), you keep playing.

9-darts is the minimum possible. Plus you get sets of three darts, so going to 10 darts, gives your opponent a turn.

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SensationalM t1_j2v0scs wrote

the only thing i'll clarify here is that, while you're right, perfect game does bring to mind baseball, and this is much more common than that

much more comparable to an immaculate inning - 3 strikeouts on 9 pitches, or in other words 9 perfect pitches in a row

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TurboMuff t1_j2vnv39 wrote

There were only 2 nine dart legs in history until 2002. An improvement in technology has meant they are more common now (although still rare), but historically a 9 darter was the rarest of the rare.

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SensationalM t1_j2voa3a wrote

wrong...there were only 2 televised 9-dart legs prior to 2002...that doesn't mean they weren't happening

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TurboMuff t1_j2vobsb wrote

Yea, and I'm sure there were little league perfect games, but we don't count those either

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SensationalM t1_j2vomjk wrote

but do we count professional baseball stats from before there was television?

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jfl_cmmnts t1_j2x0v0m wrote

Dude I can throw a perfect inning, just get my sister up there batting, she'll swing at ANYTHING I strike her out every time. Now have that pitcher hit strike-zone dead centre 9 times in a row - that's the equivalent. Also have him do it under TV lights (if you've ever been on TV you know it's HOT up there) and with a thousand fans screaming in the same room

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SensationalM t1_j2xcczc wrote

this is a terrible take for so many reasons

>Dude I can throw a perfect inning, just get my sister up there batting, she'll swing at ANYTHING I strike her out every time.

i'm not comparing a 9 dart leg in the world championships to you striking out your sister...i'm comparing it to facing the best hitters on the planet

>Now have that pitcher hit strike-zone dead centre 9 times in a row - that's the equivalent

no it isn't because, the same way MVG or whoever isn't trying to hit the exact same spot every time, neither is a pitcher...a pitcher is trying to hit his spot, which isn't always right down the dick, same with darts...they're not up there aiming for 9 double corks every leg...not to mention, if you divide the strike zone into 9 equal boxes, so there's one right in the middle, 99% of professional pitchers (meaning all the way down to rookie ball) can hit that middle box 9/9 probably 99% of the time, it's not that hard; you literally picked an easier task for your equivalency

>Also have him do it under TV lights (if you've ever been on TV you know it's HOT up there) and with a thousand fans screaming in the same room

the world record for people at a darts event is about 1/3 of Yankee Stadium's average for last season, and they play outdoors in the summer...i think they'll be fine "under the lights with screaming fans"

since 1984, which was the first televised perfect leg...

perfect games (MLB) - 13

televised 9-dart legs - 72 (which means there were more professional 9-dart legs not televised...since 2007 there have been approx. 4 per year televised; if we assume 4 per year total going back to 1984, it's closer to 150)

immaculate innings (MLB) - 85

to say that a perfect leg in darts is similar in rarity to a perfect game in baseball, when one happens more than 5x as often is insane

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