Tempting Fate And Dirty Tricks.

Darts players come from all walks of life and as such often have superstitions about winning darts matches. Many players will use “Lucky,” flights or stems, or carry some “Lucky” souvenir from somewhere, in their pockets.  Others will trust to their luck, but still not try to tempt fate by their actions.

Some time ago I was playing in a match where the score was swinging from one team to the other. Several of the games could have gone in the opposing teams favour and one that did was my doubles with Geof Taylor. We took a scrappy first leg and when on double 18 to finish in the second, with the opposition pairing still not started and on a double to break, I “Tempted Fate,” when I turned to the landlady and said. “I have seen two doubles games lost before now when one pair has been on a brush and the other pair on double one.” Of course we ended up in the “Madhouse,” (on double one) where I have been many times before, and we lost that leg. After losing the next leg with some more appalling darts from me, the opposing team had a chance of going for the draw on the last doubles pairing and were unlucky not to get it making the final score 5-3. It always seems fatal to “Tempt Fate,” by recalling past disastrous events because they inevitably repeat themselves as they did in this game.

Players will often try and manipulate fate by “Poisoning,” their opponents doubles. Well, perhaps not many players actually try and do it deliberately, but the phrase is used a lot when players do it accidentally. One player will be struggling to hit his finishing double and for whatever reason his opponent will hit the double and then it will be said that he has “Poisoned” it, meaning that his opponent won’t be able to hit it. The effect is obviously psychological, but most of darts is “in your head,” as any experienced player will tell you.

Players will try to Phsych’ others out by all sorts of dirty tricks some of which are permissible, but frowned on and others that players most definitely get rebuked for. I knew one player who had the terrible habit of saying under his breath, “Miss, Miss, Miss,” whenever his opponent was going for a finishing double, but he was so big no-one ever challenged him! Some more underhand tricks and barracking techniques are covered in other articles called, “Match Etiquette,” and “Dress Code.” The opposite of “Barracking,” a player is encouragement and the enticements offered are sometimes interesting! (See Article.)

When struggling to get a double to start in a match I sometimes try to boost my spirits and lighten the tension by clasping my hands together in a mock prayer. Perhaps it is a little blasphemous and tempting fate, but it often seems to work.