Dart throwers make a point to visit Colusa

Experienced dart throwers from all over the region will gather at Colusa Casino July 11-13 for a tournament.

A cash prize of $3,250 will go to the winner, and eight different events will span across the three days.

“Spectators are surely welcome,” said Bob Martell, the tournament director. “The skill level with some of these players is amazing.”

Like the traditional English game, the tournament will be strictly steel-tip darts. “If you want to see some of the better skilled players, the 501 is a good event to watch,” said Martell, “but cricket is probably the most entertaining.”

Cricket is like a chess game on a dartboard and is a little more complicated than traditional 501 darts.

The tournament is not bracketed so each round there will be a computer-generated draw. The draw doubles on July 11 and July 13 are even open to beginning players.

“An amateur player could get matched up with the best player in the tournament,” said Martell.

Dart throwing was declared an official sport in England just two years ago and is slowly being recognized professionally in the U.S. In some European countries, there are players who make their living throwing professionally, said Martell, but the top players in the U.S. make around $45,000 to $50,000 a year.

The tournament at the casino is smaller than other U.S. tournaments, with only 12 dartboards, but several events will occur simultaneously along the boards. “There’s never a dull moment,” said Martell.