Why are dart boards numbered that way?
I have an answer to the question: “Why are dartboards numbered that way?”
Dart boards originally had various designs, and regional variations remain in some parts. The dart board may get its origin from the cross section of a tree. There are some historical records that suggest the first standard dartboards were the bottoms of wine casks. As the wood from the casts dried and cracked “sections” would develop naturally in the wood. Regional standards began to emerge, as wood workers would fabricate dart boards in exchange for their bar tabs.
A great many configurations have been used throughout the years in various geographical locations across the globe, but the most common numbering plan, has a 20 on the top. From what I have read online, the purpose of this numbering design is to reduce the element of chance or “lucky shots”. The numbers are placed strategically to encourage accuracy. The game would not be as challenging if the large numbers were all together. The placing of small numbers either side of large numbers (e.g. 1 and 5 either side of 20, 7 and 3 either side of the 19, 4 and 1 either side of 18, and 3 and 2 either side of 17), in essence punishes players for inaccuracy. The left-hand side of the dart board, around the 14, is preferred by beginners because it has a concentration of larger numbers on that side.
The man who is credited with the numbering sequence of the modern standard dartboard is Brian Gamlin. He came up with the sequence in 1896. There are 121,645,100,408,832,000 different possible arrangements of the 20 segments on a standard dartboard. Gamlin’s arrangement of the numbers is perfect for dart games.
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