Darts Thailand Newsletter Aug 2008

Volume 018

DARTS THAILAND

August 2008

PENANG VS BANGKOK

PENANG SPORTS CLUB DARTS TEAM vs. BANGKOK BASHERS

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July 12th 2008 : The Moonshine Pub, Sukhumvit soi 22, Bangkok, Thailand. Yap from Penang Sports Club, headed up the visiting team from Malaysia, his team a mixture of men and women from Penang and a few who flew in from Kuala Lumpur to take part in the event in Bangkok. In the absence of Ben, I took over as captain for the Bangkok Bashers team. Bangkok Bashers as a name came about thanks to Soi22Johnny after a few refreshing beverages.

So with well evened up teams, we kicked off around 8pm with the Singles 501, best of 3 legs, 1 point per leg. We played 6 sets. First up, Boy from Bangkok fell short of a win against his opposition Ming, then Kenny the Dart’ only just about stole a win against the lovely Loo. Gary-Dale closed the game down pretty fast winning his set over Piao. Next up Captain Yap from Penang Sports Club took on our hometown pro Pisuth and in a very close game Yap took a victory. Colin from Bangkok won his game against Tham and finally Grant won his game over Michelle.

So with the singles in our pocket 9-7 a few beers were consumed and we started the Doubles, 601, Best of 2, one point per leg. Gary-Dale and Matt were wiped out by Ming and Loo, In a close game Myself and Kenny the Dart lost to Piao and Tham, Piao scored a 180. In the last doubles, Pisuth and Gayle stole at very close win from Captain Yap and Tony from Penang. The Doubles ended at 3-5 to Penang Sports Club.

After the Singles and Doubles sets, the overall tally was a 12-12 draw, it seemed both teams were quite evenly spread in level of darts with some hot-shots and then some low-shots’ like me…

Next up, Triples, Best of 3, 701, One point per leg. We played 3 rounds of triples, first game David, Colin and Scott from Bangkok took a close victory over Ming, Loo and Michael from Malaysia. Second Gary-Dale, Grant and Kenny showed Piao, Y.S and Tony their best darts taking a win. Then for the last triples round I put myself in along with David and Pisuth, our opponents were Lim, Captain Yap and Michelle, the results; well no thanks to me, Bangkok won the last triples game of the tournament. The nights tally so far being; 18-13 points on legs, to the home team.

So after some private time with our beer glasses and foot masseurs, a finally attempt by myself and Yap to get our players to play the last remaining round was made, The Team game which took off with the hours getting smaller and some people mentioning no names accept for Grant, asleep in nearby corners of the bar; Colin, Boy, Myself, Scott, Gayle and Kenny the Dart took on Piao, Loo, Ming, Tham, Lim and Tony from Penang. We played 1001, Best of One leg, with Bars and nightlife in Penang starting later than us at 9pm and staying open every day till 4am, legally, the visiting team showed us how to play darts in the wee hours. The Penang Sports Club won the team game, one point.

So thanks for coming over guys, we all enjoyed the weekend here in Bangkok and look forward to the return match in Penang regarding which discussions are underway. Any interested darts players who want to go to Penang to play darts on away turf can contact myself or Soi22Johhny.

Thanks to the Moonshine for the great food as usual. Thanks to all the girls at the Moonshine for dealing with our sorry behinds and thanks to me being a good captain..sorry no sneaky plugs please…

Seeya all next time,
KaptainX

NOTE - Many additional photos from this event including some large group shots in a gallery page can be found on our Photo Galleries Page.

Penang Sports Club's website CLICK HERE

THE PROOSTEN DARTS FAMILY IN THAILAND

Received an email sometime back from Jac Proosten of Holland telling me that he and his family - a serious darts family - would be traveling thought out Thailand on holiday and asked for a darts get-together while in Bangkok. We didn't know exactly what to expect - how serious? As well a family of adults or a mom and pop with younger children? Their confirmation call for the meet was on the day, but we still managed to get together a half dozen players at Aloha Bar.

We quickly learned that they are serious spelled with a capital "S". Jac calls his family a darts family but David from Aloha team said it best . They aren't "A" darts family - they are "THE" darts family. Even though we took quite the beating on the board we had a great time meeting great people. Look forward to your next visit Jac and when you ask for a serious challenge I'll know what level you're talking about this time.

Above photo from the left Jac (aka Jake the Snake) - 1st son Davy - daughter-in-law Manon Berden - wife Wilmie and 2nd son Ricky. Joining in the group photo right are Jac's brother Frank and his wife Christel. Jac's website CLICK HERE

HONG KONG DART LAWS IN BANGKOK

Our friends Make & Ann Law from Hong Kong were back in Bangkok. This time they were accompanied by Shing and Tai. I first met Mike and Ann over a year ago in the New Cowboy Bar early in the evening on a night that just so happened to be one of our first Knockouts at Flaming Moe's. If you're lucky enough to be in town on one of our knockout nights you're able to meet a larger group of our local darters than you would a normal night or even at a league match.

Mike says that his business will require him to make more frequent trips to Bangkok and we certainly hope that will be so. We've even discussed the possibility of a future Hong Kong vs Bangkok match. We had great night of darts where Pla scored her first international win in a close singles match against Ann. Must have been a full moon or something that night because we even got Moonshine regulars Medo and ST as well as Wassana to join in some play. As always Mike and Ann - we enjoyed your visit and hope to see you back sooner than a year next time.

August's
Darter of the Month
The Lovely Miss Su

Miss Su is the Darts Director and In-House Pro at Aloha Bar on Sukhumvit Soi 22 - Bangkok. Su's a true natural at the game and she is becoming more of a mainstay on Aloha's talented team. Always up for a game but don't let her pleasant smile mislead you. This girl can throw some serious darts.

INTERVIEW WITH KAPTAIN K

This month we feature our own KaptainX. Most of our players knew he did a lot of computer work promoting our darts in general and all of our LSDL (Lower Sukhumvit Darts League) statistics. But we at DT got the quiet guy out from behind his computer and in the spotlight with him doing more writing as well as emceeing our darts events. About time all now realize the marathon computer hours he does spend for DT as well as all the added stats sites coverage - improved score sheets - printing - etc. Meet the always friendly (unless you're a team captain that hasn't got a score sheet in on-time) KaptainX.

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DT) How and at what age did you get started playing darts? KaptainX) Well, 14 years ago when I was 14 years old at Spring Hill Tavern on Ettingshall road, Wolverhampton; was the first place I picked up a set of darts, one of which actually hit the dartboard. I played 501 with some of the regulars; I enjoyed the night and as the evening passed by less and less darts hit the board. Over the next 5 years I played very little darts until I came to Thailand in Nov 2000 where I got into the game again as it was an excellent way to spend an evening in a city where red lights’ and discos dominate the nightlife.

DT) Who has influenced you the most in your dart game? KaptainX) A mixture of people to be honest…My first stop in Thailand, was Hi-tech Tower, the first person I actually had a sit down conversation with after being in Thailand for a few hours for the first time was K.Taxi, he ran a team in the LSDL which at the time was being administrated by Mike (Lord Orton). I had moved into an apartment building where 3 darts teams from the LSDL lived. One of Taxi’s players was Gavin; we used to throw darts for fun in the Mini-bar at the apartment. One night Gavin challenged me a beer for a game of darts, he of course wiped me out and I said right then, and told Gavin that I would beat a month later when he returned from Koh-Samui and I did ….Taxi signed me up for his team and mentored me for 3 years before retiring when I took over as captain of The Dons’ darts team on Tuesdays in Bangkok.

PROFILE

NAME - KaptainX Paul
NICKNAME - "KaptainX"
DATE OF BIRTH - 14 Aug 1980
POB - Wolverhampton, England
CURRENT HOMETOWN - Bangkok
DARTS USED - 21 g – 90% Tungsten
HEIGHT - 6ft 1 inches
Weight - like I said, 21 g…..

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DT) Is there anything you see as unique about darts in Thailand? KaptainX) Most all I enjoy playing darts in Thailand in the league or for fun anytime and in any state of mind because of the social aspect of the game. I meet new people every week over a game of darts from all walks of life, backgrounds and areas of business. With short to long term expats and the returning tourist that pass through Thailand every year and stop by for game of darts; I can’t think of a better place to play and improve my throw.

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DT) What changes do you see that would improve the popularity and quality of darts in Thailand? KaptainX) A couple of things that would help us on our merry way would be for one, communication between captains, all issues that may arise could be dealt with better by simply talking directly to the other captain. Secondly venues and darts throws, I’m not quite being a Ben but no-one can argue that a well lit, non-cluttered oche can do wonders for your game. Finally, I want to see us back in the local papers, we were once in the Bangkok Post every Tuesday but we were unable to get the results and info in to the paper in a timely manner so we missed the boat and got the boot. However if scoresheets were handed-in on time on a Wednesday, we could get the info off to the paper in time.
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DT) Anything specific you'd like to say to dart players in Thailand and readers of DT? KaptainX) Well, I have moaned enough so I will finish it off on the lighter side’…Keep playing darts, keep having fun and work with your captains to help bring new players on to the scene.
KaptainX

DOES ALCOHOL ENHANCE PERFORMANCE?

Darts Thailand - Drunken Darter Cartoon

Is a bit of libation part of your darts warm-up? A few beers, a shot or two of Jack or something else? Basic question - do you feel that alcohol is necessary for you to play darts at your best? A common darts topic - well at least here in Thailand.

1) Are a few drinks necessary for you to feel more confident in your darts game?
2) If so, how many and what's your drink of preference?
3) Is there a point that you feel at your peak and more drinks cause your decline? If so, how many?

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I emailed these questions out to our contacts around the world then our good friend Paul "Dartoid" forwarded it onto his many contacts. Richard Lowy of Unicorn Group also replied and promised a few additional replies from some of his many contacts. The number of responses has been overwhelming - so much so that I will run this as a series for a few months. All responses will be published in the order I received them. "Many Thanks" to all those responding. - - Johnny
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DR PATRICK CHAPLIN

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If you believe that quaffing vast amounts of alcohol will make you a better darts player, then stop right there and think again.

Alcoholic liquor is a depressant, not an energy source. It does not aid performance. Drinking will not improve your play but it might make you think you are playing better. The annals of darts history are rife with stories such as ‘so-and-so only played his best darts after guzzling ‘x’ amount of vodkas or fifteen pints of Guinness.’ ‘So-and-so’ might have been an exception to the rule but research has shown that, right up until the 2000s, alcohol was inextricably linked with darts – especially in America and the UK, but times are definitely changing.

However, it is likely that for most darts players it would be impossible for them to find their darts after fifteen pints let alone be able to throw them properly and win matches. One of the key results of high alcohol intake is the inability to stand perfectly still. Drunken or even mildly inebriated people become animated and often angry after a few drinks. Such a condition is not conducive to effective dart playing. Standing absolutely still on the throw line and using only your throwing arm to propel the darts and making no other movement whatsoever to achieve this is impossible when drunk. Alcohol will not aid the process; quite the contrary in fact. You might think it is helping, but it is not. Undoubtedly, it will work against you. Certainly today those who imbibe heavily do not become champions and it does make one wonder how much better some of the darters of yesteryear would have played had they not drank those fifteen pints of Guinness before a match!

The truth is that alcohol has always been part of the culture of darts. After all, darts was born of the English public house and there it stayed relatively undisturbed for decades. When darts reached and swamped British television in the late 1970s men who had previously only thrown darts in their local pubs and clubs or annual contests such as the News of the World Individual Darts Championships were thrown into the spotlight - and their alcohol (and smoking) accompanied them on to what became a world stage. Every transmission of a match showed the majority of players lifting a pint of beer or lager to their lips and having a puff on a cigarette between throws.

This image remained on TV screens across the globe for more than twenty years but then key world darts organisations introduced alcohol and smoking bans on stage at major events (both televised and non-televised). However, the rules did allow players to drink before and after a match and during breaks off-camera. However, such bans did not apply to the fans that comprised the audience. Fortunately, few problems occur at darts matches in relation to alcohol consumption. At a more local pub or club level drink is still consumed while playing but in a more sociable atmosphere and there are few controls. After all, if you are in a pub, club or bar, the expectation is that you are there to, amongst other things, drink.

But consider the top players in the PDC; the consistent winners. I do not have to name them but I can guarantee that they take their sport very seriously now with such high prize money at stake and rarely touch alcohol. Times have changed and so too is the culture of professional darts.

At the club and bar level of play, if you enjoy a drink, drink in moderation. Celebrate a victory or drown your sorrows after a defeat with a drink but do not do so to excess. You must be aware of the inherent health risks, so drink sensibly. Your darts will fly all the better for that.

Me? I love a drink or three when playing darts and often think I’m playing better and on occasions I actually do. I go home happy and with the glow of beer in my brain not caring if I had won or lost. I don’t really care. It’s a great night out but if I had sunk a few beers and lost $20,000 in a professional darts final I’d really be feeling a bit sick!

Dr Patrick Chaplin
Darts Historian
Web Site: Darts History CLICK HERE

Dr. Patrick Chaplin’s website is www.patrickchaplin.com and his book ‘The Official Bar Guide to Darts’ is to be published in New York in the Fall 2009.

DARTOID

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My reputation aside, I feel strongly that, much that same as drinking reduces reaction time and contributes to errors of judgment that result in traffic accidents and fatalities, a few drinks, even one, detract from darts throwing accuracy and performance overall. Moreover, I believe that the mix of drinking and darts, only contributes to the struggle our sport has long waged, and continues to wage, for respectability.
Paul Seigel aka Dartoid - Website Dartoid's World CLICK HERE

JOYCE HAMILTON

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Are a few drinks necessary for you to feel more confident in your game? No, I think confidence comes from winning, not drinking. Relaxation is my goal.
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If so, how many and what is your drink of preference? I might have three drinks on a league night. Gin and Grapefruit Juice while playing. Manhattans when I'm not. (They make me really relax.)
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Is there a point that you feel at your peak and where more drinks cause your game to decline (and if so, how many)? Three drinks is about my limit, but my reaction to alcohol is determined by how much I've eaten, how tired I am and how fast I am drinking. So I guess my peak is a drink and a half.
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Joyce Hamilton
Ms. Philadelphia 2005
Member of the Quaker City English Dart League Hall of Fame
Participated at the World Masters 2005 and 2007
Photo from Philly Darts website CLICK HERE
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RANDY HOLMES

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Hey there Paul! Anything for a dart promoter! Only beer will improve a real darters game. Anyone playing darts and drinking anything other than an occasional shooter like whiskey or tequila is not a real darter especially if their drink comes with a little umbrella in it! Lime in a beer is the ONLY acceptable fruit and my personal favorite was Harp's. Hot large breasted women can drink whatever they want and Paul will pick up their tab if they will talk to him. In my day my game was best between my 3rd and 10th beer. I used to pace myself around 4 beers per hour, 12 ounces per bottle and then pee. This works fine on a league night with a 3 hour match and I would usually stick around afterwards to finish off the 24 bottle case and close the pub I was at unless of course a large breasted woman that had too many glasses of wine or whatever wanted to take me home with a 6 pack. This used to work OK at tournaments too since everybody was hammered by 2 pm. More recently I understand there are more (fake) darters that stay sober and try to win (steal) all the prize money from the (over imbibed) real darters! After my 12th beer I've been told my darts went down to maybe a 5 ppd average for those that actually hit the board but my memory on that is a bit foggy. Hope this helps! Randy Holmes - Fort Lauderdale, Florida , USA
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PETRO

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Are a few drinks necessary for you to feel more confident in your darts game? Up until May I would have said YES. I always felt that a few drinks helped me block out my surroundings and calm my nerves down. I since have moved back to the States for my company and I am learning to play without any drinks due to the distance I have to drive. So with that I have been concentrating more on my shots and my technique. The real difference that I see is before it would take about 15 minutes to be able to play somewhat decent after a drink or two. Now it takes me two diet cokes and about 45 minutes of straight throwing to find a rhythm. I also find my nerves are there for a longer period of time but if I can control them without alcohol then my game will only improve.
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If so, how many and what's your drink of preference? My answer to this prior to May would have been it depends on the game – soft tip I really liked Johnny Walker Red on the rocks (about 4 to be just right) for steel I would go with a beer or two (any light beer) or even a glass or 2 of red wine. I don’t really know why but if I did the Johnny Walker thing and played steel I would lose control of my darts.
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Is there a point that you feel at your peak and more drinks cause your decline? If so, how many? I don’t think anyone can say no to that question. It is obvious if you continue to drink you will eventually hit your apex then start falling. My personal level did not necessarily have to do with “how many” drinks I had, it was 100% dependent upon my feeling for the day, and the seriousness of the dart game that I am involved in. The one thing that I am able to do is if it I am playing in a tournament that I traveled a distance to get to, I am probably taking it more serious and once I “feel” my balance from drinks I switch to water for a bit. For me it is all an internal feeling.
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Just like most others will say “it is all about you” I know players that don’t drink anything and shoot very well, and then I know players that drink more than I can count and play at the same level. All I can say is if you are drinking and having a good time playing darts. Please don’t do so if you cannot control your temper or become obnoxious when you drink. It is ALL of our responsibility to share this great sport with everyone we meet, so lets not turn our future friends off by bad impressions. I hope to be able to come back over and play this December, but I don’t know for sure. Keep on keeping on and Shoot Well!! Michael "Petro" Petrucelli (Hometown - Scranton PA - USA)
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ROGER BICK

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As Ex-President of the ADO , I saw the whole spectrum of alcohol-enhanced improvement and alcohol-influenced disasters. An old friend of mine that played for USA many times could not, really, throw without a drink (bourbon usually) and the more he drank, the better he got. However, I know of a couple of top flight players, Steve Brown's Dad Ken for one, that didn't have alcohol. So I think that there is a very, very tight, individual consumption threshold that you should work on at home. I don't think booze makes for better darts per se, just relaxes the player to the extent they are more comfortable on the oche. One of my team mates is fine on beer but when he switches to Drambuie it is a rapid descent into the 'not keeping score for him' stage.
Roger Bick - Former president of the American Darts Organization
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Links I think will be of interest
http://www.dartsperfection.com/course.html
http://www.usfreeads.com/1240644-cls.html
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NICK WILLIAMS

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Personally I find that I can play with or without alcohol and my best darts are thrown up to around 4 pints of lager after that I begin to deteriorate, I would say that the alcohol does ease your nerves a little and allow you to be more relaxed within your game, I do know of many players who say they cant throw a decent dart until 3,4,5 pints but I am not one of them, I like to feel in control of my darts and have the ability to focus as much as I possibly can, alcohol does relax you but I also feel it hinders focus on my part. I used to practice with a friend who was the opposite and we noticed on many occasions that I would take an early lead at the beginning of the night and when it got to around 4-5 pints consumed he would be raising his game as mine deteriorated and the end of the night he would have clawed back all the lead I had gained.
Nick Williams www.thedartboard.co.uk
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SOFT TIP DARTS

.Bourbon Street in Washington Square Sukhumvit Soi 22 in Bangkok has soft tip darts. Like it or not you hardcore steel tip players - soft tip darts are here to stay. I played soft tip (the only game in town) when I lived in Columbia SC. I was there for nearly four years at Fort Jackson. When I retired from the army I retired my soft tip darts in Dummy's Bar figuring I'd have no use for them in Asia where I have lived ever since. But that was fifteen years ago - sure what little I remember changed a lot.
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Last visit to my folks in CA - I had the pleasure to meet Scotty Burnett at A-Z Darts.com. Scotty is Medalist World Ranked #2. Not a one of us here at DT knows anything about soft tip darts - many claim the same about our knowledge of darts in general. So I emailed Scotty and asked him to write an article to introduce us to soft tip darts - which he was kind enough to do - article below. Scotty will be here in Bangkok for the Medalist Tournament from 5 - 7 December and we look forward to getting together and throwing a few darts and tossing back a few social sippers - not to be confused with pounding beers as to impede our darts performance.

Having no file photos of soft tip units - I stopped in Bourbon Street last Wednesday night for a few shots. They have two units (above photo) in their recently added game room and a third in the bar. They hold competition events Wednesdays at 8 PM. Turned out to be a lucky night to go as I got to meet Lee Peppard, Vice Chairman of Medalist who happened to be there. Lee is proud of the product his company produces and most enthusiastic about the number of new players it attracts.

Certainly not new to darts is well known Thai Champion Natthakhom who was among the group of competitors that night. So if you're interested in competing in the upcoming Medalist Tournament - now you know where you can start practicing. - - Johnny

Medalist webpage CLICK HERE
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Bourbon St. website CLICK HERE
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SOFT TIP DARTS IN THAILAND
by SCOTTY BURNETT

It is great to hear Bourbon Street Restaurant placed 3 Medalist boards in their location. I am told the “core” group of players in this area all play only steel tip. This is an exciting time for you steel tippers!!! The main reason is Soft Tip darts brings in new players that would not normally be attracted to the game without your direct influence.
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Casual players at a local bar are much more likely to pick up soft tip house darts and play on the electronic board than steel. There are more soft tip players than steel in the US for this reason. New players to the game LOVE the bells and whistles of the electronic board with all of the variations of the games. And the board does all of the score keeping for you, which is a large bonus for new players.
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How does this help steel tip you ask??? It brings in those new players that would not have played before. Increasing your core player base, and making leagues and tournaments easier to fill up! This is where you steel tip players have a chance to shine. Cross over and play soft tip as well! Teaching the new player base the rules and ethics of the game and get them interested in leagues for BOTH soft and steel. It can only benefit you in the long run!

Soft tip is widely based on a handicap system. Your averages in 01 and cricket allow for easily handicapping the games. This makes it very simple to define a players ability and place them in divisions with similar ability players. This also keeps lower rated players and new players coming back to play if they have a fighting chance against better players.
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Enjoy this time. You have the chance to mentor a whole new bread of dart players in your area! With your help, they will be able to appreciate the small differences in soft and steel and learn to look forward to playing both!
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Scotty Burnett
Medalist World Ranked #2
ADO Ranked #47
WDF Ranked #95
BDO Ranked #100
Scotty's Website CLICK HERE

BANGKOK DART LEAGUES

TUESDAY - LSDL - WEEK 9

PLEASE CLICK ON OUR SPONSORS

Season XVI - Week 9 of the LSDL (Lower Sukhumvit Darts League)

THE LSDL PREMIER LEAGUE Vichai’s TDA steam on and continue to dominate the Premier League this season with 16 match points, 2 points clear of last season’s champions The Moe Syzlak Experience. Domino 1982 are in 3rd with Flaming Moes hot on their heels. Domino Seniors and Stone have 4 match points each however Seniors’ have been able take the lead. This seasons new comers; The Other Darts’ led by Pun from the Old Other Office Bar’ in Silom area have had a slow start but continue to fight on regardless.

THE LSDL FUN LEAGUE Week 9 out of the way and Fur Ball Job’ continue to defend their 1st place position against the attacking Lazy Pelicans. The New Cowboy Bar in 3rd have just enough on their side to take the edge over Pel-I-Can.

DownUnder Wabbilies’ comfortably hold on to center spot, with Sports Corner Bar and White Lightening battling on for 7th and 8th place. The Silver Dollar just about cleared their way for a lead over Larry’s Rebels who are four solid match points clear of this seasons new team The Sports Drink Bar’ and finally, The Moon platoon’ has the advantage of knowing they have only one direction to go in…up! More next time.. KaptainX

Lower Sukhumvit Darts League

THURSDAY - 6th THAILAND DARTS LEAGUE

Standings as of Week 15, July 24 for the 6th Thailand Darts League.

Week 15 July 24	Win	Lose
1) Flaming Moe's	12	0
2) GPO	12	1
3) Domino 1982	9	4
4) TOT	6	7
5) Offshore	5	6
6) The Other Darts	5	7
7) Domino Stone	5	8
8) D'Pelicans	2	9
9) Domino Seniors	1	12

Point of contact for this league -
Dew at Domino Pub & Restaurant. dewdomino@hotmail.com

HUA HIN DARTS LEAGUE

The Top 16 will be held next Tuesday 5th August. The first part will commence at 7.00pm with each group of four playing at the individual bars (see below). If any players cannot play next Tuesday please let us know as soon as possible so that we can invite the next available player along. The four players at each bar will play each other 501 best of three and will be awarded 1 point for a win. In the event of a tie, legs for and against will be the deciding factor, and if still tied then a play off game of 1 leg 501 will decide the result. Please ensure these games start promptly at 7.00pm. A score sheet is attached.
The top 2 from each group will then play in the final 8 at Johnnie Walkers at 9.00pm. All teams are invited to the finals and there will be food laid on. At the end of the Final the presentations will be made for the Leagues and Cup as well as the Top 16. Everybody is welcome to attend and support, it should be a good night. - - Barry

DIVISION 1
Johnnie Walker Black
CAT
Jungle Juice
Pink Flamingo
Johnnie Walker Red
Lazy Daze
Mojo
Dicks Office A

DIVISION 2
Dick's Office B
Butterfly Rock
Oasis
Jaew
Bamboo Grove
Good Friends
Headrock
Love Bar

THE TOP 16

Group A Playing at CAT:
A. Tao – JW Black
B. Ben – Dicks Office B
C. M – JW Red
D. Eero – Butterfly Rock
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Group B at Jungle Juice:
A. Dicky – JW Black
B. Joe - Oasis
C. Tao - CAT
D. Mark - Oasis
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Group C at Lazy Daze:
A. Peter – Pink Flamingo
B. Jack – Dicks Office B
C. Noi - CAT
D. Anna – JW Red

Group D Playing at Jaew:
A. Stuart - JJ
B. Bon – Dicks Office B
C. Steven – Pink Flamingo
D. Rune - CAT

The Hua Hin area
including Cha Am
is darts country.
12 active darts bars
a darts league
and regular
Monday and Friday
darts events.

PATONG DARTS LEAGUE

By the end of July Patong Darts League is still very, very close. Only one team, Piccadilly, has not lost a game, but has drawn 4 out of 10! Market Bar lost their first to Queen Mary and Simply Red got their first win. Queen Mary lost the first place during their bye week, but came back with a 8-2 win over Offshore. Going into the last week of the first half of the season the fight to win and the struggle to avoid the toilet seat is still as close as ever. - - Steen

Standings:1. Queen Mary (59 pts.); 2.= Piccadilly, Market Bar (56);4. Offshore (55); 5. Shakers (46); 6. Sick Buffalo (45);7.= Dogs Bollocks, Beach House (42); 9. Celtic (38);10. Hilltop (32); 11. Simply Red (29);(Celtic is the only team missing a bye week.)

August 12 match-ups: Simply Red vs Queen Mary; Piccadilly vs Shakers; Beach House vs Market Bar; Hilltop vs Sick Buffalo; Celtic vs Dogs Bollocks; Offshore bye; (home team first)

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EDITORS NOTE - Once upon a time we used to receive email asking us about the darts scene on Phuket to which we had very little information to offer. But that's all changed with Steen on the job. If you haven't seen Steen's "Patong Beach Dart Bar Map" on our Dart Bar Index Page - check it out. It's a printable map that's great for new-comers to find all the darts action. Can do the same for your area if you're feeling creative enough to do a map and email it to us.

DART BAR OF THE MONTH

SPORT DRINK BAR

ON'S PLACE

"Soi 22's New Bar Soon To Become Your Favorite Bar"

Open 3 PM - Until Late
Darts - 2nd Floor Darts Room
Pool on Bar's Main Floor
Kitchen Coming Soon

Happy Hour 3 PM - 7 PM - All Beer 50 Baht
Darts Team Welcomes All New Players
Friendly Staff
Recommended by Bangkok A to Z

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Located in Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 22 (from Sukhumvit Road past the Queen's Park Hotel, past the schools and just before the second 7/11 on the right).

NOTE For those with a slow internet speed you may have to refresh or reload this page to have all the images load. Sorry for the inconvenience.

JULY 2008 501 KNOCKOUT

On a dank and stormy night 24 of Bangkok’s darting elite sharpened their darts in search of bragging rights as Bangkok’s best darter at least in the Moonshine Pub on the night. After most of the darters stuffed their faces with Wasana’s usual great spread, it was time to start the tournament. The tournament started with a bang, as Colin threw a 180 in a 2 legs to 1 victory over Johnny. The biggest upset of this round was Allan from the Pelican betting Kenny 2 legs to 1. There were 3 Moonshine players in the round and they all lost. So much for home advantage. Somsak threw a ton 40 in beating Dono 2 legs to 1. The 8 winners moved on to play the lucky 8 who drew a first round bye and the 8 losers moved down to the losers bracket.

Colin kept up his run for the trophy with a 2-1 victory over CW. The biggest upset in this round was Tom-Yum beat Somsak with one leg won with a double bull finish. Also Pad beat Allan 2-0, one leg with a 12 dart finish. Again 3 Moonshine darters were involved in this round with only Captain KaptainX going to the next round. With the winners bracket down to 8 players it was time to take the losers bracket to the same number.

Allan, Adul, Scott and David all advanced with 2-0 victories. Somsak advanced beating Kenny 2-1 in a very close match. Also advancing were CW, Boggs and Matt with narrow 2-1 victories. After this round it was decided to hold a lucky draw for 2 bottles of wine. Pla the birthday girl made the first pick and lo and behold she picked Johnny’s name, a bottle to help them celebrate her birthday. No favoritism there as she also picked out Brian, a Moonshine darter, out of the bucket. It is not what you are thinking, there were other names in bucket also. Just a random draw. Thanks Pla! Out of 5 Moonshine darters in this round only 2 advanced. Home field advantage my A##.

Continuing in the loser’s bracket 8 was quickly reduced to 4 in short order. CW whipped David in very short and Samsok whipped Boggs also to put an end to all the Moonshine darters except Kaptain K. Matt and Adul also advanced to the next round.

In the winner’s bracket in a sort of an upset Kob beat Colin 2-0. Pad kept up his good darts by sending Kaptain K to the losers bracket. New Silver Dollar darter Ronnie also advances with a victory over the Pelican’s Sayan. Boy kept up a good run with a victory over Tom-Yum. The winners advance in the winner’s bracket and the 4 losers drop down to the loser’s bracket.

Matt sent Tom-Yum out of the tournament 2-0 on a match that had to be delayed due to a player having to take a little time out due to a small stomach problem. CW sent the last Moonshine darter out with a 2-1 victory over Kaptain K. Samsok and Colin both advance with hard won 2-1 victories. In his victory Colin threw another ton 80. This left 8 players vying for the trophy and bragging rights on the night.

The loser’s bracket started with Samsok beating CW and Colin beating Matt 2-0. This left both the players with the right to play the losers of the winner’s bracket. In the winner’s bracket Boy beat Kob 2-1 to advance and Pad made short work of Ronnie 2-0.

Kob and Ronnie wheeling from their first defeat in the winner’s bracket succumbed to Samsok and Colin to end their evening. They both played very good darts during the tournament and the Moonshine hopes to see them in future tournaments. The final 4 darters left standing are Boy, Pad, Kob and Ronnie.

In the losers bracket Samsok beat Colin 2-0 to place Colin in 4th place. In the winner’s bracket Pad beat Boy 2-0, with a ton 40 and a 133 finish in one leg. This set up a match between Boy and Samsok with the loser finishing in 3rd place. In the 3rd place match Samsok beat Boy 2-0 despite Boy throwing a ton 20 in one leg. This place Boy in 3rd place. This set up a final between Samsok and Pad for bragging rights at the Moonshine.

Due to time constraints it was decide to play the final over 5 legs of 501. Somsak won 3-0 but both players threw 5 tons in a really good match. Pad threw a ton 40 in his 5 tons but Somsak threw a ton 40, a ton 30 and a ton 21 in his 5 tons. It was the best match of the evening even if the final score didn’t reflect that.

Before the trophy presentation, 3 more bottles of wine were up for grabs. In a surprise both David and KaptainX were drawn out of the bucket. Can’t remember who the other winner due to being incoherent at the time, I’m sure someone will remind me sometime in the future. Also in recognition of Colin’s two ton 80’s and 4th place finish, he was presented with a bottle of fine wine from the Moonshine owners.

Congratulations to the winners and all the players who made the tournament such a success.
All the players would like to thank Mitch and Wasana for hosting the event. See everyone at the next Moonshine event in September. Don’t forget next month at Moe’s. - - David
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NOTE - Many additional photos from this event can be found on our Photo Galleries Page.

SATURDAY - AUGUST 16 AT 8 PM
Free BBQ Buffet
Trophies for the Top 3 Players

Special Raffle Prizes (Raffle ticket for every drink) - Special prizes for "High Close" - "Sexiest Outfit" - "Friendly Lady Player of the Night" & "Mr. Gigolo of the Night"

D'Pelican Inn - Bangkok - Sukhumvit Soi 22
Location Map on D'Pelican Inn website - CLICK HERE

FLAMING MOE'S
AUGUST 501 KNOCKOUT
SATURDAY 23 AUG 8 PM
PRIZES & FREE FOOD

QUEEN'S PARK PLAZA
SUKHUMVIT SOI 22 - BANGKOK

JAYKE'S TAKE - MISSING / LATE ?

Last email from Jayke he claims he has his Jayke's Take article half ready but that was some days ago.

He said he was having trouble with his his new Wi Fi connection but also mentioned that he didn't know the difference between Wi Fi and Hi Fi.

Pookie, please connect his computer and audio system so we can finally get his article. You really shouldn't let him on his own to deal with anything electrical. It's just a disaster waiting to happen. We'll have Jayke's article here as soon as we receive it.

Hi folks back again with this months moans and groans. Firstly though I would like to pass on my thanks, to all who E Mailed or who passed on their complaints and the such in passing. In answer to all who asked NO we are not trying to Judge nor to Mediate problems. This is the place to air your views, and every player in Thailand deserves a go on the soap box. We may not agree with all that is stated, but it will be printed, if not in this issue, you will see your point printed in a later edition.

Please if you are E Mailing me from another area within Thailand, name the City/Town you are referring to. IT HELPS That's that out the way so now lets get on to the meaty bit, a lot of the complaints we are hearing have been stated before, but if they are still being talked about, they still exist?

(1) We all know that you are running a business, but bars with entrances, to kitchens and toilets next to the board, please please try to explain to staff, that for one night a week, have a bit of respect for YOUR, and visiting teams throwers.
(2) SAME OLD, SAME OLD. Starting times for games (a) 8pm (b) 2000hrs (c) 8 o'clock at night (d) sawng thum (e) when the little hand is on 8 and the big one on 12 and it is dark outside. Please try to remember at least one of them?
(3) Been noticed that players are not respecting the throw line (Oche) NO part of the players foot may be forward of the Oche when throwing. CAPTAINS SORT IT!
(4) It has come to our attention, that a certain venue in Chiang Mai lists itself a Darts Bar, because it has a Dart Board hanging on the Toilet Door, erm????
(5) When are General Knowledge questions not. When the answer is looked up on the internet??? KEEP IT FUN
(6) Score Sheets STOP using the old ones. Please get them in ON TIME! We now have a chance for the spot back in The Bangkok Post, which is good for darts in Thailand, lets not lose it by having Score Sheets coming in late. CAPTAINS ????

Hope again you enjoyed the above points. NEW TOPICS

1.Any bar in the DARTS BARS section can now, E Mail me with functions, none darts related, as in Birthday Parties and the such. Remember we need at least a months notice to include it in this section. Don't forget to include the area your E Mailing us from.

2.Any individual player that is coming to Thailand and would like to play for a team whilst here, E Mail me stating the dates and area's you will be staying in Thailand, we will add it to this piece, teams can then get in touch with us if they are in need of a player. (We will not print your E mail address or Telephone number)

Well I think that's about all for this month, see you all down the pub CHEERS.
E Mail me at sezharry@gmail.com
SHOOT TIGHT DON'T LET THE DOUBLES BITE GOODNIGHT.
DISCLAIMER - HARRY IS NOT A RESPONSIBLE PERSON
HAVE FUN
HARRYSEZ

NEW FEATURE - DT PROUDLY INTRODUCES RUMOUR CONTROL

Firstly – please note the true and accurate spelling of the English world rumour – English is English and should not be bastardised by American spelling. That is not to say however, that I will always spell things correctly – my spelling is a wee bit like my math! We should leave it at that shall we?! So now on to Rumours and facts

FACT – A Name change – Formerly known as the Down Under Sports Bistro is now called Bradmans Sports Bistro – Same same bar, but different name. . . Now for those of you that are not from any true sporting nations or have lived too long in Asia and have lost all real sense of what true sport is, and I will admit that yes darts is a sport, but there are also others played in the fresh air! Could be why we don’t get out so often here in Bkk! Anyway back to Bradmans

So what is in a name . . . well here it is. Bradmans Sports Bistro – Has taken on the name of one truly great Australian – Sir Donald Bradman – “No other sportsperson in Australian history has captured the respect and admiration of the sporting public the way 'The Don', the cricketer from Bowral in the State of New South Wales (NSW), has done.

During his 21 years of first-class cricket, Bradman achieved everything that was possible in the sport - he captained his South Australian Sheffield Shield team; was a State selector; Test selector; and captain of the Australian Team for almost a decade, including of the 1948 Australian Test team known as The Invincibles.

Bradman averaged a century - 100 runs - once in every three innings he played. His batting averages are revered. In his first international tour (1930) Bradman made 2960 runs (with a batting average of 98.66), including 10 centuries. In his final tour 18 years later, he made 2428 runs with an 89.92 batting average, including 11 centuries. When he retired in 1948, Bradman's legacy to the cricketing world was a remarkable Test batting average of 99.94. “ (That is like hitting 140 every time you throw your darts - I think Taxi was his coach/manager at the time)

Also on the name front . Johnny from Down Under SB, has decided along with the bar name changed to take on a more serious name his mum and dad gave him all those years ago, we won’t mention just how many – but he is now Khun John of Bradman’s SB – and John and his family are now living in . . well by the sea down Pattaya way, as dedication goes he will still make the bus ride to BKK each week, to play for the Wobbles PS - he is not opening a bar down in Pattaya (Source confirmed by the man himself)

Other rumours heard out and about. - Jayke has taken himself off to have a complete sex changed – this is unfounded and maybe untrue – so please stop spreading such rumours - He hasn’t even told his family he is gay! Please people give the man (or is he still a he?) some solitude – our thoughts are with dear Khun Pookie (seen as the Darter of the Month in our April Newsletter) for standing by her ‘man’J

Honey sorry I am late. . . but how late is too late – 2 teams playing last night (29/7/08) Won’t name names were still playing at 1am. - and didn’t some didn’t leave their home bar until 5am! Wow! Good effort, but really 1am! Tut tut! And grrrrr!

Now The Big Witkowski kindly asked if I could do a write up regarding rumours out and about in our dart world, it is by no means meant to offend any person (s) however if it does . Well it was completely unintentional but made getting out of bed totally worthwhile. Please feel free to contact me if you have a rumour or would like to start one

So that is all, a bit flat but I will ease into this roll . . .

Regards
Gayle
Token (W) female correspondent

Email - best501bangkok@gmail.com

UPDATES ON SOME PREVIOUS STORIES

Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) held a tournament on 26 & 27 July. Still waiting on the results and if and when we receive them they will be published. We did hear through the grapevine that Giffy won the women's singles competition. Way to go - Giffy.

Return Match between the Lower Sukhumvit Dart League and the Saigon International Dart League from Vietnam. It's been slow go getting enough players together for the return leg of our match in Saigon. If you're interested please contact me. - Johnny soi22johnny@yahoo.com

FAQ - Where can I buy boards, darts and dart supplies? We have a page listing all known suppliers and some on-line darts suppliers. We only list on-line companies that our players actually use. If we've missed you and you sell darts supplies - contact us and we will add you to our list.

Sukhumvit Eye is a hardcopy magazine that first hit the stands last January. They write darts reports from our articles and use some of our photos. Click on their logo for their website where you can find locations where their magazine is on sale.

Darts Thailand - Johnny "The Big Witkowski"

EDITOR'S NOTE
Well so much for getting the newsletter out on time. But to be honest, I only received one article today and still waiting on more. No doubt that Thailand is laid back but still surprises me a bit to see how some foreigners here have adapted to this philosophy so well and push it to further extremes.

Again many thinks to all those responding to our alcohol enhancing darts performance question. All responses will be posted as an ongoing series. Wondering why I didn't mail you for your opinion? Cause I'm a lazy, laid back bugger who hasn't gotten around to it yet - but I will.

If you're a darter traveling to Thailand by all means pack your darts. New to Thailand? Contact us and we'll point you in the direction of the nearest darts bar. Traveling in a group and want an impromptu darts match - no problem

- - Johnny "The Big Witkowski"

soi22johnny@yahoo.com

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