The ongoing situation surrounding the coronavirus is also forcing darts players to take a long break. The desire for a game of darts is increasing not only in the PDC professional circuit, but also in the amateur sector. In the long run, it's less fun to throw at the dartboard alone. For this reason, the so-called webcam darts is currently enjoying increasing popularity. In this blog post we would like to take a closer look at what playing darts online is all about. In any case, a small boom in this area cannot be denied.
Online darts: the PDC Home Tour 2020 - professionals show how it's done
Of course, the PDC is also struggling with the serious effects of the coronavirus. It will probably be a while before darts can be played in front of an audience again. This hurts darts in particular enormously - darts depends largely on the atmosphere that the spectators spread in the large halls. However, since the top PDC players are professionals, the PDC reacted and spontaneously launched a so-called “PDC Home Tour”.
The PDC professionals play against each other via internet broadcast on 32 consecutive evenings. Classic webcam darts. The streaming provider DAZN broadcasts the PDC Home Tour. Here it becomes clear that these could actually be normal hobby players, because the internet connection and quality of the transmission are not always optimal. But what's the point - better than no darts at all.
Many hobby players seem to think this too and are increasingly turning to this method to stay in shape.
But how does webcam darts actually work?
Online darts is not a new invention. In the e-dart sector there are now machines that even have an integrated camera that broadcast the opponent live and display it on a screen. This makes it possible for e-dart players to play against opponents all over the world. But these machines are not cheap and are probably simply far too expensive for private use. So back to the steel dart .
In order to play darts online against real opponents around the world, you first need a dartboard, a set of darts and an electronic device with a webcam and a good internet connection. Now there are various providers that allow you to find players and play with them using software. We would like to go into this in more detail in a moment.
The process of playing web darts is simple. You throw three arrows, enter the number of points thrown on your laptop and wait until your opponent has done the same before you throw your next three arrows. Using the software you use for this, you can play a normal leg and also see the number of points your opponent has. It makes sense, because otherwise you and your opponent would each have to enter the points individually and cheating could occur.
The following applies here: Be honest and don't tarnish the sport by entering incorrect scores!
Which webcam software providers are there in Germany for playing darts online?
For amateur players, there are two softwares that are currently commonly used by amateur players. In the following lines we would like to introduce them and explain a little about the differences.
The best-known provider of webcam darts is probably WDA Germany. The WDA Germany has long been offering playing via webcam against opponents from Germany. There are now even entire leagues that are organized and played online by the WDA. What is also very interesting in this context is that players are even warned or punished if they demonstrate misconduct that makes playing via webcam impossible - for example, late or no communication with the opponent after a shot or a leg .
The WDA points out that the camera that points at the board is explicitly not the laptop camera, but an external one that is set up so that the dartboard can be seen by the opponent as best as possible. In the next step you have to register on the homepage www.webcamdarts.com . This step is free. In the next step you have to register again with an email address and a made-up player name.
Now you reach the so-called “lobby” of the system. Here you can contact other players via chat and ask for a match. Other players can also challenge you here. It is therefore easy to use and quickly explained to everyone. However, you should keep one thing in mind. There are an enormous number of English-speaking players playing on this platform, so a small minimum level of English knowledge certainly cannot be a disadvantage here.
The alternative: Lidarts – very up-and-coming
In addition to webcamdarts.com, there is also a second alternative that is becoming increasingly popular, especially among German players. We're talking about the website lidarts.org At Lidarts you not only have the opportunity to play against real opponents around the world, but you can also train against the computer version. Admittedly, this is not a groundbreaking novelty, considering that numerous apps already offer this service.
What's interesting about this is that you don't even necessarily need a webcam to play. Very interesting. As a newbie, you can click through the website and even watch ongoing matches without logging in. Here of course without camera transmission, but at least the scoreboard. This is how you can play darts for free – even without a webcam.
In contrast to WDA Germany, Lidarts is still at the very beginning and in a development phase. The website is completely free and can be supported with donations for future improvement. The principle of playing darts with a webcam is similar to that of the WDA. However, Lidarts defines itself as an open source website because it is a completely simple and freely accessible way for everyone to try out Webcamdarts.
So do you have to buy a webcam now?
So our recommendation here is: As a newbie, it certainly makes sense to try out Lidarts first to see whether Webcamdarts is something for you. Once you are a little more experienced, you can also use the WDA Germany service to play online. However, the regulations here are a little stricter than with Lidarts.
Conclusion: Both services offer a great opportunity to play darts online against real opponents, especially in the current times surrounding the coronavirus.
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