Most "dart nights" are a dartboard hung over a booth, a warped sisal face, and someone walking through your throw to get nachos.

If you actually want to play, here's the bar test I use:

1. Can you stand at the oche without blocking a server? If the throw line is in a walkway, leave.

2. Is the board bristle, not electronic? Soft-tip machines are fine for drunks. They are not darts.

3. Are the lights on the board, not the TV behind it? You cannot hit treble 20 if you're squinting at a football game.

4. Can you play three legs without someone asking to "just have a go"? If not, you don't have a dart bar. You have decoration.

Casual groups deserve a night that isn't a fight against the room. Proper boards, space to throw, people who showed up to play — that's the whole product.

If your group has been bouncing between noisy pubs, stop settling.