Classic Pub Games (Darts Included)
British pubs have run on the same handful of games for decades. Darts is the one most locals still have hanging on the wall.
Players
Varies by game — most work for 2 up to a full team
You'll need
Varies — darts, a pool table, dominoes, a quiz sheet, or a deck of cards
How to play
- 1Darts — 301, 501, or Round the Clock. The original pub game, and the one most locals still take seriously.
- 2Pool — call your shots, winner stays on. Check the local's house rules; they're rarely the official ones.
- 3Dominoes — fives and threes is the common UK variant, still a regular fixture in older pubs.
- 4Pub quiz — teams, rounds, and usually a no-phones rule that everyone breaks anyway.
- 5Cards — cribbage and rummy are common, though it depends entirely on what your local plays.
- 6Skittles or bar billiards — rarer now, but worth asking about if your pub's got the space.
Tips
- → Ask the bar staff before you set anything up that involves throwing sharp objects across a room.
- → Most pubs run quiz night or a darts league on a fixed evening — check before you turn up expecting a free table.
- → Buy a round for whoever's running the equipment or the scoreboard. It's a small ask and it's the done thing.
By Arnis & Edgar — the two who built DartUp in Newry. 18+. Eat first, drink water, know when to stop.
Keep the night going
Kings Cup Rules
One deck of cards, one empty cup, and a set of rules that turn every card into an order. Kings Cup is the drinking game most people already half-know.
Waterfall Rules
No cards, no board, no setup. Waterfall is just a chain reaction round a table — once it starts, nobody controls their own pace.
Beer Pong
A table, some cups, and a ping pong ball. Beer pong rewards a steady arm and punishes a wobbly table.
Darts is the one pub game you can bring home. We just swapped points for forfeits.
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