Barry Bullseye — The Oche & The Baize

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Ow am ya · Who I am

Forty years at the oche. Thirty behind the bar of a snooker hall.

I'm Barry. Bazza to anybody who's ever stood at my bar. Born in Darlaston, threw my first dart at nine in me grandad's local, and I've not put them down since.

From sixteen I played the pub leagues all over the Black Country — Walsall, Wednesbury, Tipton, Dudley, Brierley Hill. Tuesday league, Thursday league, Sunday doubles for a tenner a man. You learn quick when it's your own money on the board. You learn the lad with the best average doesn't always win. The lad who finishes does.

In 1994 I took the lease on a snooker hall in Walsall. Twelve tables, a tea urn and a dartboard in the corner. I've watched more frames than I've had hot dinners — grinders who'll bore you into missing, and break-builders who'll clear the table while you're still chalking your cue. After a while you can tell which is which by the way they walk in.

For years the lads in the hall have asked me, "Who d'ya fancy, Baz?" So now I write it down properly, once a day, with my reasons, and every bet goes on the record for all to see. I'll only do darts and snooker, because that's what I know. I won't back a heavy favourite that pays nowt, I won't dress a coin flip up as a certainty, and if the card's thin I'll tell ya straight and put the kettle on.

"Anybody can throw a hundred and eighty in the practice room. Show me who hits double sixteen when the whole pub's gone quiet."

Bazza's first rule of the oche

HomeDarlaston, Black Country

HallWalsall, since 1994

GamesDarts & snooker

BetsMatch winners only

EmailBy 1pm, every day

— Bazza

A day at the hall

Chalked up on the scoreboard, same as every other day

09:00

Unlock and brush the baizeTwelve tables brushed and ironed. Brew in hand, I look at who's playing today.

10:30

Check the formatHow many legs? How many frames? That decides half of it before a dart's thrown.

11:30

Who's had a long night?Who played late last night, who's travelled, who's pulled out.

12:30

Written up at the end of the barTwo or three lines a pick — and the one thing that worries me.

13:00

The email lands with youBy one o'clock, every day. Picks, prices and points — or a plain "no bet today".

Later

Game onSnooker mostly starts in the afternoon. Darts is mostly of an evening. Plenty of time to get on.

No rush, no panic. You read it with your dinner and place it when it suits you.

The method, explained

Two games. Two different ways of reading them.

Darts and snooker get lumped together because they're both on of an evening with a pint. But they're nothing alike, and I don't read them the same way.

Panel one

The Oche

Darts is a game of finishing. Scoring gets you there; the doubles get you paid.

Averages and checkouts. A big average with a poor checkout is a player who leaves the door open. I want the one who shuts it.
The format. Short legs suit the fast starters. Long sets suit the steady ones who grind you down. Same two players, different bet.
Form this month. Not last year. Darts players go hot and cold quicker than a pub radiator.

Panel two

The Baize

Snooker is a game of patience. The table tells you who's comfortable and who's not.

Grinders against break-builders. A strong safety player can starve a heavy scorer of chances. Some matches are won by who misses least.
Match length. A short match is a lottery. A long one lets the better player's quality come through.
Who's travelling well. Long trips and late finishes show up on the table. I watch for tired arms.

Short game, long game

The one thing I check before anything else. The longer the match, the less room there is for a fluke.

Short darts matche.g. first to 6 legs

A couple of good legs and anybody can nick it. I tread careful here.

Middle lengthe.g. best of 9 frames

Form starts to tell. This is where most of my bets live.

Long matche.g. best of 19 frames

Time for class to show — but the price usually knows it, so I want value.

How I pick

Four house rules, pinned behind the bar.

1

Match winner only

Who wins the match. No handicaps, no side bets, no fancy stuff.

2

A price worth having

Roughly 2/5 up to 4/1. Shorter pays nowt. Longer is usually long for a reason.

3

Format first, form second

I check the match length before I look at a single average.

4

A thin card is no bet

If I can't find one I like, you get told. Keeping your money is a result.

There's a stool at the end of the bar with your name on it. One email a day, by one o'clock.

Pull up a stool — £9.99

£9.99 first month (once per person), then £35 every 28 days · cancel any time · Secure checkout by PayPal

A worked example

What lands in your inbox

Example only · not a tip · no result claimed

Terry Hollings to beat Gaz Maybury

Darts · first to 6 legs · 1 point win @ 6/4 (2.50)

Terry's been finishing lovely all month — he's not leaving much on the board. Gaz is the bigger scorer but he's been missing doubles like he's got his coat on. Short format, which I don't love, but at 6/4 the price is right.

What worries me: Gaz starts like a train. If he's two legs up early, Terry's got it all to do in a short match.

Bostin' price if you can get it. — Bazza

Made-up players, made-up match. It shows the format of a note, nothing more.

1 pointstaked on the win at 6/4

2.5 pointsback if he wins — 1.5 profit plus your stake

1 pointlost if he doesn't

That's just the sum. If a point is £5 to you, a winning bet at 6/4 pays back £12.50. A losing one costs your £5. No result is being claimed here — it's only there so you know what the numbers mean.

What you get

On the board every day

Questions

Asked at the bar

When does the email arrive?

By 1pm UK time, every day. Snooker usually gets going in the afternoon and darts of an evening, so you've plenty of time to get on.

What is a point, and how much should I stake?

A point is whatever amount you choose — £1, £5, £10. Pick one amount you're comfortable losing and stick to it. Most picks are 1 point; when I really like one it's 2.

What if the price has moved?

If it's drifted, lucky you. If it's shortened a long way, leave it. There's no rule says you have to bet at a worse price than I gave.

What happens on no-bet days?

You still get the email, telling you there's nothing worth backing and why. A day you keep your money is not a wasted day.

Why is the first month £9.99?

It's an introductory price for new members — once per person, so you can pull up a stool and see how you get on. After that it's £35 every 28 days, and you can cancel any time.

How do I cancel?

Any time, through your PayPal account. No forms, no phone calls, no questions.

Is there a record?

Yes. It starts on day one. Every bet is published and settled in the open, win or lose.

Your round, then

£9.99 first month (once per person), then £35 every 28 days · cancel any time · 18+

Pull up a stool — £9.99

Secure checkout by PayPal · debit or credit card

My record starts from day one. Every bet is published and settled in the open, win or lose. Nothing is hidden and nothing is added afterwards.

£9.99 first monththen £35 every 28 days

Pull up a stool