Vault 19 Tournament Strength: Where Were the Toughest Venues? The Final Rankings

 

Quest for Q School | End-of-series review

Another Vault series has come to an end, and that means it's time to look back at where the strongest tournaments were played.

Throughout Vault 19, I've been following the Tournament Strength figures across the ADC competitions, alongside WADC Vault 3.0. Rather than simply looking at which tournaments attracted the most players, the aim is to identify where the strongest competitive fields appeared.

Now that the series has finished, we can take a wider look. Which venues came out on top? Which regions produced the toughest tournaments? And where did the women's competitions stand out?

There are some familiar names at the top, but also a few surprises.

How the rankings work

For these rankings, I've taken each venue's highest Tournament Strength score during the series.

A venue might have hosted several tournaments, but it only appears once in each ranking. Where competitions have been listed under slightly different names at the same physical venue, I've combined them.

The regional tables use the geographical boundaries of the ADC Vault regions, presented here as Q4QS Regions.

It's worth stressing that these are rankings of the strongest individual tournament fields at each venue, rather than a measure of which venue was consistently strongest every week. That's a slightly different question, and one I'll return to.

ADC Vault 19: The Overall Top 10

Rank	Venue	Tournament Strength
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350
2	Faringdon Football Club, Faringdon	1.329
3	Clive Arms, Cardiff	1.325
4	Cressex Social Club, High Wycombe	1.317
5	Hethersett Social Club, Hethersett	1.298
6	Tipton Sports Academy, Tipton	1.297
7	Flight Night, Burnley	1.293
8=	Royal Sports Lounge, Farnworth	1.292
8=	Bostin Darts 180 Bar, Blackheath	1.292
8=	Coppenhall WMC, Crewe	1.292

Pinches finishes where it spent much of the series — on top

Pinches Cue Club in Norwich has been one of the outstanding venues throughout Vault 19.

Its highest Tournament Strength of 1.350 was enough to finish ahead of every other venue, but perhaps more impressive was the way it repeatedly produced strong figures.

Earlier in the series, Pinches recorded a succession of scores above 1.300, including another 1.350 in October. That suggests its leading position wasn't simply the result of one particularly strong evening.

Faringdon Football Club finishes second at 1.329, while Clive Arms in Cardiff takes third with 1.325.

Cressex Social Club is another venue worth mentioning. Earlier figures were considerably lower, but its 1.317 performance was strong enough to move it into fourth place overall.

And look how close things become further down the table. Just six thousandths separate Hethersett in fifth from the three venues tied for eighth.

It shows how competitive the leading end of Vault 19 has been.

Where were the strongest tournaments? The regional picture

The overall rankings tell us which venues recorded the biggest scores, but the regional tables provide a different perspective.

They also highlight venues that might otherwise be overlooked because they operate in areas with fewer nationally prominent tournaments.

East of England

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350
2	Hethersett Social Club, Hethersett	1.298
3	Gardeners Arms, Ipswich	1.270
4	Clacton Sports Bar, Clacton-on-Sea	1.256
5	Sadies, Whittlesey	1.228

The East of England has the overall winner in Pinches, but the region is certainly not a one-venue story.

Hethersett finished fifth nationally, while Gardeners Arms and Clacton Sports Bar also recorded strong figures.

It's interesting that the leading two venues are both in the Norwich area. That part of the country clearly produced some very competitive fields during Vault 19.

South East & London

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Faringdon Football Club, Faringdon	1.329
2	Cressex Social Club, High Wycombe	1.317
3	Fareham Social Club, Portsmouth	1.286
4	Bradmoor Farm, Aylesbury	1.274
5	Royal British Legion, Sunbury-on-Thames	1.259

Faringdon and Cressex both feature in the national Top 4, making this one of the strongest regions at the very top.

Fareham Social Club also deserves attention with 1.286, while Bradmoor Farm and Sunbury-on-Thames complete a competitive five.

One thing I find interesting here is the geographical spread. The strongest tournaments weren't concentrated in London itself, with venues across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Surrey all featuring.

Wales

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Clive Arms, Cardiff	1.325
2	Lindsay Con Club, Cefn Hengoed	1.286
3	Bedlinog Rugby Club, Bedlinog	1.285
4	Splott Albion Pavilion, Cardiff	1.280
5	The Monty Club, Newtown	1.256

Wales has been particularly impressive.

Clive Arms finishes third overall, while Lindsay Con Club, Bedlinog Rugby Club and Splott Albion Pavilion are separated by just 0.006.

That's an exceptionally close group of venues, and it demonstrates the strength of competition across several Welsh locations.

The Monty Club in Newtown completes the five, giving us another strong performance away from the Cardiff area.

Midlands

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Tipton Sports Academy, Tipton	1.297
2	Bostin Darts 180 Bar, Blackheath	1.292
3	The Bagley Sports & Social Club, Shrewsbury	1.280
4	The Brookside, Syston	1.278
5	Rewind Sports Bar, Sleaford	1.265

There's very little separating the Midlands leaders.

Tipton Sports Academy takes first place, but Bostin Darts 180 Bar is just 0.005 behind.

Bagley and The Brookside are similarly close, and Rewind Sports Bar completes the five with 1.265.

It's a region where the strength appears to be spread across several venues rather than dominated by one.

North West

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Flight Night, Burnley	1.293
2=	Coppenhall WMC, Crewe	1.292
2=	Royal Sports Lounge, Farnworth	1.292
4	Pendlebury Social Club, Manchester	1.278
5	JJ's Pool Hall, Liverpool	1.253

If there was an award for the closest regional battle, the North West would have a very good claim.

Flight Night finishes first with 1.293, but Coppenhall WMC and Royal Sports Lounge are both just 0.001 behind.

Pendlebury Social Club also produced a strong 1.278, while JJ's Pool Hall in Liverpool completes the five.

The North West certainly didn't lack competitive venues.

South West

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Wiltshire Darts House, Swindon	1.269
2	Sartan Club, Bishopsworth	1.265
3	North Star Club, Calne	1.252
4	Dorchester Trinity Club, Dorchester	1.248
5	Barnstaple Football Club, Barnstaple	1.243

The South West is another region with a very closely matched leading group.

Wiltshire Darts House finishes first, just 0.004 ahead of Sartan Club.

North Star Club in Calne follows, with Dorchester Trinity Club and Barnstaple Football Club completing the five.

Only 0.026 separates first from fifth, which suggests that several venues in the region were capable of attracting similarly strong fields.

Yorkshire & Humber

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Barnsley WMC, Barnsley	1.274
2	The Wheatsheaf, Doncaster	1.240
3	Darfield Cons Club, Barnsley	1.188
4	Staincross Club, Barnsley	1.186
5	The Hopetown, Normanton	1.168

We have less extensive coverage in this region than in some of the others, so it's worth keeping that in mind when comparing regional depth.

Nevertheless, Barnsley WMC recorded an excellent 1.274, which would have been competitive in several other regional Top 5s.

The Wheatsheaf in Doncaster follows on 1.240, with three further venues completing the list.

The Barnsley area is particularly well represented here.

WADC Vault 3.0: The Overall Rankings

The women's competitions provide another interesting set of figures, and the geographical picture is particularly striking.

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Briton Ferry Workies, Briton Ferry	1.151
2	Penybanc RFC, Ammanford	1.077
3	Copa, Caernarfon	1.009
4	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
5	Arrows Darts Venue, Resolven	0.986
6	Dereham Cricket Club, Dereham	0.980
7	Derby Arms, Birkenhead	0.971
8	MK Cocktail Lounge & Sports Bar, Bodmin	0.947
9	Castle Arms, Denbigh	0.944
10	Walton WMC, Walton-on-Thames	0.941

Numbered competitions at Copa, Penybanc and Arrows have been combined by physical venue, using the highest recorded score.

Briton Ferry leads the way

Briton Ferry Workies finishes with the outstanding WADC score of 1.151, comfortably ahead of Penybanc RFC at 1.077.

That's a substantial margin at the top, and one of the standout Tournament Strength performances across the women's series.

Penybanc also recorded another strong score of 1.049, suggesting that its leading position wasn't dependent on a single event.

Copa in Caernarfon finishes third after its 1.009 performance, while The 9 Darter and Arrows Darts Venue complete the leading five.

What immediately stands out is that all five of those venues are in Wales.

England's leading venue, Dereham Cricket Club, finishes sixth overall with 0.980.

WADC: England versus Wales

Rather than simply leave things at the overall rankings, it's worth looking at the two countries separately.

Wales Top 5

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Briton Ferry Workies, Briton Ferry	1.151
2	Penybanc RFC, Ammanford	1.077
3	Copa, Caernarfon	1.009
4	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
5	Arrows Darts Venue, Resolven	0.986

England Top 5

Rank	Venue	Strength
1	Dereham Cricket Club, Dereham	0.980
2	Derby Arms, Birkenhead	0.971
3	MK Cocktail Lounge & Sports Bar, Bodmin	0.947
4	Walton WMC, Walton-on-Thames	0.941
5=	Fordham RBL, Fordham	0.933
5=	London GAA, Ruislip	0.933

The contrast is quite clear.

Wales has produced the five strongest WADC venue performances of the series, with Briton Ferry particularly far ahead.

England's leading two venues, Dereham and Derby Arms, were not far behind the lower end of the Welsh Top 5, but the Welsh performances were stronger at the very top.

That doesn't necessarily mean women's darts is stronger in Wales overall. Tournament Strength measures the competitive field at particular events, and differences in participation, venue coverage and the number of competitions can all affect the picture.

What we can say is that the strongest recorded WADC tournament fields in Vault 3.0 were overwhelmingly Welsh.

One outstanding tournament or a consistently strong venue?

There's an important distinction worth making before drawing too many conclusions.

These tables are based on the highest Tournament Strength achieved by each venue.

That's useful because it tells us where the toughest individual fields appeared. But a venue recording 1.300 once and 1.100 on several other occasions is a different proposition from one repeatedly recording figures close to 1.300.

Pinches is a good example of why this matters. Its repeated high scores suggest a particularly consistent standard, not merely an isolated peak.

The same question is worth asking about other venues: which attracted strong fields week after week, and which produced one exceptional event?

I think that deserves a separate look, using average Tournament Strength across the series and a minimum number of events.

What does Vault 19 tell us?

For me, three things stand out.

Firstly, Pinches Cue Club has earned its place at the top. Its leading score was impressive, but the repeated strong performances make the achievement more convincing.

Secondly, the geographical spread is encouraging. The national Top 10 includes venues from the East of England, South East, Wales, Midlands and North West. Strong grassroots competition is clearly not confined to one part of the country.

And thirdly, WADC Vault 3.0 has given us a particularly interesting Welsh story. Briton Ferry leads by a considerable margin, while Penybanc, Copa, The 9 Darter and Arrows all produced figures strong enough to keep England's leading venues outside the overall Top 5.

Tournament Strength isn't intended to tell us everything about a competition, and it certainly doesn't replace looking at individual players and results.

But it does give us another way of recognising the venues and organisers providing competitive opportunities across the grassroots game.

And after a full Vault series, that's a story worth telling.

More Vault 19 stories coming soon

This is just the first part of my end-of-series review.

Over the coming days, I'll be looking more closely at the players themselves: who won the most tournaments, who reached the most finals, which players produced the highest averages, and who consistently performed well across the series.

I'll also be looking for some of the less obvious stories. Players who regularly went deep without winning, those who improved as the series progressed, and perhaps a few names who performed better than their results initially suggest.

There should be plenty more to discover once we get into the individual match statistics.

Vault 19 Tournament Strength: Pinches Hits 1.350 Again as New Challengers Shake Up the Top 10

 

Week 5 update | Week ending 17 October 2026

Five weeks into Vault 19, and just when I thought the Tournament Strength picture was beginning to settle, we've had another interesting week.

Some of the familiar names remain near the top, but there are new challengers appearing, and one venue has produced a particularly impressive response to a slight drop in its recent figures.

Pinches Cue Club in Norwich has recorded another Tournament Strength of 1.350.

That's exactly the same as its opening Vault 19 score, which has led the rankings since the beginning.

Meanwhile, Cressex Social Club has made a big move, Coppenhall and Bostin Darts have entered the leading group, and WADC Vault 3.0 has produced another strong Welsh result.

The more tournaments I look at, the more interesting the comparison becomes between venues producing one exceptional field and those doing it repeatedly.

How the rankings work

As with the previous updates, each venue appears only once in the rankings, using its highest Tournament Strength recorded during the current Vault series.

Other results are still important because they help me judge consistency, but they don't give a venue additional positions.

I'm also continuing to treat Penybanc RFC #1 and #2 as one venue.

Vault 19 – Strongest Venues After Five Weeks

Rank	Venue	Tournament Strength
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350
2	Faringdon Football Club	1.329
3	Cressex Social Club, High Wycombe	1.317
4	Tipton Sports Academy	1.297
5=	Coppenhall WMC, Crewe	1.292
5=	Bostin Darts 180 Bar, Blackheath	1.292
7	Bedlinog Rugby Club	1.285
8	Bagley Sports & Social Club	1.280
9=	The Brookside, Syston	1.278
9=	Pendlebury Social Club, Manchester	1.278

Highest individual Tournament Strength per venue, through 17 October. Equal scores share a position.

Pinches Is Still the Venue to Beat

I've written quite a bit about Pinches over the past month, but it keeps giving me a reason to return to it.

Its opening three events produced:

1.350 → 1.340 → 1.331

It subsequently recorded 1.324 and then 1.304.

There was a gradual reduction, although even that lowest figure remained above 1.300.

Then, on 15 October, Pinches returned to 1.350.

That gives it six consecutive Vault 19 tournaments with a Tournament Strength above 1.300.

And two of those have reached 1.350.

It's becoming increasingly difficult to argue that Pinches' original score was simply one exceptional night.

The venue has repeatedly attracted fields of a remarkably high standard.

I still wouldn't declare the competition settled after five weeks, but Pinches is building a very convincing case.

Cressex Makes the Biggest Move

One of the most eye-catching results this week came from Cressex Social Club in High Wycombe.

Its tournament on 15 October produced a Tournament Strength of 1.317.

That puts Cressex straight into third place, behind only Pinches and Faringdon.

What's particularly interesting is the difference between that figure and its previous results.

Its preceding four events had recorded 1.119, 1.119, 1.068 and 1.080.

So the latest 1.317 represents a substantial jump.

It's a good reminder that a venue can suddenly attract a much stronger field than it has been producing previously.

Whether Cressex can repeat that performance will be worth watching.

Coppenhall and Bostin Join the Leading Group

Two more venues have entered the Top 10 with identical best scores.

Coppenhall WMC in Crewe — 1.292

Bostin Darts 180 Bar in Blackheath — 1.292

Coppenhall is particularly interesting because it had already been producing respectable Tournament Strength figures before reaching this new high.

Its recent scores included 1.203, 1.182, 1.211 and 1.235 before its 1.292 on 15 October.

That suggests a venue capable of producing competitive fields fairly regularly.

Bostin's 1.292 came on 16 October, following several considerably lower scores.

Both have now moved into the leading group, but their routes there have been quite different.

That's another reason why I think the individual tournament histories are becoming as interesting as the rankings themselves.

Pendlebury Is Another New Name

Pendlebury Social Club in Manchester has also entered the Top 10.

Its two recorded Vault 19 figures are:

1.263 → 1.278

That's an encouraging start.

Two strong scores are more useful evidence than one, and Pendlebury now joins a growing group of venues that I'll be watching over the coming weeks.

What About Last Week's Leaders?

Faringdon remains second at 1.329, although it hasn't improved on that best score.

Tipton is fourth at 1.297.

Bedlinog, Bagley and The Brookside remain among the leading venues.

However, the arrival of Cressex, Coppenhall, Bostin and Pendlebury means some familiar names have slipped outside the Top 10.

That includes Sartan Club and Hethersett Social Club, both of which have best scores of 1.265.

Sartan's latest tournament dropped to 1.128, while Hethersett recorded 1.223.

Neither has suddenly become a weak venue. Their earlier strong performances still count.

But other venues have produced higher individual scores.

That's the nature of ranking by each venue's best event.

It also explains why I want to keep following the repeat performances rather than judging everything by the table alone.

WADC Vault 3.0 – Another Welsh Challenger Emerges

The WADC Tournament Strength rankings have been dominated by Wales throughout these updates.

Briton Ferry Workies has led since its outstanding 1.151, while Penybanc, The 9 Darter and Resolven have occupied the positions behind it.

This week, another Welsh venue has joined that leading group.

And this time the result has come from North Wales.

WADC Vault 3.0 – Strongest Venues After Five Weeks

Rank	Venue	Tournament Strength
1	Briton Ferry Workies	1.151
2	Penybanc RFC, Ammanford	1.077
3	Copa #2, Caernarfon	1.009
4	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
5	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986
6	Dereham Cricket Club	0.980
7	MK Cocktail Lounge, Bodmin	0.947
8	Castle Arms, Denbigh	0.944
9	Walton WMC	0.941
10	Copa #1, Caernarfon	0.936

Highest individual WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength per venue. Penybanc entries are combined; Copa #1 and #2 are shown separately as recorded in the export.

Copa Gives North Wales a Place Among the Leaders

The major WADC development this week is Copa #2 in Caernarfon, which recorded 1.009 on 11 October.

That takes it straight into third place.

It also means that three WADC venues have now recorded Tournament Strength figures above 1.000:

Briton Ferry at 1.151, Penybanc at 1.077 and Copa #2 at 1.009.

All three are Welsh.

Until recently, much of the WADC story centred on South Wales.

But with Copa joining the leading group and Castle Arms in Denbigh also featuring, North Wales is beginning to make its presence felt.

Briton Ferry Remains Top

There is no change at No.1.

Briton Ferry's 1.151 remains comfortably ahead of the rest.

However, its latest event on 16 October produced 0.999.

That is an improvement on the previous week's 0.937 and another score very close to 1.000.

Briton Ferry has now recorded a variety of figures, including 0.961, 0.989, 1.151, 0.937 and 0.999.

That variation is perfectly normal.

But the fact it keeps returning to around 1.000 or better is another reason why it remains one of the standout WADC venues.

England Is Still Chasing

Dereham Cricket Club remains England's highest-ranked WADC venue at 0.980.

MK Cocktail Lounge in Bodmin follows at 0.947, while Walton WMC has a best of 0.941.

Those are strong figures, but Wales has now extended its advantage at the very top.

The first five positions are all Welsh.

And the Welsh strength is no longer coming exclusively from one part of the country.

That's probably the biggest development in the WADC picture this week.

A Word About Consistency

There's another interesting example further down the WADC rankings.

Derby Arms in Birkenhead has recorded Tournament Strength figures of 0.889 and 0.888.

Those numbers aren't enough to enter the Top 10, but they're almost identical.

That's precisely the kind of consistency I want to keep an eye on.

As more tournaments are played, it should become possible to identify venues that regularly attract fields of a particular standard, even if they never produce the single highest score.

Five Weeks In – What Have We Learned?

The main Vault 19 rankings have become considerably more competitive.

Pinches remains the benchmark, but the really impressive part is that it has now returned to its original 1.350 after several other strong performances.

Cressex has jumped into third place.

Coppenhall, Bostin and Pendlebury have joined the leading group.

And some established venues have slipped down the rankings without necessarily becoming any less competitive.

In WADC Vault 3.0, Briton Ferry remains the leader, but Copa's arrival in third place gives the Welsh story another dimension.

South Wales continues to provide some of the strongest fields, while North Wales is now making an impact too.

England has strong challengers, particularly Dereham and Bodmin, but the top five positions currently belong to Wales.

Five weeks ago, I was mainly interested in finding the biggest Tournament Strength numbers.

Now I'm beginning to see something much more useful.

Which venues are capable of producing strong tournaments again and again?

Pinches is setting an impressive example.

But with new challengers emerging every week, there is still plenty to discover before Vault 19 is over.

Vault 19 Tournament Strength: Pinches Still Leads After Four Weeks, but the Chasing Pack Is Growing

 

Four weeks into Vault 19, and we're starting to get a much clearer picture of which venues are regularly attracting the strongest fields.

When I began this series, I was looking at the biggest Tournament Strength scores from individual events.

Now, with several tournaments behind many of the venues, I'm increasingly interested in something else.

Which venues can keep producing strong fields, week after week?

At the very top, the answer remains familiar.

Pinches Cue Club in Norwich still leads Vault 19 with a Tournament Strength of 1.350.

But the chasing group is developing, with Barnsley WMC joining the Top 10, Hethersett continuing to improve and Sartan producing another particularly strong tournament.

Meanwhile, in WADC Vault 3.0, Wales continues to occupy the leading positions, although a new English challenger has emerged from Cornwall.

How the Rankings Work

I'm continuing with the same method used in previous updates.

Each venue appears only once, ranked by its highest Tournament Strength recorded during the current Vault series.

That prevents a venue from occupying several positions simply because it has staged multiple tournaments.

However, I also look at the other scores to judge consistency.

A venue producing one exceptional field is interesting.

A venue producing strong fields repeatedly tells me considerably more.

Vault 19 – Strongest Venues After Four Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350
2	Faringdon Football Club	1.329
3	Tipton Sports Academy	1.297
4	Bedlinog Rugby Club	1.285
5	Bagley Sports & Social Club	1.280
6	The Brookside, Syston	1.278
7	Barnsley WMC	1.274
8	The Gardeners Arms, Ipswich	1.270
9=	Hethersett Social Club	1.265
9=	Sartan Club	1.265

Highest individual Tournament Strength per venue, using results through 10 October 2026.

Pinches Still Sets the Standard

There is no change at No.1.

Pinches' opening Tournament Strength of 1.350 remains unbeaten.

But as I've mentioned throughout this series, what makes Pinches particularly impressive isn't simply that opening score.

It's what has happened since.

Its first three Vault 19 tournaments produced:

1.350 → 1.340 → 1.331

Now its latest tournament, played on 8 October, has recorded 1.304.

That's a slight reduction, but it is still another very strong field.

Four events, all above 1.300.

That is a much stronger indication of a genuinely difficult regular venue than one exceptional opening tournament.

Pinches has now provided four consecutive pieces of evidence.

At this stage, it remains the benchmark for everyone else.

The Chasing Pack Is Getting More Interesting

Faringdon Football Club remains second with 1.329, followed by Tipton Sports Academy at 1.297.

Bedlinog Rugby Club, which made its appearance in the leading group last week, remains fourth with 1.285.

Bagley Sports & Social Club holds fifth at 1.280, while The Brookside in Syston sits sixth at 1.278.

But there is a new addition immediately behind them.

Barnsley WMC has entered the Top 10 with 1.274.

That is a strong enough figure to move ahead of several established venues.

As always, the next question is whether Barnsley can back it up.

We've already seen with Pinches that repeat performances are where the really interesting stories begin.

Hethersett Keeps Moving Up

One of the most interesting venues to follow throughout Vault 19 has been Hethersett Social Club.

Its early progression was:

1.224 → 1.237 → 1.260

Now it has reached 1.265.

That's four successive improvements.

It may not have produced the spectacular single-event figure of Pinches or Faringdon, but there is something impressive about a venue steadily strengthening its fields.

Hethersett has now moved level with Sartan's best Tournament Strength.

If it continues in this direction, it could become one of the more interesting venues in the entire series.

Sartan Produces Another Excellent Field

Sartan Club is another venue where looking at the best score alone doesn't tell the full story.

Its opening Vault 19 figure was 1.265.

It then dropped to 1.184, before recovering to 1.256.

Now its latest tournament, on 7 October, has produced 1.264.

That's almost identical to its opening score.

For me, that is important.

Sartan has already established itself as one of the stronger South West venues, and it is continuing to attract competitive fields.

It may only be joint ninth in the current national Top 10, but its repeat performances provide a stronger indication of consistency than that position alone suggests.

What About the Other Established Venues?

Not every venue that featured prominently in the earlier updates remains inside the Top 10.

Lindsay Constitutional Club, for example, remains close to the leading group with its best of 1.251.

North Star Club has also featured strongly during Vault 19.

The fact that venues producing Tournament Strength scores around 1.250 can now find themselves outside the Top 10 says something about the competition developing across the series.

The benchmark for reaching the leading group is rising.

And with every additional tournament, we're getting a better picture of which venues can maintain that standard.

---

WADC Vault 3.0 – Wales Still Leads, but Bodmin Joins the Chase

The WADC Tournament Strength story has been particularly interesting over the past four weeks.

Initially, The 9 Darter in Port Talbot led the way.

Then Briton Ferry Workies produced a huge 1.151, while Penybanc RFC established itself as another strong Welsh venue.

Last week, Wales occupied the top four positions.

That hasn't changed.

But there has been movement further down the table, including a strong new result from Cornwall.

WADC Vault 3.0 – Strongest Venues After Four Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Briton Ferry Workies	1.151
2	Penybanc RFC, Ammanford	1.077
3	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
4	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986
5	Dereham Cricket Club	0.980
6	MK Cocktail Lounge, Bodmin	0.947
7	Castle Arms, Denbigh	0.944
8	Walton WMC	0.941
9	Copa #1, Caernarfon	0.936
10=	Fordham RBL	0.933
10=	London GAA, Ruislip	0.933

One venue per position, using its highest WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength. Penybanc RFC #1 and #2 are combined as one venue.

Briton Ferry Remains the Benchmark

Briton Ferry Workies continues to lead at 1.151.

Its progression earlier in Vault 3.0 was particularly impressive:

0.961 → 0.989 → 1.151

That's a substantial improvement across successive events.

The latest rankings haven't changed Briton Ferry's position, but it remains comfortably ahead of the chasing venues.

Penybanc is second at 1.077, with The 9 Darter third at 0.997.

The difference between first and second is now 0.074, while Briton Ferry is more than 0.150 ahead of The 9 Darter.

That's a significant lead at this stage.

The 9 Darter Is Showing Consistency

One of the strongest WADC developments this week actually comes from a venue that hasn't moved in the rankings.

The 9 Darter in Port Talbot has recorded another Tournament Strength of 0.995.

Its previous best was 0.997.

That's a difference of just 0.002.

It doesn't improve its ranking position, but it does provide excellent evidence that the venue can repeatedly attract fields of a similar strength.

And that is exactly what these weekly updates are designed to identify.

Bodmin Is the New English Challenger

The biggest English addition this week is MK Cocktail Lounge in Bodmin.

Its Tournament Strength of 0.947 moves it into sixth place.

That puts it behind Dereham Cricket Club, which remains the leading English venue at 0.980, but ahead of several other established WADC venues.

It is encouraging to see another English venue producing a strong field, particularly from the South West.

Bodmin now becomes one to watch as Vault 3.0 progresses.

More Welsh Venues Are Appearing

Although England has a new challenger, Wales is still well represented beyond the leading four.

Castle Arms in Denbigh has reached 0.944, while Copa #1 in Caernarfon has recorded 0.936.

That gives Wales six venues inside the leading ten positions when the tie for tenth is included.

The strength isn't confined entirely to South Wales, either.

With Denbigh and Caernarfon appearing, we're beginning to see competitive WADC fields from further north.

That's an interesting development for the women's game.

Has England Caught Wales?

Not yet.

The first four positions remain Welsh:

1. Briton Ferry Workies – 1.151

2. Penybanc RFC – 1.077

3. The 9 Darter – 0.997

4. Arrows Darts Venue #2 – 0.986

Dereham remains England's best at 0.980, with Bodmin now joining the leading group at 0.947.

But this is becoming about more than a simple England-versus-Wales comparison.

What interests me is the number of different venues beginning to produce strong WADC fields.

If those venues continue attracting players, the depth of the women's Vault circuit should become increasingly interesting to measure.

And that's something I want Q4QS to keep following.

Four Weeks In – What Have We Learned?

After four weeks, the Vault 19 Tournament Strength picture is becoming clearer.

Pinches Cue Club remains the standout venue.

Its highest score of 1.350 still leads, but four consecutive tournaments above 1.300 are the real story.

Faringdon and Tipton remain the closest challengers on highest score.

Bedlinog and Barnsley have joined the leading group.

Hethersett continues to improve, while Sartan has produced another result almost identical to its opening Tournament Strength.

In WADC Vault 3.0, Briton Ferry remains the benchmark, with Penybanc and The 9 Darter providing strong Welsh support.

Bodmin has emerged as another English challenger, while Denbigh and Caernarfon show that strong women's fields are appearing beyond South Wales.

I'm still ranking venues by their single highest Tournament Strength, but the longer this series continues, the more interested I become in the other numbers.

Because there is a difference between staging one exceptionally strong tournament and being a venue where strong tournaments happen regularly.

After four weeks, Pinches is making a very convincing case for the latter.

And that is what I'll continue looking for as Vault 19 and WADC Vault 3.0 progress.

Vault 19 – Strongest Venues After Three Weeks

 

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350
2	Faringdon Football Club	1.329
3	Tipton Sports Academy	1.297
4	Bedlinog Rugby Club	1.285
5	Bagley Sports & Social Club	1.280
6	The Brookside, Syston	1.278
7	The Gardeners Arms, Ipswich	1.270
8	Sartan Club	1.265
9	Hethersett Social Club	1.260
10	Clacton Sports Bar	1.256

One entry per venue, using its highest Tournament Strength recorded through the week ending 3 October.

Pinches Is Still the Benchmark

Three weeks ago, Pinches opened with 1.350.

That immediately became the number everyone else had to chase.

What has made Pinches particularly interesting hasn't simply been that nobody has beaten 1.350. It's what happened afterwards.

Its next two Tournament Strength figures were:

1.340

1.331

So this isn't a venue sitting at the top because of one extraordinary tournament followed by much weaker fields.

Pinches has repeatedly produced Tournament Strength scores above 1.330.

That remains some of the strongest evidence we've seen so far of a genuinely difficult regular Vault 19 venue.

The 1.350 remains the headline number.

The repeat performances are the more interesting story.

Faringdon Is Still the Closest Challenger

Faringdon Football Club remains second with its best Tournament Strength of 1.329.

Originally, I put an important caveat alongside that figure because it came from only eight players.

Since then, Faringdon has provided some useful supporting evidence.

Its subsequent 1.275 from a 24-player field showed that the venue can produce strong numbers with a much bigger entry as well.

That makes Faringdon's second place more interesting than it looked when the 1.329 first appeared.

Pinches remains clear at the top, but Faringdon is still the closest anyone has come.

Tipton Remains Third

Tipton Sports Academy's 1.297 continues to hold third place.

That was one of the figures that particularly caught my attention in an earlier update because it came from a substantial field.

It hasn't been overtaken during the latest week, but there is now a new name immediately behind it.

Bedlinog Arrives in Fourth

The biggest addition to the leading group this week is Bedlinog Rugby Club.

A Tournament Strength of 1.285 puts it straight into fourth place.

That takes it above Bagley's 1.280 and The Brookside's 1.278.

As always, one big Tournament Strength score gives me a reason to notice a venue.

What happens next will tell me considerably more.

Pinches is the perfect example of that.

So Bedlinog now becomes another venue worth watching as Vault 19 continues.

The Established Venues Are Still Hanging Around

The arrival of new challengers hasn't removed many of the venues we've been following throughout the series.

Bagley Sports & Social Club remains fifth with 1.280.

The Brookside in Syston is sixth at 1.278.

The Gardeners Arms in Ipswich, which entered the leading group last week, remains seventh at 1.270.

Then comes a familiar South West name.

Sartan Club remains in the Top 10 with a best of 1.265.

Sartan's individual Tournament Strength has moved around from week to week, but it continues to feature towards the stronger end of the Vault 19 data.

Hethersett Social Club is ninth with 1.260 after the steady improvement I highlighted previously, while Clacton Sports Bar completes this week's Top 10 at 1.256.

The Table Is Becoming Harder to Break Into

That's another thing beginning to emerge after three weeks.

The standard required simply to reach the Top 10 is becoming pretty high.

A venue now needs a Tournament Strength above 1.250 just to get into this particular group.

And there are other established strong venues sitting around that mark.

That means one good tournament can move a venue dramatically, but maintaining a place near the top is becoming more difficult as more results are added.

That's exactly what I hoped would happen with these updates.

---

WADC Vault 3.0 – Wales Still Controls the Top

The WADC Tournament Strength story has developed considerably over the past three weeks.

Initially, The 9 Darter in Port Talbot led the way at 0.997.

Then Briton Ferry surged to 1.151, while Penybanc joined the leading group.

The latest picture still has a very strong Welsh look.

WADC Vault 3.0 – Strongest Venues After Three Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Briton Ferry Workies	1.151
2	Penybanc RFC, Ammanford	1.077
3	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
4	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986
5	Dereham Cricket Club	0.980
6	Walton WMC	0.941

One entry per venue, using its highest WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength. Penybanc RFC #1 and #2 are treated as one venue.

Briton Ferry Remains No.1

Briton Ferry Workies remains the WADC benchmark at 1.151.

Its progression has been one of the most interesting things I've found during these updates.

Earlier in Vault 3.0 it recorded 0.961, then 0.989, before producing the 1.151 that took it to the top.

That is exactly the sort of development I want to find by revisiting Tournament Strength rather than publishing one table and forgetting about it.

Briton Ferry isn't at the top because of the first tournament I happened to analyse.

Its numbers developed as the series progressed.

Penybanc Strengthens Its Position

Penybanc is another venue where looking beyond a single result helps.

I'm treating the Penybanc RFC #1 and #2 entries as one venue for these rankings.

Its best score is now 1.077, which puts it second overall.

It has also produced 1.049.

So, like Briton Ferry, there is supporting evidence behind the headline figure.

Penybanc hasn't simply appeared in second place through one isolated strong tournament.

It has produced two fields above 1.000.

Wales Holds the Top Four

Behind Briton Ferry and Penybanc come two more Welsh venues.

The 9 Darter, Port Talbot — 0.997

Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven — 0.986

Then comes England's strongest venue:

Dereham Cricket Club — 0.980

That means Wales currently occupies the top four positions in the WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength ranking.

Dereham isn't far behind Resolven, so the England-Wales story isn't finished.

But three weeks into the series, Wales unquestionably has the advantage at the top.

A Very Different Picture From Week One

This is why I like revisiting these numbers.

After the opening tournaments, The 9 Darter led the WADC standings.

After two weeks, Briton Ferry had jumped to 1.151.

Now Penybanc has strengthened further to 1.077.

The venues haven't necessarily become weaker when they've dropped positions.

Other venues have simply produced stronger fields.

And we're beginning to get enough repeat events to distinguish between a big one-off number and a venue regularly attracting competitive fields.

Three Weeks In – What Do We Know?

There is still plenty of Vault 19 to come, so I'm not declaring any of these rankings final.

But after three weeks, some trends are becoming difficult to ignore.

In the main Vault 19 series, Pinches remains the benchmark.

Its 1.350 is still the highest Tournament Strength recorded, but the 1.340 and 1.331 that followed are what really make it stand out.

Faringdon remains the closest challenger and has backed up its eight-player 1.329 with evidence from a much larger field.

Tipton remains third.

Bedlinog is this week's big arrival.

And familiar venues including Bagley, Sartan and Hethersett continue to appear towards the top.

In WADC Vault 3.0, the story remains Welsh dominance.

Briton Ferry leads at 1.151, Penybanc has strengthened to 1.077 and Welsh venues occupy the first four positions.

Three weeks ago, I was looking for the biggest Tournament Strength scores.

Now I'm increasingly looking for something more important.

Which venues keep producing them?

That's where the toughest venues of Vault 19 and WADC Vault 3.0 should eventually reveal themselves.

Vault 19 Tournament Strength: Pinches Keeps Delivering as Wales Pulls Clear in WADC Vault 3.0

 

Two weeks into Vault 19 and we're beginning to get something much more useful than a collection of impressive one-off Tournament Strength scores.

We're starting to see patterns.

When I first looked at the new series, Pinches Cue Club in Norwich immediately set the benchmark with a Tournament Strength of 1.350.

A week later, Pinches backed that up with 1.340.

Now we've had another week.

Pinches has done it again.

Its latest tournament produced 1.331.

So the sequence now reads:

1.350 → 1.340 → 1.331

That consistency is becoming the biggest Tournament Strength story of Vault 19.

Elsewhere, some familiar venues have bounced back strongly, Faringdon has provided more evidence that its earlier huge score wasn't simply about an eight-player field, and Hethersett is quietly moving in the opposite direction to Pinches — getting stronger every week.

And over in WADC Vault 3.0, the story has changed dramatically.

Last week I asked whether England was beginning to catch Wales.

This week, Wales has pulled further away.

How I'm Ranking the Venues

I'm continuing with the method I used in the previous update.

Each venue appears only once in the table, ranked by its highest Tournament Strength during Vault 19.

That stops venues holding several positions simply because they've staged several events.

But the other scores aren't ignored.

In fact, as the series develops, they are becoming increasingly important.

A venue producing 1.300 once is interesting.

Producing something around that level three weeks running tells us considerably more.

Vault 19 – Strongest Venues After Two Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350
2	Faringdon Football Club	1.329
3	Tipton Sports Academy	1.297
4	Bagley Sports & Social Club	1.280
5	The Brookside, Syston	1.278
6	The Gardeners Arms, Ipswich	1.270
7	Sartan Club	1.265
8	Hethersett Social Club	1.260
9	Clacton Sports Bar	1.256
10	The Monty Club	1.256

One entry per venue, using its highest Tournament Strength recorded in Vault 19 through the week ending 26 September.

Pinches Is Becoming More Than a Big Number

There isn't much debate about the headline.

Pinches remains No.1.

But I'm actually more interested in its third-best number than its best one.

The three Vault 19 scores are:

1.350

1.340

1.331

Its Tournament Strength has dipped very slightly each time, but only by 0.019 from its highest to its lowest.

That's remarkably consistent.

When Pinches first produced 1.350, I deliberately avoided immediately declaring it the toughest venue in Vault 19.

One exceptional tournament wasn't enough evidence.

Three consecutive scores above 1.330 make the argument considerably stronger.

There is still plenty of Vault 19 to come, but at this stage Pinches isn't merely holding onto the top position because of one spectacular opening night.

It keeps producing exceptionally strong fields.

Faringdon Is Answering an Important Question

Faringdon's 1.329 initially came with a fairly obvious caveat.

There were only eight players.

A very strong eight-player field can produce an excellent Tournament Strength figure, but I wanted to see what happened when the venue attracted a bigger entry.

We now have some evidence.

This week Faringdon produced 1.275 from a 24-player field.

It didn't beat its 1.329 record, so only the higher figure appears in the table.

But arguably the 1.275 tells us more.

Faringdon has now demonstrated that it can produce a strong Tournament Strength figure with a much larger field.

That makes its position immediately behind Pinches considerably more interesting.

Hethersett Is Quietly Climbing

One venue that might easily be missed by simply looking at the highest scores is Hethersett Social Club.

Its progression has been:

1.224 → 1.237 → 1.260

Three tournaments.

Three increases.

Its latest figure moves Hethersett into the current Top 10 and, perhaps more importantly, gives us another example of why following Tournament Strength week by week is useful.

It hasn't produced one enormous result.

Instead, the strength of the field has increased every time.

I'll be interested to see whether that continues.

Sartan Bounces Back

Sartan Club is another good example of why one week's number shouldn't be treated as definitive.

Sartan opened Vault 19 with an excellent 1.265.

Its next tournament dropped to 1.184.

This week it was back up to 1.256 from 25 players.

So while Sartan hasn't beaten its opening figure, it has returned very close to it.

Given how often Sartan appeared towards the top of my Vault 18 analysis, that's probably more significant than simply looking at its position of seventh in the current table.

The familiar South West benchmark is still producing strong fields.

Lindsay Is Remarkably Steady

There's a similar story at Lindsay Constitutional Club.

Its three figures are:

1.250 → 1.198 → 1.251

The latest tournament has actually edged above its opening Vault 19 score.

Again, this isn't about producing the biggest number in the entire series.

It's about a venue repeatedly returning to roughly the same strong level.

Lindsay was one of the Welsh venues that stood out during Vault 18, and two weeks into Vault 19 it remains very much part of the picture.

A New Name Enters the Top Group

The Gardeners Arms in Ipswich is one of the notable additions this week.

Its 1.270 puts it straight into sixth place when each venue is counted only once.

That's the sort of result that makes a venue worth following over the next few weeks.

As I've said throughout these updates, the next question is always the same:

Can it do it again?

Pinches is showing why that question matters.

The Top 10 Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

This is where I think these updates are becoming more interesting.

If I simply published the ten biggest numbers every week, we would miss some of the actual movement.

Pinches hasn't improved its best score this week — but producing 1.331 again is hugely significant.

Faringdon hasn't improved its best either — but 1.275 from 24 players strengthens its case.

Sartan hasn't beaten 1.265 — but its return to 1.256 matters.

Meanwhile, Hethersett has improved every week.

Tournament Strength is therefore becoming less about one league table and more about the pattern behind it.

And that should become even clearer as Vault 19 continues.

---

WADC Vault 3.0 – Wales Pulls Further Clear

Last week's WADC question was simple:

Is England beginning to catch Wales?

At the time, South Wales held the top three positions, but Dereham Cricket Club had moved into fourth with 0.980.

England appeared to be closing the gap.

One week later, that isn't the direction the numbers have gone.

Instead, Wales has strengthened its position.

And the biggest mover of all is Briton Ferry Workies.

WADC Vault 3.0 – Strongest Venues After Two Weeks

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Briton Ferry Workies	1.151
2	Penybanc RFC #2, Ammanford	1.049
3	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
4	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986
5	Dereham Cricket Club	0.980
6	Walton WMC	0.941
7	Fordham RBL	0.933
8	London GAA, Ruislip	0.933
9	Wiltshire Darts House	0.929
10	Shooters, Leominster	0.916

One entry per venue, using its highest WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength recorded so far.

Briton Ferry Makes a Huge Jump

This is the standout WADC result of the week.

When I first looked at Briton Ferry in Vault 3.0, it had produced 0.961.

Its next event improved to 0.989.

Now it has recorded:

1.151.

That's not a marginal improvement.

Briton Ferry has gone from being part of a very competitive South Wales group to holding a substantial lead at the top of the WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength table.

And it reinforces something I mentioned previously.

Briton Ferry has previous form.

It produced strong Tournament Strength figures in the previous WADC Vault series as well.

We're now getting increasing evidence that this isn't simply a venue that happened to produce one unusually strong women's field.

Briton Ferry is becoming one of the most interesting WADC venues in the data.

Penybanc Makes It a Welsh One-Two

There's another significant new entry.

Penybanc RFC #2 in Ammanford has recorded 1.049.

That immediately puts it second.

Last week's WADC benchmark was The 9 Darter's 0.997.

We now have two Welsh venues above 1.000.

That changes the shape of the table considerably.

The 9 Darter Hasn't Become Weak Overnight

One thing worth stressing is that The 9 Darter dropping from first to third doesn't mean anything has gone wrong there.

Its 0.997 remains exactly the strong score it was previously.

It has simply been overtaken by two even stronger Welsh fields.

That's an important distinction when looking at these rankings.

Positions can change even when a venue's own performance hasn't.

Resolven Makes It Four for Wales

Arrows Darts Venue #2 in Resolven remains at 0.986.

That means the current top four are:

Briton Ferry — 1.151

Penybanc — 1.049

The 9 Darter — 0.997

Resolven — 0.986

All four are Welsh.

Only then do we reach England's leading venue, Dereham Cricket Club at 0.980.

So if last week's question was whether England was catching Wales, the current evidence says:

Not this week.

England Still Has Some Strong Fields

That doesn't mean the English WADC venues aren't competitive.

Dereham's 0.980 remains an excellent figure and is only just behind Resolven.

Walton WMC is next at 0.941, followed by Fordham RBL and London GAA on 0.933.

Wiltshire Darts House has reached 0.929, with Shooters in Leominster at 0.916.

But at the very top of the table, Wales has created some daylight.

And Briton Ferry in particular has raised the benchmark considerably.

Two Weeks In – What Are We Learning?

We're still early in both series.

But the picture is becoming clearer.

In the main Vault 19 series, Pinches Cue Club remains the venue everyone is chasing.

Not simply because of its 1.350 record, but because it has followed that with 1.340 and 1.331.

Faringdon has strengthened its case with a strong 24-player field.

Hethersett is improving every week.

Sartan has bounced back.

Lindsay continues to produce remarkably similar strong figures.

And Gardeners Arms has entered the conversation.

Over in WADC Vault 3.0, the story has moved dramatically.

Last week England appeared to be closing on Wales.

This week Briton Ferry has surged to 1.151, Penybanc has entered at 1.049 and Wales occupies all four of the leading positions.

The more tournaments we add, the more useful this becomes.

A huge one-off Tournament Strength figure will always catch the eye.

But I'm increasingly interested in something else:

Who keeps doing it?

After two weeks, Pinches is providing a very convincing answer.

And in the WADC Vaults, South Wales is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Vault 19 Tournament Strength: Pinches Still Leads as the Toughest Venues Begin to Emerge

 

A week ago I took my first look at Tournament Strength in Vault 19, and one venue immediately stood out.

Pinches Cue Club in Norwich produced a Tournament Strength of 1.350.

It was the strongest figure in the early data, but one tournament doesn't necessarily make a tough venue.

A week later, Pinches has provided a pretty convincing response.

Its second event produced 1.340.

So while plenty has changed underneath it, Pinches remains the venue setting the standard — and this time I've ranked each venue only once, using its strongest Vault 19 Tournament Strength recorded so far.

Vault 19: The Strongest Venues So Far

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength	Players
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350	24
2	Faringdon Football Club, Faringdon	1.329	8
3	Tipton Sports Academy, Tipton	1.297	28
4	Bagley Sports & Social Club, Shrewsbury	1.280	24
5	The Brookside, Syston	1.278	13
6	Sartan Club, Bishopsworth	1.265	24
7	Clacton Sports Bar, Clacton	1.256	24
8	The Monty Club, Newtown	1.256	24
9	Pot Black, Shanklin	1.252	24
10	Lindsay Constitutional Club, Cefn Hengoed	1.250	24
11	Bretforton Sports Club, Evesham	1.248	24
12	Dorchester Trinity Club, Dorchester	1.248	24

Each venue appears once, using its highest Tournament Strength recorded in Vault 19 so far. Player count relates to that tournament.

Pinches Has Backed It Up

This is probably the most important development since my first article.

Pinches hasn't simply held the No.1 position because nobody has beaten its original score.

It has produced another enormous number.

Its two Vault 19 events have recorded:

1.350 — 10 September

1.340 — 17 September

The second field contained 22 players compared with 24 for the first, yet its Tournament Strength fell by only 0.010.

That is beginning to look less like one exceptional tournament and more like a genuinely strong regular venue.

There is still a long way to go in Vault 19, but Pinches has provided the strongest early evidence of consistency at the very top.

Faringdon Produces a Huge Score – With a Caveat

The closest anyone has come to Pinches is Faringdon Football Club, with an impressive 1.329.

There is an important difference, however.

Faringdon's 1.329 came from an eight-player field.

That doesn't make the strength figure irrelevant. If eight very strong players enter a tournament, it is still a very strong tournament.

But it is different from producing a similarly strong number across a field of 20-plus players.

Faringdon has actually had three Vault 19 scores in the data — 1.170, 1.203 and then 1.329 — so it will be particularly interesting to see where it settles over the next few weeks.

Tipton Makes a Big Move

One of the figures I particularly like is Tipton Sports Academy's 1.297.

Why?

Because it came from 28 players.

That's the largest field among the venues at the very top of this table.

Tipton's earlier event was considerably lower at 1.055, so again I'm not ready to label it one of the toughest regular venues on the evidence of one huge tournament.

But a 1.297 from 28 players deserves attention.

Bagley Is Getting Stronger

Bagley Sports & Social Club is another venue where the second result adds something to the story.

Its first Vault 19 Tournament Strength was 1.238.

The next was 1.280.

That moves Bagley up to fourth in the one-venue-only table and, importantly, gives it two strong tournaments rather than one isolated result.

That is exactly what I will be watching as Vault 19 develops.

The Usual Suspects Are Still There

Some familiar venues remain prominent.

Sartan Club sits sixth with its 1.265 tournament and remains one of the leading South West names in the data.

Lindsay Constitutional Club is tenth at 1.250 and continues to feature prominently among the Welsh venues.

North Star Club sits just outside this Top 12 with a best of 1.241.

Bretforton is also back amongst the leaders at 1.248.

Not every second event has matched the opening score. Sartan, for example, followed 1.265 with 1.184, while Lindsay followed 1.250 with 1.198 and North Star followed 1.241 with 1.171.

That isn't necessarily a negative.

Tournament fields fluctuate.

In fact, that's precisely why following these figures over the entire Vault series should become increasingly useful.

Eventually we'll be able to separate venues capable of producing an occasional exceptional field from those that are relentlessly difficult week after week.

A Few New Names to Watch

There are some other interesting additions.

The Brookside in Syston has now reached 1.278, although its previous scores were considerably lower.

The Monty Club in Newtown has climbed to 1.256.

Pot Black in Shanklin has reached 1.252.

And Dorchester Trinity Club has improved from 1.203 to 1.248.

We're therefore beginning to get movement rather than simply seeing the same opening-night table repeated.

That's what I wanted from these updates.

---

WADC Vault 3.0: Wales Still Leads, But England Is Getting Closer

I'm also following the WADC Vaults separately.

The first time I looked at WADC Vault 3.0, the story was unmistakable.

South Wales dominated the top of the Tournament Strength table.

A week later, England has started to make an impression.

But it hasn't displaced Wales yet.

As with the main Vault 19 table, I've included every venue only once below, using its highest Tournament Strength.

WADC Vault 3.0: Strongest Venues So Far

Rank	Venue	Highest Tournament Strength	Players
1	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997	5
2	Briton Ferry Workies, Briton Ferry	0.989	6
3	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986	8
4	Dereham Cricket Club, Dereham	0.980	5
5	Walton WMC	0.941	4
6	Fordham RBL	0.933	4
7	London GAA, Ruislip	0.933	7
8	Wiltshire Darts House, Swindon	0.929	5
9	Shooters, Leominster	0.916	4
10	The Men of March	0.893	5

Each venue appears once, using its highest WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength recorded so far.

South Wales Still Owns the Top Three

The most obvious conclusion hasn't changed.

The three strongest WADC Vault 3.0 venues in the data are still all in South Wales.

The 9 Darter, Port Talbot — 0.997

Briton Ferry Workies — 0.989

Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven — 0.986

But there's now a particularly interesting story within those numbers.

Briton Ferry is getting stronger.

Its first event produced 0.961.

Its next reached 0.989.

That takes Briton Ferry to within just 0.008 of The 9 Darter's leading figure.

And from the previous WADC data I've looked at, Briton Ferry has produced strong Tournament Strength figures before.

It is rapidly becoming one of the WADC venues I want to follow most closely.

England Has Entered the Fight

England's big mover is Dereham Cricket Club.

Dereham initially recorded 0.855.

Its next tournament jumped all the way to 0.980.

That's enough to put it fourth overall and immediately behind the three South Wales leaders.

So has England caught Wales?

Not yet.

But the gap is considerably less comfortable than it looked in my first update.

Walton WMC is also showing some consistency, recording 0.941 and 0.923.

Fordham has reached 0.933, London GAA has also recorded 0.933, while Wiltshire Darts House has reached 0.929.

England therefore has considerably more representation towards the top than it did when I first looked.

One Tournament Tells Us Something – Repetition Tells Us More

That's probably the biggest lesson from this update.

The highest score is interesting.

What happens next is more interesting.

Pinches producing 1.350 caught my attention.

Pinches following it with 1.340 tells me considerably more.

Briton Ferry producing 0.961 was a strong start.

Following it with 0.989 changes the picture again.

Bagley moving from 1.238 to 1.280 is another example.

Then there are venues moving in the opposite direction or producing much more variable fields.

None of that is a problem. It's exactly what I'd expect.

As the sample grows, Tournament Strength should start showing which venues are consistently attracting strong fields rather than simply producing one exceptional night.

So, Where Are We Now?

After the first couple of weeks of Vault 19, Pinches Cue Club remains the benchmark.

Its best score of 1.350 still leads the entire field, but the really impressive part is the 1.340 that followed.

Faringdon has come closest with 1.329, although its eight-player field needs to be kept in context.

Tipton's 1.297 from 28 players is particularly interesting, while Bagley has strengthened from one event to the next.

And the familiar names haven't gone away. Sartan, Lindsay, Bretforton and North Star remain around the stronger end of the data.

In WADC Vault 3.0, Wales still holds the advantage.

Port Talbot, Briton Ferry and Resolven occupy the first three positions.

But Dereham has given England a genuine challenger at 0.980, and several other English venues are beginning to gather behind it.

It's still early.

But we're now moving beyond simply asking:

Who had the strongest tournament?

The much more interesting question is beginning to become:

Where are the strongest tournaments happening again and again?

I'll keep tracking it throughout Vault 19.

ADC Darts Vault 19 Week 1

 Vault 19 is underway, and although it is far too early to decide which will ultimately be the toughest venues of the new series, the opening tournaments have already given me plenty to look at.

The headline comes from Pinches Cue Club in Norwich, which has recorded a Tournament Strength score of 1.350 — the highest figure in my Vault 19 data through Saturday 12 September.

Behind Pinches, there are some very familiar names.

Sartan Club has started strongly again and currently leads the South West, while Lindsay Constitutional Club remains the early Welsh benchmark. North Star has also opened Vault 19 above its previous series level.

I've also now found the WADC Vault 3.0 tournaments.

With my interest in the women's game and the amount of women's darts I already cover on Q4QS, I think it is important that I follow those events alongside the main Vault series.

And the opening WADC figures have produced a story of their own, with South Wales occupying the top three positions so far.

This is therefore my first Tournament Strength snapshot of the new Vault series, covering tournaments in the database up to and including Saturday 12 September.

What Is Tournament Strength?

Tournament Strength isn't simply based on the winner of an event or the highest average recorded on the night.

The Q4QS Tournament Strength measure is designed to look at the overall strength of the field.

That distinction is important.

A tournament containing one outstanding player and a relatively weak field is different from one where strong players are waiting in almost every part of the draw.

Over time, Tournament Strength should therefore help identify the venues where consistently difficult fields are turning up.

One event gives us a snapshot.

Several events begin to establish a pattern.

That is why the Vault 18 figures become particularly useful as Vault 19 gets underway.

Vault 19 – The Early Leaders

These are the strongest Vault 19 tournaments in my data through Saturday 12 September:

Rank	Venue	Tournament Strength	Top-20 Avg
1	Pinches Cue Club, Norwich	1.350	72.50
2	Sartan Club	1.265	68.25
3	Lindsay Constitutional Club	1.250	67.48
4	Bretforton Sports Club	1.248	67.41
5	North Star Club	1.241	67.05
6	Bagley Sports & Social Club	1.238	66.89
7	United Services Club	1.226	66.29
8	Hethersett Social Club	1.224	66.20
9	Stratford Social Club	1.218	65.89
10	Wiltshire Darts House	1.218	65.88
11	Pilcs Sports & Social Club	1.217	65.86
12	Dorchester Trinity Club	1.203	65.16

Pinches Sets the Benchmark

There is no getting away from the standout number in that table.

1.350 — Pinches Cue Club.

There is a sizeable gap between Pinches and Sartan in second at 1.265, while the Top-20 figure of 72.50 also stands well clear of the other early leaders.

I am deliberately not calling Pinches the toughest venue in Vault 19.

We simply don't have enough evidence for that yet.

What I can say is that no Vault 19 tournament in my data through Saturday 12 September has produced a stronger Tournament Strength figure.

Now Pinches has to sustain it.

One exceptional field can produce a huge score. If Pinches continues appearing near the top after five, six or seven tournaments, then we will have evidence of something much more significant.

For now, though, everybody else has a benchmark to chase.

Sartan Still Leads the South West

Closer to home, the strongest opening figure belongs to a venue that featured heavily in my Vault 18 analysis.

Sartan Club is currently the strongest South West venue in Vault 19 at 1.265.

Its Vault 18 Tournament Strength level was around 1.23, so the opening Vault 19 figure is actually higher.

It is far too early to say that Sartan has definitely become stronger. We are comparing one new-series tournament against a much bigger Vault 18 sample.

But it is certainly an encouraging start.

Sartan established its credentials during Vault 18 and has immediately returned with another very strong field.

For now at least, Sartan remains the South West benchmark.

Lindsay Remains No.1 in Wales

There is an equally interesting story in Wales.

Lindsay Constitutional Club has opened Vault 19 at 1.250, putting it third overall in this early table and first among the Welsh venues.

What stands out here isn't improvement.

It's consistency.

Lindsay's Vault 18 level was approximately 1.254.

Vault 18: 1.254.

Vault 19 opening figure: 1.250.

That is almost identical.

A single enormous Tournament Strength score will always catch the eye, but repeatedly attracting strong fields is arguably more interesting.

Lindsay is beginning to provide evidence of exactly that.

North Star Has Started Stronger

North Star Club is another established venue worth watching.

Its opening Vault 19 figure of 1.241 compares with approximately 1.209 during Vault 18.

That is an early increase of around 0.03.

Again, I wouldn't call it a confirmed improvement after one tournament.

But North Star already had a strong Vault 18 baseline, so beginning Vault 19 above that level is significant enough to monitor.

If it is still around 1.24 after several events, then we can start talking about a genuine increase in the strength of its regular field.

Bretforton Joins the Leading Group

The familiar venues shouldn't completely dominate the story.

Bretforton Sports Club has opened with an impressive 1.248, putting it fourth overall and only fractionally behind Lindsay.

Bagley Sports & Social Club is also right amongst the leading group at 1.238.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy looking at Tournament Strength.

The winner of an event naturally receives most of the attention.

This measure gives me another way of finding venues where the difficulty of simply getting through the tournament deserves recognition.

Bretforton has certainly put itself on that list after week one.

WADC Vault 3.0 – South Wales Sets the Early Pace

I've also now added the WADC Vault 3.0 events to the tournaments I am following.

I think that matters.

Women's darts is something I have a particular interest in, and as Q4QS coverage continues to expand I don't want the WADC Vaults to become an afterthought.

I will keep the WADC figures separate from the main Vault 19 table so that we can follow the development of that circuit properly.

And the first set of numbers has produced a very clear regional story.

Leading WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength

Rank	Venue	Tournament Strength
1	The 9 Darter, Port Talbot	0.997
2	Arrows Darts Venue #2, Resolven	0.986
3	Briton Ferry Workies	0.961
4	Walton WMC	0.941
5	London GAA, Ruislip	0.933
6	Shooters, Leominster	0.916

The first thing that stands out is obvious.

The top three are all in South Wales.

The 9 Darter in Port Talbot leads the way with 0.997, followed closely by Arrows Darts Venue #2 in Resolven at 0.986.

Briton Ferry Workies completes the top three at 0.961.

That gives South Wales an impressive early grip on the WADC Vault 3.0 Tournament Strength standings.

Briton Ferry Has Previous Form

Briton Ferry is particularly interesting because I now have historical WADC data to compare against.

During WADC Vault 2.0, an event at Briton Ferry produced a Tournament Strength figure of 1.123.

That means its appearance towards the top of the early Vault 3.0 standings isn't simply an isolated strong tournament at a completely unknown venue.

There is previous evidence of strong women's fields there.

As I add more WADC results, this is exactly the sort of thing I want to explore.

Which venues repeatedly attract the strongest women's fields?

Which areas have the greatest depth?

And do the same venues remain difficult from one Vault series to the next?

After the opening tournaments, South Wales has certainly given me somewhere to start.

Two Rankings That Should Become More Interesting Every Week

The important caveat with everything in this article is the date.

These figures only include tournaments in my data up to and including Saturday 12 September.

They are not final Vault 19 or WADC Vault 3.0 venue rankings.

They're the starting point.

Pinches has produced the standout Vault 19 field at 1.350.

Sartan remains the early South West leader and has started above its Vault 18 level.

Lindsay remains No.1 in Wales and has produced almost exactly the same strength figure as it did during Vault 18.

North Star has also started higher.

And in the WADC Vaults, The 9 Darter, Arrows Resolven and Briton Ferry have given South Wales a clean sweep of the opening top three.

Now I want to see what happens when those venues have three tournaments behind them.

Then five.

Then seven.

One huge score can tell us where an exceptional tournament took place.

Doing it repeatedly tells us where the toughest venues really are.

For now, though, the first Vault 19 target has been set:

1.350 — Pinches Cue Club, Norwich.

And in WADC Vault 3.0:

0.997 — The 9 Darter, Port Talbot.

I'll be watching both.