Which Is the Toughest Night of the Week to Play Darts?

 

If somebody had asked me this before I started looking at the numbers, I think I'd have said Saturday.

It seems logical.

Saturday is when you tend to get the bigger opens. Players can travel further, tournaments can run for longer and organisers don't have to worry quite as much about everybody getting up for work the following morning.

But nearly 9,000 tournament records in the Q4QS database suggest there's rather more to it than that.

Because while Saturday certainly produces some of the biggest and strongest competitions, the average grassroots tournament during the week can be every bit as tough – and sometimes tougher.

The rise of regular ADC Vaults and other weekday competitions appears to have changed the landscape considerably.

How I've Worked It Out

I wanted to avoid simply adding every Tournament Strength score together and dividing by the number of events.

There's a problem with doing that.

Imagine a Saturday containing loads of ordinary tournaments but also several enormous opens, qualifiers and elite events. Those huge tournaments can pull Saturday's overall average upwards and make it look as though the typical Saturday competition is stronger than it really is.

So I've looked at each day in three different ways:

Mean – the conventional average of all the Tournament Strength scores.

Median – put all the tournaments in order and take the one in the middle.

Mode – the most commonly occurring Tournament Strength, with the scores rounded to the nearest whole number.

I then take the middle result from those three measures to produce what I'll call the Q4QS Typical Strength.

You don't really need to worry about the maths beyond that.

The idea is simply:

Don't let a handful of unusually strong or unusually weak tournaments decide the answer.

And, as always, Tournament Strength is not a three-dart average. It's the Q4QS measure of the overall strength of a tournament field.

So Which Day Comes Out Strongest?

Here's what happened.

Day	Mean	Median	Most Common	Q4QS Typical Strength
Friday	59.15	58.79	61	59.15
Monday	57.67	58.88	61	58.88
Thursday	58.38	58.86	61	58.86
Tuesday	57.47	58.56	62	58.56
Saturday	60.27	58.43	57	58.43
Wednesday	56.83	57.79	60	57.79
Sunday	56.62	56.60	59	56.62

And I don't think the most interesting part is that Friday wins.

It's what happens to Saturday.

Saturday Has The Biggest Average

Look at Saturday's first number.

60.27.

That's comfortably the highest mean of the week.

So my original assumption wasn't completely wrong.

There are some seriously strong tournaments played on Saturdays, and the bigger events help push the overall number upwards.

But now look at the other two figures.

The median drops to 58.43.

And the most common rounded Tournament Strength is only 57.

That's quite a difference.

If Saturday were simply packed with stronger tournaments from top to bottom, I'd expect all three figures to be towards the top of the table.

They aren't.

Instead, the figures suggest something slightly different:

Saturday has a very high ceiling.

The biggest Saturday competitions can be extremely strong, and those tournaments pull the conventional average upwards.

But walk into a randomly selected Saturday tournament and it isn't necessarily going to be tougher than the competition taking place on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday evening.

That surprised me.

Then We Get To Friday

Friday is almost the opposite.

Its mean is 59.15.

Its median is 58.79.

And its most common rounded Tournament Strength is 61.

There isn't the same enormous gap between the different measurements.

In simple terms, Friday doesn't appear to rely quite as heavily on a handful of monster tournaments to look strong.

Regular Friday darts itself is strong.

That's why Friday eventually comes out on top using my combined measure.

Its Q4QS Typical Strength is 59.15.

Monday Isn't Exactly An Easy Night Either

Monday might be an even bigger surprise.

Its conventional average is only 57.67, which wouldn't immediately attract much attention.

But the middle tournament scores 58.88, and the most common rounded score is 61.

Once those measures are combined, Monday reaches a Q4QS Typical Strength of 58.88 – narrowly ahead of Thursday.

That's enough for second place.

So much for easing yourself gently into the darting week.

And Look At Tuesday

Tuesday has another fascinating number.

Its most common Tournament Strength is:

62.

That's the highest mode of any day of the week.

It doesn't mean Tuesday is automatically the toughest day. Its mean and median are lower, which is why it finishes fourth on my combined measurement.

But it does show just how regularly decent-strength tournaments are occurring during the working week.

And I think there's a fairly obvious candidate for why.

The Weekday Vault Effect

The ADC Vault system – together with the increasing number of other regular local competitions – has created a huge weekday tournament scene.

You don't necessarily need a giant open containing 100 players to create a strong field.

Put 16, 20, 24 or 32 competitive players into the same venue every week and you can create a difficult tournament.

Then do it again the following week.

And again.

That's quite different from the traditional image of tournament darts where the biggest competitions happen at the weekend and weekday darts is predominantly local league darts.

There is now a substantial competitive tournament circuit taking place on ordinary evenings.

The numbers appear to be picking that up.

Saturday Versus The Working Week

I think this is probably the best way of describing what I've found.

Saturday is the big-event day.

If you're looking for some of the strongest individual competitions, Saturday is exactly where you'd expect to find plenty of them.

That's why its mean climbs all the way to 60.27.

But the working week has something different.

Consistency of competition.

There are Vaults, money-in-money-out competitions, round robins and established weekly series taking place night after night.

They might not have the scale of a major Saturday open.

They don't need it.

A relatively small room containing plenty of good regular tournament players can be an extremely difficult place to win.

Sunday Is Different Again

Sunday produced the lowest Q4QS Typical Strength at 56.62.

That doesn't mean there aren't strong Sunday tournaments – of course there are.

But across the database, the typical Sunday field comes out noticeably below Friday, Monday, Thursday and Tuesday.

That's another reason I think using more than the ordinary average was worthwhile.

Different days aren't just producing different standards.

They're producing different types of tournament calendars.

So What Is The Toughest Night?

If you're asking:

Which day produces the biggest tournaments?

I'd still have a very strong case for Saturday.

Its mean Tournament Strength of 60.27 is comfortably the highest.

But if you're asking:

On which day is the typical tournament toughest?

The answer from the Q4QS data is:

Friday.

And the margins behind it are tiny.

Friday – 59.15
Monday – 58.88
Thursday – 58.86
Tuesday – 58.56
Saturday – 58.43

There's less than three-quarters of a Tournament Strength point separating the top five.

So I certainly wouldn't claim that Friday night darts exists on another level.

The more interesting conclusion is that weekday tournament darts is every bit as competitive as the weekend.

Perhaps Grassroots Darts Has Changed

That's probably the biggest thing I take from this.

A few years ago, I suspect most of us would instinctively have associated the strongest grassroots tournament fields with the weekend.

And the big weekend open certainly hasn't disappeared.

But competitive darts is becoming increasingly available throughout the week.

The Vault system has been a major part of that, alongside independent competitions and venues building their own regular tournament calendars.

That creates something different from one huge Saturday field.

It creates depth.

Monday night can be tough.

Tuesday night can be tough.

Thursday night can be tough.

Friday night can be particularly tough.

And then Saturday arrives and produces some of the biggest individual competitions of the lot.

So perhaps the answer to the question isn't really that Friday has beaten Saturday.

It's that there isn't an easy night anymore.

If you turn up at a competitive grassroots tournament on almost any night of the week, there's a pretty good chance somebody in the room is capable of ruining your evening.

And looking at the Q4QS database, that now seems to be happening all week long.

Q4QS Rankings Centre Has Had a Big Upgrade

 

I’ve given the Q4QS Rankings Centre a major revamp, and there’s now a lot more to explore than simply seeing where a player sits in the overall rankings.

Alongside the Overall Q4QS Rankings and Colour Grades, you can now explore rankings by city, county and Q4QS region, giving a much better picture of who is performing well in different parts of the country. There are also dedicated Women’s and JDC rankings, including the option to look at performances across all Q4QS events or specifically within recognised Women’s and JDC competitions.

You can search for individual players, compare averages, win percentages, events played and Q4QS Points, and move between the different ranking views from one place.

The geographic side is something I’m particularly excited about. The areas available will continue to grow as more venues and tournaments are added to the Q4QS database, so this is very much the beginning rather than the finished map. More cities, counties and regions will gradually appear as the coverage expands.

There’s plenty more planned for Q4QS, but for now you can head over to the Q4QS Rankings Centre and have a look around.

Who Can Stop Them? South West's Hottest Winning Streaks

Winning one or two matches is always satisfying, but putting together ten consecutive victories is something altogether different.

As part of the Q4QS rankings, I thought I'd take a look at the players within a 50-mile radius of Bath who currently boast a perfect 10 wins and 0 defeats in their last ten matches. To qualify, players must have competed in at least six events, ensuring the list rewards sustained form rather than one exceptional evening.

At the top of the list is Lee Evans, whose recent form has been nothing short of outstanding. Ten straight victories have helped him maintain an excellent standard, and he heads into his next event as one of the region's form players.

Just behind him is Robbie Martin, another player who has been quietly putting together a superb run. Consistency has been the key, and ten wins on the bounce is never easy regardless of the opposition.

The list also includes several familiar names from the South West darts scene. Kieran Smith, Dean Brown, Liam Cook, Andy Steed, David Farmer, Danny Humphries and C-Jay Pipe have all reached double figures without tasting defeat in their last ten matches.

Some of these players have achieved their runs over dozens, or even hundreds, of matches played this season, making the achievement even more impressive.

Current 10 Match Winning Streaks (Minimum 6 Events)

Rank	Player
1	Lee Evans
2	Robbie Martin
3	Kieran Smith
4	Dean Brown
5	Liam Cook
6	Andy Steed
7	David Farmer
8	Danny Humphries
9	C-Jay Pipe

One defeat is all it takes for a player to disappear from this list, while one more victory extends their streak even further. That makes it one of the most dynamic rankings on Q4QS, with changes possible every single tournament night.

The big question is...

Who will be the first to extend their streak? And perhaps more importantly... who will be the player to end it?

Q4QS Live – Public Beta Now Available

 

After several weeks of development and testing, I'm pleased to announce that Q4QS Live has entered Public Beta.

Q4QS Live is a live grassroots darts results broadcast that follows multiple tournaments simultaneously, bringing completed match results together into one easy-to-follow stream. Rather than switching between individual tournaments, you can keep up with the latest action from venues across the South West and beyond in a single TV-style broadcast.

The project is still in beta, and I'll continue making small improvements based on testing and feedback. My focus is on reliability first, followed by presentation, while keeping the broadcast simple and easy to follow.

If you'd like to see it in action, I'd love for you to drop in, have a watch and let me know what you think. Feedback is always welcome as I continue to develop Q4QS Live into the best grassroots darts results service I can.

Tonight's stream will have tournaments from the Midlands, South West, South, South East and Wales.

Note: it only shows knockout games, not group games - scores should start to flow around 90 mins after the tournament start time. (First tournament starts 18.30 UK time)

🎯 Watch Q4QS Live on YouTube:
Darts Vidiprinter

Introducing the 2026 South West Vault Finals Order of Merit

Over the course of 2026 I'm going to be keeping track of a brand-new statistic – the South West Vault Finals Order of Merit.

The idea is simple. Instead of rewarding players for entering lots of tournaments, this table rewards those who consistently perform when it matters most: the knockout stages of the biggest Vault events across the South West.

Every Vault event held during 2026 will contribute towards the table, with players earning points based on how far they progress.

Points System

🏆 Winner – 5 points

🥈 Runner-up – 4 points

🥉 Semi-final – 3 points

Quarter-final – 2 points

Last 16 – 1 point

The aim is to recognise consistency in high-quality competitions. A player who regularly reaches quarter-finals and semi-finals could finish above someone who wins one event but doesn't feature again.

After the opening three Vault events (Vaults 15, 16 and 17), the standings are already taking shape.

Rank	Player	Points
1	Jamie Kay	8
=2	Andy Steed	7
=2	Josh McCarthy	7
4	Neil Meneer	6
=5	Danny Humphries	5
=5	Henry Cooper	5
=5	Ashton Brown	5

One of the early stories is Jamie Kay, who tops the table without winning a Vault. Two semi-final appearances and a quarter-final have rewarded consistency, while Josh McCarthy, Henry Cooper and Ashton Brown have all picked up maximum points by winning a Vault event.

As more Vault competitions take place during the year, I'll continue updating the table to see who really is the standout performer across the South West's premier local events.

It should make for an interesting race throughout the season. 

South West Results Round-Up – Palmer & Long Continue Winning Ways

 

Another busy evening saw 25 grassroots tournaments added to the Q4QS database, with several strong performances across Bristol, Wiltshire, Hampshire and the wider South West.

Ryan Palmer Triumphs At DartAsylum HQ

The Thursday Night Round Robin at DartAsylum HQ attracted another competitive field, with Ryan Palmer emerging victorious after defeating John Brown 3-0 in the final.

Palmer enjoyed an outstanding evening, recording eight victories during the tournament and producing a 90.69 average during his semi-final success over Jamie McKinnon.

John Brown also impressed on his way to the final, posting averages of 89.64 and 88.41, while Jamie McKinnon recorded one of the highest averages of the event with 91.09.

Robbie Long Wins At Hangar 61

Another strong field assembled at Hangar 61, where Robbie Long continued his impressive run of form.

Long defeated Lewis Kendall 3-0 in the final, producing a superb 93.94 average earlier in the tournament before finishing strongly with an 86.71 average in the final.

Matt Jackson also enjoyed another excellent evening, recording averages of 91.09 and 86.60 during his run through the competition.

Josh McCarthy Produces The Performance Of The Day

The highest average recorded anywhere in yesterday's Q4QS database came from Josh McCarthy at the MTFC Round Robin.

McCarthy defeated Alan Turnell 3-0 in the final and produced an outstanding 102.48 average, the only three-figure average recorded across the featured South West events.

Craig Gaynor Claims Faringdon Title

Faringdon Town Football Club hosted another successful In Between Cash Competition.

Craig Gaynor defeated Otto Hookham 3-1 in the final and also recorded the highest average of the tournament with 85.52.

Morgan Fowler Victorious At Deers Leap

Morgan Fowler enjoyed an excellent evening at the Deers Leap Under 70 Round Robin.

He defeated Samuel King 4-1 in the final after recording nine victories throughout the event, while Samuel King impressed with two averages above 83 during his run to the final.

Standout Performances

🏆 Ryan Palmer – DartAsylum HQ Champion

🏆 Robbie Long – Hangar 61 Champion

🏆 Josh McCarthy – MTFC Round Robin Champion

🏆 Craig Gaynor – Faringdon Champion

🏆 Morgan Fowler – Deers Leap Champion

🔥 Josh McCarthy – 102.48 Average

🔥 Robbie Long – 93.94 Average

🔥 Matt Jackson – 91.09 Average

Another excellent evening of grassroots darts saw plenty of quality performances across the South West, with familiar names continuing their strong seasons and several players producing averages well into the 90s.

Under-Average Darts Competitions – Good for the Game?

 

Few topics in grassroots darts create as much debate as under-average competitions.

Speak to ten players and you'll probably get ten different opinions.

Over the last few years, the rise of the ADC has transformed opportunities for players across the UK. More people than ever are playing competitive darts, and crucially, many of those players are not county stars, former professionals or players averaging 80-plus. They are simply people who enjoy the game and want regular competition against opponents of a similar standard.

For many years, local tournaments often saw the same handful of top players dominating week after week. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it could sometimes discourage newer or developing players from entering regularly. Nobody particularly enjoys paying an entry fee every week only to be knocked out immediately by a county player averaging 85.

The answer, it seems, has been the growth of under-average competitions.

The Route for Ambitious Players

For players with aspirations of reaching the highest levels of the game, the ADC Vault system has created a genuine pathway.

Players compete over a series of events within their region, earning points throughout the season. The strongest performers qualify for a Finals Day, where the winner can earn an invitation to compete on television in the Modus Super Series, subject to meeting the required average criteria (typically around 77+).

A strong run on the Modus stage can be life-changing. Television exposure brings opportunities for sponsorship, endorsements, prize money and increased recognition, all without necessarily having to navigate the challenges of PDC Q School or qualify for major WDF events.

For ambitious players, the Vault system offers a clear and realistic route to bigger opportunities.

Darts for Everyone

Not every player wants to become a professional.

Many players simply want competitive, enjoyable darts against opponents of a similar standard.

This is where under-average tournaments have become incredibly important.

Across the UK you'll find Under 70, Under 65 and Under 55 competitions, each designed to cater for different ability levels. In some areas there are even Under 45 events aimed at complete beginners and newer players.

The average limit itself is usually determined by the organiser, allowing flexibility depending on the local player base.

An Under 70 event might suit players who are progressing from pub darts or lower-level leagues and want stronger competition. Under 65 tournaments often sit comfortably between recreational and county-level standards. Under 55 events are ideal for newer players who are still developing consistency and confidence.

The beauty of the system is that players can choose the level that suits them best.

A player averaging 45 can still enter an Under 70 competition if they wish. They'll simply face tougher opposition and perhaps gain valuable experience. Equally, a player averaging 68 may choose to test themselves at open events or Vault competitions.

Another positive development is that the ADC pathway doesn't stop at the Vault Finals. Alongside the main Vault structure, competitions such as Core, Emerging and Rise Up provide additional opportunities for players to progress and earn recognition. Importantly, these events are not restricted by carrying average in the same way as many under-average tournaments, meaning players can continue to challenge themselves as they improve. It creates a ladder of progression where virtually every player entering a local ADC event has something to aim for, regardless of their current standard.

My Personal View

Personally, I've always believed that the goal should be to become too good for your current level.

If you're winning regularly at Under 55 level, perhaps it's time to move into Under 65 events. If you're consistently performing well there, maybe Under 70 or open competitions become the next challenge.

Progression is one of the most satisfying parts of darts.

The under-average system doesn't stop players improving. In fact, it often encourages development by giving players achievable stepping stones rather than expecting them to jump straight into events filled with county stars and former professionals.

The Argument Against

Of course, there are criticisms.

The most common argument is that stronger players now have fewer tournaments available to them. Historically, many local events were open to everyone, allowing the best players to compete wherever they wished.

There is certainly some truth in that.

Top players naturally want regular high-quality competition, and some feel that the increasing number of restricted events reduces their opportunities.

However, it's worth asking an important question.

If the same small group of elite players dominated every local tournament, would we see the participation numbers that exist today?

Many players who now compete weekly may never have entered the sport at all without under-average competitions. The confidence gained from competitive matches against players of similar ability often leads to greater participation, league involvement and long-term commitment to the game.

Finding the Balance

The reality is that grassroots darts needs both.

It needs Vault competitions and open events for ambitious players chasing higher honours.

It also needs Under 70, Under 65, Under 55 and beginner-level events to encourage participation and provide enjoyable competition for the vast majority of players.

The ADC is still relatively young, and not every town or city currently offers the same breadth of opportunities. Some areas have a thriving calendar of events at every level, while others are still developing.

But the direction of travel is clear.

Vaults continue to expand. Under-average events continue to attract strong entries. More players are entering competitive darts than ever before.

As long as organisers continue to provide opportunities for players of all abilities, darts remains a game for everyone.

And that's surely a good thing for the future of the sport.

Q4QS virtual player cards

 Q4QS virtual player cards are now being tested as part of the Quest for Q School grassroots darts database project.

Each card includes a player’s current Q4QS ranking, win percentage, averages, tournament wins and “Nemesis” record, all designed in a clean mobile-friendly format for sharing on social media and viewing on phones.

Current card tiers:
🥇 Gold: Top 100
🥈 Silver: 101–500
🥉 Bronze: 501–1000
🔵 Blue: 1000+

The aim is to create a fun and shareable way for grassroots players to track progress, compare stats and follow rankings throughout the season.(Note rankings are taken from any PDF/WDF/ADC/JDC comps and growing all the time)