Dutch Open Darts

Estimated reading time: 29 minutes

Fun fact: the Dutch Open Darts is one of the oldest darts tournaments in the world. Not a PDC tournament, but one with a great history. Betting on Dutch Open Darts has also been popular for longer than you might have suspected.

When betting on darts, you mainly have tournaments from the PDC calendar to choose from. These include the PDC World Championship, the Premier League of Darts, the World Grand Prix, and the Grand Slam of Darts. Now we will take a deeper look at the format, history, betting markets, and top matches of the Dutch Open Darts. The more you know, the greater your chances of winning when betting on the Dutch Open Darts.

Format – Dutch Open Darts

The Dutch Open Darts is, as the tournament says, an ‘Open’ event. Because the tournament was always linked to the BDO World Championship and the World Masters, players from the PDC could never enter. Currently, at least, the placement is based on the WDF World Ranking. Every year, a few thousand darters sign up for the tournament, which is organised for both men and women.

With so many participants, the matches are very short. The tournament is therefore pushed through in three days. Even the seventh and eighth rounds are best of 7 legs. So lose focus for but a moment, and you are out. This brings dynamics to the tournament that you have to take into account when betting on Dutch Open Darts. Surprises are more than likely to lurk.

The quarter-finals are set up as the best of 9 legs, the semi-finals a best of 3 sets and the final a best of 5 sets.

Dutch Open Darts: organised throughout the Netherlands

The tournament has been organised at many different venues over the years. Between 1984 and 1992, there were even six venues: from The Hague to Amsterdam to Nieuwegein to Hattem to Harderwijk to Noordwijkerhout. Between 1995 and 1999, the Apart Hotel in Delden was the regular venue. After two years De Bonte Wever in Slagharen, it was at the Conference Centre Koningshof in Veldhoven from 2002-2013. Since 2014, the Dutch Open Darts has been in De Bonte Wever, but now in Assen (that’s pronounced as “uh-sen” for those of you wondering).

History – Dutch Open Darts

This Dutch tournament has been organised since 1973, making it one of the oldest darts tournaments in the world. The first years, of course, the Dutch Open Darts still had Dutch winners. In 1973, Ton Koster was the first and in 1974 he was succeeded by a woman: Mary de Knoop.

The first five years saw ten different Dutch finalists on the oche. In the late 1970s, history also saw the first foreign finalists. Jimmy Cox from Scotland won the 1978 final from the Belgian Daniel Serie. A year later they faced each other again, but then Serie was the better of the two. In 1981, Serie would play his third final, but lose to Englishman Gordon Watson.

Belgians and Alan Warriner win Dutch Open Darts

Daniel Serie ushered in a strong Belgian period at the Dutch Open Darts. From 1981 to 1990, there was always at least one Belgian in the final. Frans Devooght even played three finals in a row: in 1984 and 1985 he won, in 1986 he lost. A year later, his compatriot Bob Renard managed to beat five-time world champion Eric Bristow in the final.

In 1990 and 1992, Leo Laurens secured the sixth and seventh Belgian titles at the Dutch Open Darts. Incidentally, Laurens was number one in the WDF Ranking for a short time at the end of 1993. This was because the BDO’s top players including Phil Taylor withdrew and would form the PDC. Around the time of Leo Laurens, Alan Warriner also won the Dutch Open Darts twice: in 1989 and 1993, and later again in 1998. The Englishman was a losing finalist at the BDO World Cup in 1993 and would subsequently make the quarter-finals and semi-finals at the PDC World Darts Championship seven times and twice.

Steve Beaton, Ted Hankey and Raymond van Barneveld

In the mid-1990s, there was a clear English dominance at the Dutch Open Darts. Between 1995 and 2000, there was an all-English final each time. Steve Beaton in 1996 became only the second to win the tournament twice in a row. Mervyn King (yes, even then) won and lost a final, Ted Hankey won in 2000 and 2003.

Then, in 2001, there was finally a Dutchman in the lead: Raymond van Barneveld. A year after him, a special event followed: in 2002, Shaun Greatbatch became the first darter to throw a nine darter live on television, in the final against Steve Coote. As a result, he would always be known as Nine Dart Man. Van Barneveld won his second and third Dutch Open Darts in 2004 and 2006.

Martin Adams, Scott Waites and Ross Montgomery

After Barney’s last title in 2006, it would be a 13-year wait for the next Dutch winner. Ten times came an English winner, twice a Scottish one. Late bloomer Martin Adams and Scott Waites, both BDO world champions, would mostly call the shots for 10 years. Waites won in 2007 and 2013 and lost finals in 2010 and 2014. Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams won in 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016.

Ross Montgomery still provided Scottish pride in the Dutch Open Darts in 2014 and 2020, also losing a final in 2017. In the last three editions, they had two more Dutch winners. In 2019 it was Richard Veenstra and in 2022 it was Jelle Klaassen.

Dutch Open Darts: women

The women’s tournament has also been held since 1973. Mary de Knoop won the first two editions and later Irma Joosse was also a two-time winner. England’s Mandy Solomon dominated in the early 1990s with three wins in a row and was ‘succeeded’ by Francis Hoenselaar. Between 1995 and 2004, she won the tournament no fewer than seven times. England’s Deta Hedman had the dubious ‘honour’ of losing no fewer than four finals between 1992 and 1996: twice against Solomon and twice against Hoenselaar.

Hoenselaar’s eternal rival Trina Gulliver is also a multiple winner of the Dutch Open Darts: she won the tournament five times. Incidentally, the aforementioned Hedman would later revenge herself. She won the tournament in 2010, 2017 and 2018, with another lost final in 2015. Aileen de Graaf upheld the Dutch honour in recent years with wins in 2014, 2015 and 2020. Hoenselaar and Gulliver, incidentally, won the women’s doubles together nine times.

Statistics – Dutch Open Darts

Two old buddies are the most successful in the statistics of the Dutch Open Darts. Martin Adams is the record holder with four wins, Raymond van Barneveld won the tournament three times – as did Alan Warriner. Frans Devooght and Leo Laurens (Belgium), Steve Beaton, Ted Hankey, Scott Waites, Ross Montgomery and Mark McGeeney are two-time winners.

Martin Adams and Scott Waites reached the most finals, both four times. But Raymond van Barneveld was most often in the semi-finals (eight times), quarter-finals (10 times) and at the tournament at all (12 times). In 2003, though, Barney was the ‘victim’ of the highest average, when he lost to Ted Hankey who recorded 106.35. Shaun Greatbatch’s nine-darter in 2002 was followed up by Darryl Fitton in 2015.

Betting Markets – Dutch Open Darts

When betting on darts, there are often a number of odds (betting markets) to choose from. We explain some of the ones you can choose from at most, if not all, bookmakers.

Betting on Dutch Open Darts – outright and claiming in tournament

This tournament with a long history also has many winners. If you predict the right winner out of so many different participants when betting on darts, it can pay off handsomely. But often bookmakers also allow you to bet on how far a player progresses in the tournament.

Betting on Dutch Open Darts – (live) betting on results

Short matches, but also plenty of excitement. Can you judge who can handle the pressure the best? Then bet on the winner of a match. Whether in advance or perhaps live – betting on darts provides plenty of options.

Betting on Dutch Open Darts – 180s and highest checkout

Darts is all about two things: first, it’s about scoring as many as possible with triples, and secondly, finishing quickly with a double. These two things are easy to bet on. Thus, in a match or in a tournament, you can bet on who throws the most 180s and who also throws the highest checkout.

Historic matches – Dutch Open Darts

2002 final – Shaun Greatbatch vs Steve Coote

He has not been with us since 5 June 2022, but we always remember Shaun Greatbatch for that wonderful match in 2002. In the final of the Dutch Open Darts, he threw the first ever nine-darter on live television and won his first tournament.

2015 final – Martin Adams vs Darryl Fitton

In this match, Martin Adams won the tournament for the third time, as many times as Alan Warriner and Raymond van Barneveld. However, his opponent Darryl Fitton, winner of 2009, stole the show with a stunning nine-darter.

2022 final – Jelle Klaassen vs Mark Barilli

After Raymond van Barneveld in 2006, Dutch darts fans had to wait a long time for another Dutch winner. In 2019 it was finally Richard Veenstra, and in 2022 Jelle Klaassen – yet another BDO world champion to win this tournament.