More Than Just a Drink

The British pub is a living room for the community, and its traditional games are the furniture that keeps everyone gathered round. A pint of real ale and a plate of proper pub food are pleasures in themselves, but add a set of dominoes or a dartboard and you have a ritual that spans generations. Bar billiards, skittles, darts, and dominoes each have their own rules, history, and etiquette. They reward a steady hand, a sharp eye, and the willingness to laugh at your own misfortunes. Best of all, you do not need to be an expert to join in. You just need to ask behind the bar for the kit and a bit of guidance.

Bar Billiards: The Table with a Trap

Bar billiards began in the 1930s as a compact alternative to full-sized billiards, and it became a staple of pubs in Kent, Sussex, and Surrey. The table looks like a small pool table but is full of holes, each with a value. A row of skittles stands at one end, including a black one that acts as a trap. You take turns to pot your balls, but knock over the black skittle and your break ends immediately. Most pub tables have a time limit, often fifteen minutes, so you must balance caution with ambition.

• Use the cue to strike your ball through the baulk line and into a hole.
• Holes are worth different points: 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200.
• Never knock over the black skittle. It wipes your score for that turn.
• If a ball jumps off the table, it is returned to the baulk area and you lose a point.
• Highest score when time is called wins the game.

Skittles: The West Country Classic

Skittles is an ancient game that shares DNA with bowling, but the pub version is a world away from a slick American alley. In the West Country, you will find heavy wooden balls and nine stout pins arranged in a diamond. In other pubs, table skittles offers a miniature version: nine small pins on a polished table, with a ball suspended on a chain. Both demand a smooth underarm swing and a keen sense of angles. The game is a staple of leagues across Somerset, Devon, and beyond, and a friendly match is often the highlight of the week.

• Stand behind the line and roll the ball underarm. No overarm lobs.
• Each player gets three balls per turn to knock down as many pins as possible.
• One point per pin. Knock all nine down with your first ball for a floorer – pins reset and you carry on.
• In table skittles, swing the ball on its chain to scatter the pins. Three swings per turn.
• Highest score after an agreed number of turns wins. Loser buys the next round.

Darts: The Nation's Favourite

Darts evolved from archery practice and found its true home in the pub. The standard board has twenty numbered segments, plus doubles, trebles, and a bullseye. The most common game is 501: you start with 501 points and subtract your score with each throw. To finish, you must hit a double or the bullseye. It sounds simple, but the pressure of a close leg can make the board seem tiny. Pub etiquette matters as much as technique: never cross the oche while someone is throwing, and chalk the scores clearly so everyone can see.

• Stand with your lead foot behind the oche line. Keep still and throw with a smooth elbow motion.
• Three darts per turn. Write the score on the chalkboard and subtract it.
• To win, reach exactly zero with a double or the bullseye (50).
• If you bust – go below zero or hit one – your turn ends and your score reverts.
• Shake hands after the game. A pint of bitter is the traditional reward.

Dominoes: The Quiet Conqueror

Dominoes is the quiet king of the pub table. It originated in China and travelled to Britain via sailors and traders, settling into working men's clubs and back-room snugs. A standard set has twenty-eight tiles, from double-six down to blank-blank. The game is a mix of luck and memory, and it pairs beautifully with a slow pint of mild. In pubs, you will often hear cries of “muggins!” – a variant where you score any open end that is a multiple of five. It is a game of small triumphs and friendly groans.

• Draw five tiles each (or seven for a longer game). The highest double starts.
• Play a tile that matches an open end. If you cannot play, draw from the boneyard.
• If the boneyard is empty, pass your turn. The game ends when someone plays all their tiles.
• Score the total of the pips left in your opponents' hands. First to 100 wins.
• Muggins: after each turn, add the open ends. If the total is a multiple of five, score it.

The Perfect Accompaniment: Ale and Food

No traditional pub game is complete without the right refreshment. A pint of real ale – whether a malty bitter, a dark mild, or a hoppy golden ale – keeps the arm steady and the conversation flowing. Traditional pub food is built for sharing and grazing: a pork pie with piccalilli, a Scotch egg, a ploughman's with thick-cut cheddar and pickled onions, or a steaming plate of fish and chips. Many pubs now run a “games and ale” night, where you can try bar billiards or skittles while sampling local brews. Ask the landlord which games they have, and do not be shy about asking for a quick lesson. The best pub games are not about winning. They are about the friendly pint afterwards.