Big darts at Lucky's Bar & Grill

By Frank Davies

“Hey, this place is jumpin,” I thought as I entered Lucky's Bar & Grill in Lacey. The place was totally packed and the action centered around the large dart area, which was effectively separated from the main area of the bar.

I introduced myself as a rep for the Medallion and was immediately greeted by player after player competing for top honors in the tournament. Explaining that I was a novice regarding darts, they began to fill in the blanks for me. If you too are a novice, then I would highly recommend Lucky's as a great place to learn. The folks there are friendly and willing to share their knowledge of darts. There are some hot players there too! The challenge is out to those of you who live in Tacoma to come on down to Lacey and play against these top throwers on their own turf. While I tried to follow the game, it was the players who kept my attention focused on the camaraderie of the event.

Tony was running this Medalist affiliated tournament and in the end, placed fourth with his partner Amber. I met Debbie along with her daughter Kim and her mom, Margie. Debbie jumps on the phone getting the word out prior to events, and apparently doing a good job considering the 20 people busy throwing at the electronic boards.

Dale Gabriel and Dave Moore own the place and intend to make it the house to beat. Dave also mentioned that they have some upcoming challenges for the Limited Cup and the 4x7 Cup.

The crowd was really friendly. One gal was running around shaking every player's hand and wishing them “good luck”. Many of them had great tales to tell about darts going back to the days of steel points and covering events held in other countries. I wish I had the room here to relay them all to you, but if you stop in, I'm sure you will get to hear them in person. I learned a lot about darts that night, from top players and newbies alike. I was amazed to notice that there was a distinct lack of drama concerning the outcome. In the end, Mike Hemphill and his partner, Shyla Steven, placed third. Leah Nelson and her partner Bo Brown placed second, while Gary Humbock and Jonas Davila placed first for the night. I had a great time, and enjoyed the food as you will too when you venture out to play with the masters and novices at Lucky's Bar & Grill at 4011 Pacific Avenue in Lacey.

There's a lot to do (pool tables, games, 13 monitors, along with a big screen TV, besides darts but if you are looking for a challenge or a place to learn, this is your kind of place!