Q: I have a partner I play tournaments with a lot. A much better player asked me to play in a large tournament and I said yes. Now my partner is pissed at me. We hadn't even talked about the tournament. Do you think he has a right to be mad?

A: Cool! A new, fresh question. I will try to answer this without being on the fence, even though I have opinions both ways. So here goes.

First of all, I believe the answer is no, he has no right to be pissed at you. He should realize that you have a better opportunity to win with the other partner. Second, you hadn't even discussed this particular tournament with each other. He should be happy for you and move on.

It has happened to me as well as many other dart players. It is not personal unless the guy is a jerk and you just can't shoot with him. It sounds to me like you have gotten better and he hasn't. If this is the case, he should realize this and give you the out, rather than laying a guilt trip on you.

He should grow up. Even if he is a little upset, he should grab someone else and show you on the board why he was a better choice. Most of the guys I play with or have played with understand that those things happen.

We recently changed our doubles teams for Vegas so our top two guys can shoot one event together. I have lots of guys I am comfortable playing with, but a few I am not. Sometimes the better player is harder to play with. But, nobody should fault you for trying to find out.

I have seen the best four players on paper get beat by four lower players, because one team was more comfortable than the other. In any case, he may feel slighted if you didn't talk to him first and let him know the opportunity you had.

Hopefully, you told him and it didn't come from someone else. You know how guys can be. If he heard it somewhere else, it looks like you dumped him. If you guys discussed it, you are not caught off guard. Either way, no one should stop you from improving your chances of winning and getting better. If they try too, maybe you were playing with the wrong guy all along.

On the flip side, remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side and the light at the end of the tunnel could be a train.

The basic guideline is get someone you are comfortable with and stay with them. If you feel you are not doing your part, let them know. Give them the option to move on.

It doesn't mean you can't stay friends or you can never shoot together again. It just means at this point in time you are not holding up your side. Everyone brings something different to the table; make sure it is not something you don't like. (That is my quote of the month - I am not sure exactly what it means, but what the heck.)

These opinions are just mine and I could be wrong, but I doubt it.