If you already know how the Mystery Out works and are looking for the current status and amount of money in the “Mystery Out Pot”, please click on “What’s the Mystery Out?” button on this page.
What is the “Mystery Out Pot” (MOP)?
The “Mystery Out Pot” is a continuously accruing amount of money held by Pub Sports Promotions (or an “area licensed director”) until a player and his/her partner successfully wins a percentage of the total amount of money in the pot. This is an optional event. Every player who chooses to participate, in order to have a chance to win the money in this pot, MUST pay $2.00 at the time they sign-up for that night’s tournament. A player must pay their $2.00 to have a chance to win. If a player chooses NOT to participate in the MOP that night and does NOT pay his/her $2.00, but throws as a “double out” the winning number pulled, then ONLY his/her partner wins their appropriate share of the MOP (as long as the partner put in his/her $2 fee). Each separate Circuit neighborhood or ‘tournament tour’ has its own MOP.
How does it work and how does someone win the “Mystery Out Pot”?
We play two different games in the Circuit’s dart tournaments, “Killer Cricket” and “501(SS/DO)”. In order to win the 501 game an individual player must throw a “double out” with 3 darts or less (e.g. 16= double 8 / 45= 13, double 16 / 112= triple 20, single 12, double 20). If the player wins the game by throwing a “double out” equal to or greater than 41 but, less than 141, that number is reserved in their name until the end of that night’s dart tournament. As the tournament progresses the number of players who accomplish this goal increases and many numbers are reserved in different players’ names.
When the tournament is over, a number is pulled (by the bartender or waitress) from the MOP bag. In the bag are 100 little circled chips that have the numbers 41 to 140 printed on them. If the number pulled matches one of the reserved numbers hit by a player, then that player and his/her partner (if entered) wins a percentage of the total amount of money in the MOP.
What Percentage of the “Mystery Out Pot” (MOP) is paid to a winner?
Usually, there is ONLY ONE draw each tournament. After the tournament is over a bartender or waitress with at least ONE witness will draw a “Mystery Out” number from the bag. If this number is a reserved number, then the player and his/her partner would split 80% of the existing pot. The 80% is split equally (40%/40%) by the participating partners.
What happens after someone wins?
After 80% of the MOP been won, the remaining funds MINUS the PSP or “Licensed Area Director” (LAD) ‘funds management fee’ become available the following night at the next stop in that neighborhood’s tour.
What is the ‘funds management fee’ and how much is it?
The monies in each MOP are placed in a separate account by the Licensed Area Director to eventually be dispersed in cash, check, or money order to the winners of the MOP. Each LAD is due a ‘service fee’ for the proper, ethical, and honest handling of the MOP funds from the collection at the tournaments through the safe keeping and eventual disbursement to each winner. Each ‘Licensed Area Director’ has the discretion to set this ‘fee’ for their area/neighborhood. Here in DFW, Pub Sports Promotions (PSP) has set that ‘fee’ at 5% of the total funds in the MOP at the time it is won, up to a maximum of $100.
What happens if it is NOT won at that evening’s tournament?
If there is NO winner that night, the MOP becomes available at the next “stop” on that neighborhood’s dart tour. Look at the schedule to determine which Sponsoring Tavern in that area is having the Circuit’s dart tournament the next evening. The MOP travels or moves right along with the tournaments from one location to another each and every night of the week. Each Circuit neighborhood or ‘tournament tour’ has its own MOP.
What “Double Out” numbers are available?
The numbers that can be reserved by a player are the numbers 41 through 140. However, if a player throws a “double out” greater than > 140, he/she gets to choose (at that time) TWO (2) numbers which have not been reserved already.
What about the winning player’s partner?
If the winning player’s partner has also paid his/her $2.00 entry fee, then the total amount won is split equally between both players. However, if the winning player’s partner did NOT pay $2.00 to enter, than the winner is NOT obligated to share his/her winnings.
Does a player (or partner) have to be present at the time of the draw to win the Mystery Out?
NO! A player does NOT have to be present at the end of the tournament to win. If the winners are not there when the number is drawn, they will be notified by the Circuit Director either via phone, text, or email. The Director must have that player’s information in order to be notified. The names of the most recent winners are posted on the website, so a player can see if they won the MOP or not. If the Director does not have sufficient personal information to contact the winner, then the winning player’s funds will be held by PSP until the winner has notified the Director of where the funds should be delivered or mailed or until that player comes to another Circuit tournament.
How fast does the “Mystery Out Pot” grow?
With six tournaments a week, the MOP usually increases $150 to $300 a week. So, it is NOT unusual to have a MOP total over $1,000 quite often.
How often is it won?
It is difficult to answer this using a time frame. The average size of the MOP won is about $1,000. Depending on the number of players entering the MOP pot each week, it could take from three to five weeks to reach this amount, again. The record stands at $5,000 (a CAP was set at that amount). It only took about 20 weeks to reach the CAP, before it was won. However, to keep things in perspective, the MOP has also been won 8 times in 14 days. So, like I said, it’s difficult to say how often it is won. Just visit the website daily to find out.
How high can the total amount of money in the “Mystery Out Pot” get?
There is a ‘CAP’ or ‘Ceiling’ on the amount of funds which can be held in any one MOP. The CAP is currently set at $2,500 which pays out $1,000 to each winner.
Is there ever a Second MO number drawn?
Yes, there can be! See below.
What happens when the ‘CAP’ or ‘Ceiling’ is reached?
When the ‘Ceiling’ is reached the MOP is considered ‘Full’; and all funds collected at each nightly tournament thereafter will be placed into an ‘Overflow Pot’ and a SECOND DRAWING for the funds in this ‘Overflow Pot’ WILL OCCUR, until the original MOP has been won.
Tell me about this ‘Overflow Pot’ and the ‘Second Drawing’.
First, an ‘Overflow Pot’ can ONLY exist when the CAP has been reached. It is a temporary Pot. The amount of funds in the ‘Overflow Pot’ will continue to increase, until a WINNER of the MOP has been drawn or a winner of the ‘Overflow Pot’ has been drawn (see next question for more details). After there is a winner of the MOP, all the remaining funds in the ‘Overflow Pot’ and the remaining 20% of the total MOP funds (minus the PSP funds management fee) will become available at the next night’s tournament back in the original MOP.
What is the SECOND DRAWING and how does it work?
When the MOP’s CAP has been reached and an ‘Overflow Pot’ has been established, a second and separate potential winning number for the ‘Overflow Pot’ is drawn. The same MOP rules apply to this Second Drawing for the ‘Overflow Pot’. If a player/team’s reserved number is pulled as a winner, they would win 80% of the accrued funds that are currently in the ‘Overflow Pot’. The other 20% will remain in the ‘Overflow Pot’ for the next night’s drawing or until the main MOP has been won at which time the ‘Overflow Pot’ ceases to exist with its funds being placed back in the original MOP.
Is there any OTHER special features about the “Mystery Out Pot” that the players should be aware of?
The money in this pot is the players’ money. The participating players voluntarily add $2.00 to this pot every tournament in order to be eligible to win the accrued funds in this pot according to the above procedures. It increases each night as funds are added and decreases by the appropriate percentages when there is a winner.
However, the “Mystery Out Pot” can from time to time decrease without a player winning the pot. This can happen in ONLY TWO ways.
The first way is when a Participating Player skillfully hits a “170 Double Out” in a 501 game during a legitimate Circuit “Dart Match”.
The second way is through a Memorial Gift Allocation made by the players, themselves.
“170 Double Out” Pot!
When a player throws a “170 Double Out” in a 501/301 game, then that player and his/her partner have accomplished a very exciting and usually rare feat! The player who has skillfully hit the “170 (triple 20, triple 20, double bull) Double Out” has earned for his/her team – $170 which is split (50%/50%) between partners. These funds will be mailed or handed to the winners within One week unless other arrangements are made between the Circuit Director and the winners. The funds to pay this “170 Double Out” Pot are paid out of the existing Mystery Out funds, at the time.
The intention of every change/addition to the “Mystery Out Pot” is to make it better for the majority of the players and to increase the participation by the players in every tournament.