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When it comes to throwing darts, Terri Reno and her friends have only one rule.

"You must come for fun," she said. "We don't want any not fun people here."

Reno and her husband, Randy, along with friends Boyd and Carolyn Haslam and Bob and Edie Eggers have been competing together for about six years.

The group has followed the dart circuit around Craig.

"We've played everywhere we could," Terri Reno said.

These days the group calls the Popular Bar their dart home. Nearly every Thursday the group gathers along with other dart lovers for an evening of darts.

"My kids in New York know not to call on Thursday nights because it's dart night," Carolyn Haslam said.

Reno said the group started a few years ago when there was an arcade in town.

"The owner went out of business and we stopped for a little while," she said.

For a time, they played at Craig's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4265. During that sting, the group added Faye Nissen, Betty Pritchard and Connie Jessen.

There were 18 players at Thursday night's game, which is on the light side according to Nissen.

"We usually fill this place up. It is not unusual for there to be 30 to 40 players," Nissen said.

"It is my night out," Pritchard said. "And my stress relief."

Anyone can play -- singles or couples. It doesn't matter because each week competitors draw for who will be paired together for the night.

"It's a blind draw," Reno said. "You put your name in a hat, you're paired off and that's your partner for the night."

The cost is $5.25 per game. Each ring on the dart board has a point value. Each player has three darts and plays a series of elimination rounds. The object of the first set is to get 301points first. If the team wins 301 they sit out. If the team loses, they play a 501 round. If they lose the 501 round, they're eliminated. Then all the winning 301s play another series of elimination until there's a winner. If a player's score is less than 20 points there is the "quarter kitty," which goes to the party fund. First, second and third places win a money pot. The amount of the pot depends on the initial number of players.

According to Reno, skill is not a necessary element to play the game.

"Some nights you cannot win or even hit the board," she said, "And other nights you can't lose."

The kind of darts used is simply a matter of each thrower's preference. Most players use darts that range from 14 to 18 grams. Darts range in price from around $17 to $170 for a set of three. The tips are replaceable plastic.

"Some people prefer slick barrel and others need a little roughness," Nissin said. "It just depends on what is right for the player."

The group plays every Thursday beginning at 7 p.m. at the Popular Bar. They invite anyone who wants to have fun and a good time to join them.

"This is a great group of people just getting out for a good time," Nissen said.

Lois Wymore can be reached at 824-7031.