Games have been played in pubs since pubs were first invented and some of the most traditional British games are entwined with pub culture.

Gambling laws in this country mean that you can’t play games of chance in pubs, and you certainly can’t play for high stakes. However some games of chance have survived.

Bagatelle, the forerunner to the pin ball machine has is still played in pubs though it is also now of a family game.

Both cards and dominoes are still played in pubs across the country, legal because though the intial hand is a matter of chance, you win the game through skill.

Dominoes games are still incredibly popular, if you'd like to introduce a new dominoes game to your pub take a look at the rules to Mexican Trains, a game to play with double twelves, or Matador, a game to play with double nines.

The oldest game still played seriously in pubs is undoubtedly the game of darts. An old story goes that in 1908 Jim Garside landlord of the Adelphi Inn, Leeds was accused of allowing betting over a game of chance; darts. At his trial he called as a witness Willim “Bigfoot” Anakin. Bigfoot hit any number on the dartboard that the court called out and so they had no choice but to rule that darts was a game of skill and Garside was innocent. There’s no official end to this story but we hope that Garside bought his friend a pint.