Tenth Title for Taylor in Dublin – Grand Prix Champ (Again)
Posted on October 9th, 2011
PHIL TAYLOR won his tenth PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix title, defeating Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan 6-3 at the New Citywest Convention Centre on Sunday night.
Taylor’s dominance of the double-start tournament continued as he won back the £100,000 title in style to claim his third successive major, as he followed up the summer’s triumphs in the World Matchplay and European Championship.
Gritty star Dolan had hit a historic nine-darter in Saturday’s semi-final win over reigning champion James Wade, but was unable to repeat the feat as Taylor won his tenth title since the World Grand Prix was introduced in 1998.
Although Dolan won the opening leg, hitting a 180 to the delight of the Dublin crowd, Taylor won the first set 3-1, hitting a brace of double eight finishes as well as producing a whitewash of his opponent with a 12-dart leg as the Northern Irish ace missed nine opening doubles. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Brendan Dolan 9 Darter, Final Results, Phil Taylor, World Grand Prix 2011
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PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix – Semi-Final Round-Up
Posted on October 8th, 2011
BRENDAN DOLAN created history with a nine-dart finish as he won through to the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix final on Saturday night, knocking out reigning champion James Wade to set up a decider against Phil Taylor at the New Citywest Convention Centre.
The 38-year-old from Northern Ireland produced the performance of his life in a 5-2 defeat of world number three Wade, which was crowned when he hit a perfect leg in taking the game’s second set.
Dolan opened the leg with a 160 score before adding a 180 and a 161 finish for the first-ever nine-darter in the double-start tournament – earning him a £5,000 bonus.
He is also now guaranteed a minimum pay-day of £40,000 for reaching the final and could take home the winner’s cheque if he can overcome nine-time champion Phil Taylor on Sunday night.
“It’s absolutely brilliant,” said Dolan. “I’ve only done three or four normal nine-darters in practice, so to do one on TV with a double-start is amazing.
“After I hit the and 160 and 180, I was concentrating so hard on getting the seventh dart in the treble 20. When I hit the treble 17 I just knew the bullseye was going to go in, I felt that comfortable up there.
“It’s the greatest moment of my career – to hit a nine-darter and get to the final of a major tournament is brilliant and the only thing that can out-rank it is to win the final now.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 9 Dart Double in, Brendan Dolan, Brendan Dolan 9 Darter, Dublin, James Wade, pdc World Grand Prix, Phil Taylor, Richie Burnett
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PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix – Quarter-Final Round-Up
Posted on October 8th, 2011
PHIL TAYLOR and James Wade remain on course to clash in the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix final on Sunday night, but have been joined in Saturday’s semis in Dublin by Brendan Dolan and Richie Burnett.
Taylor’s charge towards a tenth title in the double-start format continued as he swept past Mark Webster in straight sets in their quarter-final, dropping only three legs in the game.
Taylor averaged over 101 and, after taking out 101 to win the only set which went to a decider he secured the victory and a semi-final spot with a classy ten-darter and a 145 finish.
“I’m pleased with that and although I think there’s still more improvement in my game I’m happy to be in the semis,” said Taylor. “Mark played well but I kept him under pressure.”
Reigning champion Wade, meanwhile, overcame Andy Smith’s plucky challenge with a 4-2 victory – taking the final two sets 3-2 to remain on course for a third World Grand Prix win.
“Andy made me work hard,” said Wade. At times when I thought he was dead and buried he’d come up with a finish; he never gives up and kept coming back at me. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 2011 PDC World Grand Prix, Andy Smith, Brendan Dolan, Dublin, James Wade, Phil Taylor, Richie Burnett
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World Grand Prix QF Preview and Tipster Update
Posted on October 7th, 2011
We’ve given up trying to predict this tournament, except to say that Phil Taylor will win it. So put you money elsewhere..!
Two of Brendan Dolan (250/1), John Henderson (125/1), Mark Hylton (125/1) and Richie Burnett (150/1) will definitely be in the semis and outside of that quartet did anybody else honestly predict that?
Only three seeds survive and two of those (Phil Taylor and Mark Webster) play each other. James Wade is the other and he tackles Andy Smith (100/1).
The unpredictability this week is highlighted by our Beat the Tipster competition where everybody is struggling to call it right. The average points per match is currently 1.5. Usually the average is close to or above 2. To put it into perspective the 2011 World Matchplay averaged 1.9 and three previous World Grands Prix have averaged 2.0, 2.3 & 2.5. Proof that this week has not gone as the majority expected. Only two players are averaging over 2 points per game so Craig Jackson & Petri Rasmus are rightly leading the way in the race for our fantastic Bulls prizes.
There are some odds and head to heads below for you to see if you can have a better go at working it all out than us. Good luck! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Betting, Preview, World Grand Prix
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PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix – Night Four Round-Up
Posted on October 7th, 2011
PHIL TAYLOR brushed off the challenge of Paul Nicholson to sweep into the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix on Thursday night, as Mark Webster, Mark Hylton and Richie Burnett also won through to the last eight.
World number one Taylor continued his bid for a tenth victory in the double-start format with a comfortable straight-sets victory over Nicholson, who failed to live up to the pre-match hype as he took on the Stoke great.
Taylor dropped just three legs in the game, and hit key finishes of 105, 120 and 147 in setting up a quarter-final with Mark Webster on Friday night.
“I’m really pleased with the win and it’s another indication that my game’s in good shape at the moment,” said Taylor. “Paul didn’t play as well as he can. He’s making a name for himself at the moment and he’s a very good player, but he’s not as consistent enough yet.”
Webster, who defeated Taylor in the quarter-finals of the World Championship in January, set up a repeat of that clash with a strong 3-1 defeat of Alan Tabern. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: darts, Dublin, Mark Hylton, Mark Webster, PartyPoker.net, Paul Nicholson, PDC, Phil Taylor, Results, World Grand Prix
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PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix – Night Three Round-Up
Posted on October 6th, 2011
James Wade came from two sets down to keep alive his hopes of retaining the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix title on Wednesday night, but Raymond van Barneveld, Wes Newton and John Part all exited the double-start tournament.
Reigning champion Wade found himself two sets behind in his second round clash with Vincent van der Voort at the New Citywest Convention Centre, but won nine of the next 12 legs to win through to the quarter-finals.
“Maybe I should have nicked one of the first two sets but I didn’t and I gave myself a lot of hard work to do,” said Wade, who has won the Dublin title in 2007 and 2010.
“It was great to come back like that and I feel like I’m starting to get back towards my best.”
Wade’s quarter-final opponent on Friday will be Andy Smith, who won through to the last eight in the World Grand Prix for a third time with a stunning 3-1 defeat of Raymond van Barneveld. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 2011 PartyPoker.net World Grand Prix, Andy Smith, Brendan Dolan, James Wade, Review, second round results
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PartyPoker.net World Grand Prix Round Two Preview
Posted on October 5th, 2011
Three debutantes have made it through to round two but can they go any further? Vincent van der Voort finally won a match on the Dublin stage at the fifth attempt but can he win his second?
Mark Webster contained his debut nerves and overcame Andy Hamilton to set up a Last 16 meeting with Alan Tabern. The Saint hasn’t had a great 2011 so Webby (1/3) will be confident of reaching the quarter finals and a 4-1 head to head record in the Welshman’s favour would seem to back this up. You can get 11/4 on Tabern if you fancy the upset though.
Mark Hylton has had a fine year and has progressed well since going full time. He takes on Simon Whitlock on Thursday in what will be the first meeting between the two. Odds of 3/1 for Hylton are mightily tempting with Whitlock the rightful favourite but a measly 2/7.
Tags: Betting, Preview, World Grand Prix
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PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix – Night Two Round-Up
Posted on October 5th, 2011
TAYLOR AVOIDS UPSET AS ANDERSON IS SHOCKED BY BURNETT
PHIL TAYLOR overcame a huge scare against Peter Wright in the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix on Tuesday night as Gary Anderson and Dave Chisnall were knocked out by thrilling comebacks at the New Citywest Convention Centre in Dublin.
Nine-time World Grand Prix winner Taylor has been defeated three times previously in the quick-fire first round in the double-start event, and when Wright took the opening set of their clash and led 1-0 in the second, a fourth early exit began to seem a possibility.
But Taylor hit back superbly to take the set 3-1 before finding top gear in winning the final set by the same scoreline, completing victory with a showpiece 164 checkout.
“Peter’s set me up for the tournament because he really made me work hard there,” said Taylor. “He hit the 180s at the right time and was fantastic, but when I was a set down and a leg down I thought I was going out again, but I really dug in.
“The first round’s a nightmare because it’s a big leveller, and the standard is so high now that anyone is capable of a shock – but I’m glad I wasn’t the victim!” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Dublin, Phil Taylor, Results, Richie Burnett, World Grand Prix 2011
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PDC World Grand Prix Night 2 DartsMad Review
Posted on October 5th, 2011
Dennis Ovens and Jamie Caven kicked of night two of the first round action in the 2011 World Grand Prix, with both players seeking to improve their unenviable records in the tournament. Ovens made early inroads against the throw, held comfortably in the next taking out tops with Jabba way back on 213, before Caven hit back with a 140 and 180 to take the third leg. The Heat held to take the first set 3-1. Out shots of 170 and 115 from Caven took the second set to a deciding leg, but Ovens did enough to take the straight sets win.
Mark ‘Mile High’ Hylton allowed a rock steady Mark Walsh to take the first set to nil. He fared better in the next picking up a leg with a 106 out shot, nicked another scrappy leg but Walsh he hit back with a 121 checkout of his own. Mile High took the deciding leg to force the third set. Cue a change of fortune and a great comeback as Hylton put his ungainly looking throw to good use, emerging a 2-1 winner against a bitterly disappointed Walsh.
Dave Chisnall started just as bright as his yellow shirt, getting in on 160’s and hitting maximums as Alan Tabern struggled to find his both his rhythm and the doubles. With accurate doubles and heavy scoring Chisnall swiftly took the first set, however he was equally quick to go off the boil. Missing 13 match darts to open the door for Tabern to fulfil a mighty comeback and take the game 2-1 in a deciding leg.
Despite acheiving a considerably higher 3 dart average, Mark Webster lost the opening set to Andy Hamilton who was deadly on the doubles. Webster redressed the balance in taking the second set which included a 124 bull out shot under pressure from the Hammer. Webster then raced away and took the final set 3-0 for a sweet 2-1 victory.
Gary Anderson wasted no time in taking the first set off Richie Burnett, and at one point threatened to hit a 9 darter, but the 8th dart fell short of the treble 17. Burnett found his range in the second to take the game to a deciding set. Anderson opened with another missed 9 dart opportunity but his all too familiar double trouble plagued him yet again. That’s not to take anything away from Burnett, who zoned in on the lipstick and hit his doubles for a memorable 2-1 victory, continuing his recent resurgence in form.
The short format, set play and double in afforded Peter Wright a good opportunity to put Phil Taylor out of a TV major. After throwing away the first leg, he redeemed himself with a 115 checkout to draw level, followed up with a 101 to take the lead and then proceeded to take the set 3-1. Taylor though was never going to lie down, and the match went to a deciding set. Wright held his nerve to break Taylor in the first leg, but Taylor broke and held to go within 1 leg of victory, finishing with a glorious 164 outshot to do just that. 2-1 to the Power, but a great effort from Snakebite who continues to improve and impress.
As Dublin approached the witching hour, the beard to be feared - Simon Whitlock baited the raging Bull, producing a fairly comfortable 2-1 victory in sending Terry Jenkins home. The midnight matchup between Paul Nicholson and Ronnie Baxter was a one sided affair. Baxter was unable to produce any Asset management skills, and it was Nicholson who rocketed away with the first set. Baxter hit back in the second but The Asset held his nerve to take the deciding leg and the 2-0 win.
Tags: Dublin, PartPoker.net, PDC Darts, Peter Wright, Phil Taylor, Richie Burnett, World Grand Prix
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PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix – Night One Round-Up
Posted on October 4th, 2011
PART FIGHTBACK STUNS LEWIS AS WADE & BARNEY PROGRESS IN DUBLIN
WORLD CHAMPION Adrian Lewis crashed out of the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix as John Part produced a remarkable comeback on Monday night, as James Wade opened the defence of his title in confident mood at Dublin’s New Citywest Convention Centre.
Lewis looked set to coast to victory when he won the game’s opening five legs to win the first set and move to the brink of a place in the last 16 in the double-start tournament.
But missed doubles gave Part his chance, and the Canadian took the next three legs to level the game, before winning the decider 3-1 to send Lewis – last year’s runner-up – out of the tournament.
“It’s a great win,” said Part. “The sets format meant that the comeback was more achievable than if we were playing a legs format
“Under pressure at the end, when my arm and hand was shaking because of the pressure, I hit a lot of doubles in and out. But maybe Adrian’s level came down because I wasn’t showing him much but I scored pretty well when I got away and maybe I did a bit of a rope-a-dope on him! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Adrian Lewis, Double in, Dublin, First Round Results, John Part, PartyPoker.net 2011 World Grand Prix
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Both poker and darts are highly popular pursuits. The games are available online, in fact, that there are organizations dedicated to making sure the rules of video poker and online darts are conformed. Similar to darts having the World Darts Federation, among others, and poker has the Tournament Directors Association. These rules are put into place in highly competitive tournaments, in which as many as hundreds or even thousands of people compete for cash prizes as well as prestige.
