Premier League Preview & Competition!
Posted on February 9th, 2011
THE 888.com Premier League Darts season begins at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday night, with the four games including reigning champion Phil Taylor taking on World Champion Adrian Lewis.
The first of 14 league nights held in arenas across the UK will see the eight stars do battle in front of 10,000 fans in the capital, with the action being screened live on Sky Sports 3D.
2009 champion James Wade will meet debutant Mark Webster in the first of four games on the night, before another Premier League newcomer takes to the stage, as World Championship finalist Gary Anderson meets Australian Simon Whitlock.
Five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld plays Terry Jenkins in the third game, before Stoke rivals Taylor and Lewis take to the stage in an eagerly-awaited clash.
Tags: Premier League Darts, Preview
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Ladbrokes World Championship Round Two Preview & Head to Heads
Posted on December 26th, 2010
Christmas Day came and went in a flash but I made time to raise a small sherry to the hope of a championship that catches fire when it resumes on Monday. And Flash could be just the guy to do it when Mark Dudbridge faces up to Adrian Lewis in what is arguably the mouth watering tie of the round. Here are the pick of the second round matches…
Tags: Head to Head, PDC World Championship, Preview, Round Two, Stats
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Ladbrokes World Championship Preview
Posted on December 15th, 2010
THE Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship begins on Thursday at Alexandra Palace in London, with reigning champion Phil Taylor amongst 72 players competing for the £1 million prize fund.
The sport’s richest event will be played across 15 days during the Christmas and New Year period, with players from 21 countries represented at Alexandra Palace.
The first round will be played across eight nights ahead of Christmas, with four matches accompanied by one preliminary round game per session as players seek to progress to the last 32, who will return to London on December 27.
The tournament – screened live in High Definition by Sky Sports – will kick off on Thursday, with January’s winner of the Players Championship Finals tournament, Paul Nicholson, meeting debutant Steve Farmer.
Tags: Ladbrokes World Championship, Preview
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Bodog.com World Grand Prix Preview
Posted on October 3rd, 2010
THE Bodog.com World Grand Prix begins on Monday night in Dublin, as 32 of the world’s greatest players gather at the Citywest Hotel Convention Centre for the unique double-start event.
The £350,000 tournament will be played from Monday October 4-Sunday October 10 and screened live on Sky Sports HD – as players battle to deny Phil Taylor a tenth victory in the event.
The World Grand Prix is unique in the darting calendar, with all legs having to both begin and end with a double – ensuring tension and drama throughout the event, especially in the best of three set first round.
Reigning champion Taylor opted not to play in the two Players Championships over the weekend, and has enjoyed a relaxed build-up as he bids to add to his nine wins in the double-start event.
However, his three defeats have all come in the first round – to Kevin Painter in 2001, Andy Callaby in 2004 and Adrian Gray in 2007 – and he admits he will have some nerves against Brendan Dolan on Monday night.
“It’s a short format and Brendan’s in good form so I know I’ll have to be on top of my game from the start,” said Taylor. “I’m always a bit apprehensive in the first round here but if you get through that then you can relax as the format gets longer.
“I’m feeling good through. I’ve had a great year so far and prepared well for this, so I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully I can get past Brendan and have another successful week.”
Tags: Preview, World Grand Prix
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Bodog.com World Grand Prix Preview
Posted on September 15th, 2010
PHIL TAYLOR set his sights on a tenth Bodog.com World Grand Prix title next month as the event was launched at a packed Dublin Press conference on Tuesday.
The world number one will defend his title in the double-start tournament at the Citywest Hotel from October 4-10, with the tournament being shown live on Sky Sports HD.
Having won 15 World Championships and 11 World Matchplay titles, another World Grand Prix win would see him reach double figures in victories in a third major tournament – a feat unrivalled in the sport’s history.
“I try not to think too much about records but to win a tenth World Grand Prix would be very special,” said Taylor, who turned 50 last month.
“I’ve had a lot of success in the tournament, as well as some bad memories with three first round defeats!
“The double-start format is a great challenge and you have to be on your game all the time because the format’s short early on and if I’m honest I’m always nervous going into the first round.”
Taylor will find out his first round opponent when the draw takes place next Tuesday, with the final two qualifying events taking place in Holland this weekend.
The world’s top 16 qualify by right, and are joined by the leading four Irish or Northern Irish players and 12 other qualifiers for the £350,000 tournament.
Tags: Preview, World Grand Prix
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Championship League Darts Preview
Posted on September 6th, 2010
THE 2010 Championship League Darts begins on Tuesday, as eight of the world’s top players battle for £200,000 in prize money in the internet-streamed tournament.
Stars such as Phil Taylor, James Wade, Simon Whitlock and Mervyn King are used to battling in front of thousands of fans around the UK in major PDC tournaments, but will be playing behind closed doors across the nine days of Championship League Darts.
The internet-streamed event sees eight eight-player groups contested during September and October, with each of the group winners then competing for the £10,000 first prize in the Winners Group.
However, prize money per leg won is also awarded throughout the event, starting at £50 per leg in the groups as the players compete in a round-robin format.
The top four players from each group contest the play-offs, where they won £100 per leg, and each day’s winner progresses to the Winners Group on October 14.
Tags: Championship League Darts, Preview
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PartyPoker.net European Championship Preview
Posted on July 28th, 2010
PHIL TAYLOR opens his challenge for a third successive PartyPoker.net European Championship title on Thursday, when he takes on Co Stompe as the £200,000 tournament begins in Dinslaken, Germany.
Taylor has lifted the European Championship trophy in each of the past two years since the tournament was launched in 2008.
The world number one travels to the Stadthalle in Dinslaken on a high after winning his 11th World Matchplay last Sunday, as he seeks to win a fourth major title inside three months.
“Winning the World Matchplay was great and I’d love to go on and win the European Championship this weekend,” said Taylor. “I’m feeling great and playing well, and winning this would round off a perfect summer.”
Taylor takes on Co Stompe in the first round, with the Dutchman having defeated him in the 2008 German Darts Championship final.
“Co has done brilliantly in the last couple of years and he played superbly when he won the German Darts Championship, but that was a different day,” added Taylor.
“I put it behind me and so has Co, and we’ve played a few times since. He did well in the World Matchplay last week and I know he’ll want that to continue in Germany.”
Stompe followed that German Darts Championship victory with two World Championship quarter-final appearances, as well as winning a Players Championship a month ago and reaching the last eight in Blackpool.
“The win over Phil is in the past and you can’t dwell on that because it’s history,” said Stompe. “It’s a new game on Thursday and I’ve got a hard game against Phil.
“I’ve turned my game around, because I’ve been practising on my doubles and they went alright in Blackpool but my scoring let me down.
“I know I can play better than I did in Blackpool, and I’ll go up there on Thursday and hopefully give Phil a big fight.”
The tournament’s opening night will also feature the eagerly-awaited clash between two of the sport’s fastest throwers, Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort.
The Dutch pair have both enjoyed strong form in 2010, while Klaasen – a European Championship semi-finalist last year – reached the quarter-finals of last week’s World Matchplay with a slightly slower throwing style.
“I tried to slow down and it felt good,” he said. “I’m always trying to improve my game and I’ve tried something new on stage now, and I played well.
“I think I’ll try to play slower now in every tournament. It will be a hard match to play against Vincent because we travel all the time and are good friends, but when we get on stage we’re enemies and want to beat each other 6-0.”
The players ranked fourth and fifth in the world, Mervyn King and Terry Jenkins, have an opportunity to bounce back from first round exits in the World Matchplay when they face Barrie Bates and Germany’s Andree Welge respectively.
Simon Whitlock, the Australian who has jumped to eighth in the PDC Order of Merit following his run to the semi-finals of the World Matchplay, takes on two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley on his European Championship debut.
The tournament will open when Paul Nicholson, January’s Players Championship Finals winner, faces Andy Smith – who had minor surgery on a leg injury a week ago but has previously won a Players Championship on the Dinslaken stage.
Gary Anderson, the UK Open finalist who has been troubled by a shoulder injury in recent weeks and lost to Klaasen in Blackpool, meets Jamie Caven, and number eight seed Mark Walsh faces Spanish debutant Antonio Alcinas.
World number two Raymond van Barneveld – who hit a nine-darter in the World Matchplay before losing to Taylor in the final – takes on Andy Hamilton on the second night of play on Friday, while number three seed James Wade faces Colin Lloyd.
German pair Tomas Seyler and Bernd Roith are in action on home soil, with Roith taking on Denis Ovens on his televised debut while Seyler meets Michael van Gerwen – the Dutch youngster who has been sidelined for the past month with a broken collarbone.
The PartyPoker.net European Championship is being shown live on Sport1 in Germany and on Bravo in the UK – Bravo can be found at channel 123 on Sky and 136 on Virgin Media.
Coverage on Bravo will be fronted by Dave Gorman and James Richardson throughout the tournament.
PartyPoker.net European Championship
Schedule of Play
Thursday July 29
First Round
Play commences 8pm German time (7pm UK time)
8.00pm Paul Nicholson v Andy Smith
8.30pm Mark Walsh v Antonio Alcinas
9.00pm Terry Jenkins v Andree Welge
9.30pm Simon Whitlock v Dennis Priestley
10.00pm Gary Anderson v Jamie Caven
10.30pm Phil Taylor v Co Stompe
11.00pm Jelle Klaasen v Vincent van der Voort
11.30pm Mervyn King v Barrie Bates
Friday July 30
First Round
Play commences 8pm German time (7pm UK time)
8.00pm Bernd Roith v Denis Ovens
8.30pm Mark Dudbridge v Robert Thornton
9.00pm Adrian Lewis v Wayne Jones
9.30pm Tomas Seyler v Michael van Gerwen
10.00pm James Wade v Colin Lloyd
10.30pm Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Hamilton
11.00pm Colin Osborne v Wes Newton
11.30pm Ronnie Baxter v Alan Tabern
Saturday July 31
Second Round
Afternoon Session
Play commences 2pm German time (1pm UK time)
2.00pm Walsh/Alcinas v Klaasen/van der Voort
3.00pm Jenkins/Welge v Whitlock/Priestley
4.00pm Baxter/Tabern v Osborne/Newton
5.00pm Lewis/Jones v Dudbridge/Thornton
Evening Session
Play Commences 8pm German time (7pm UK time)
8.00pm King/Bates v Anderson/Caven
9.00pm van Barneveld/Hamilton v Roith/Ovens
10.00pm Taylor/Stompe v Nicholson/Smith
11.00pm Wade/Lloyd v Seyler/van Gerwen
Sunday August 1
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Play commences 2pm German time (1pm UK time)
2.00pm Jenkins/Welge/Whitlock/Priestley v King/Bates/Anderson/Caven
3.00pm Wade/Lloyd/Seyler/van Gerwen v Baxter/Tabern/Osborne/Newton
4.00pm Taylor/Stompe/Nicholson/Smith v Walsh/Alcinas/Klaasen/van der Voort
5.00pm van Barneveld/Hamilton/Roith/Ovens v Lewis/Jones/Dudbridge/Thornton
Evening Session
Play commences 8pm German time (7pm UK time)
Semi-Finals
8.00pm
9.15pm
Final
11.00pm
Format
|
First Round |
Best of 11 legs |
|
Second Round |
Best of 19 legs |
|
Quarter-Finals |
Best of 19 legs |
|
Semi-Finals |
Best of 21 legs |
|
Final |
Best of 21 legs |
Prize Fund
|
Winner |
£50,000 |
|
Runner-Up |
£20,000 |
|
Semi-Finalists |
£10,000 |
|
Quarter-Finalists |
£7,500 |
|
Second Round Losers |
£5,000 |
|
First Round Losers |
£2,500 |
|
Total |
£200,000 |
Tags: European Championship, Preview
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StanJames.com World Matchplay Preview
Posted on July 16th, 2010
THE StanJames.com World Matchplay begins on Saturday, as 32 players battle to take the £100,000 title at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
The 17th staging of the World Matchplay sees arguably the strongest field in the event’s history battling for £400,000 prize money from July 17-25.
Reigning champion Phil Taylor, who won his tenth title last summer with a record margin of victory in defeating Terry Jenkins 18-4 in the final, enters the fray on Tuesday when he plays Barrie Bates in the first round.
However, world number two Raymond van Barneveld is in action in one of four games on the opening night of the event on Saturday, when he takes on in-form Denis Ovens, the 53-year-old who reached his first ever televised semi-final in last month’s Rileys Darts Zones UK Open.
Dutch star van Barneveld failed to qualify for the UK Open and returns to action in Blackpool having had a two-month break from darts since the end of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League – which included a trip to South Africa to cheer on the Netherlands in football’s World Cup.
Tags: Preview, schedule, World Matchplay
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UK Open Preview
Posted on June 3rd, 2010
THE Rileys Darts Zones UK Open begins on Thursday night, as amateur stars from around the country get their chance to take on the sport’s top names at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton.
The four-day tournament, screened live on Sky Sports HD, pits the leading 96 professional players against 42 amateur qualifiers, with play in the unique event being held on eight stages simultaneously in the early rounds.
While the likes of reigning champion Phil Taylor, James Wade, Simon Whitlock and Mervyn King enter in the third round, Thursday’s opening rounds see unknown amateurs pitted against nervous professionals at the Reebok Stadium.
The £200,000 event will kick off when Gary Mawson, the American who reached the UK Open final two years ago, takes on 26-year-old Ashley Whisker, a tractor driver from Essex who won through the Rileys Amateur Qualifiers to earn a spot in Bolton.
Tags: Preview, UK Open
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Premier League Darts Play-Offs Preview
Posted on May 22nd, 2010
THE Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts season culminates on Sunday with the play-offs at Wembley Arena in London, with Phil Taylor bidding to claim the trophy for a fifth time as James Wade seeks to retain the £125,000 title.
Taylor and Wade are joined by Simon Whitlock and Mervyn King for the play-offs, which will see the semi-finals, third place play-off and final take place in one dramatic evening at Wembley.
Reigning champion Wade takes on Australian star Whitlock in the opening semi-final, before Taylor and King clash in the second last four contest.
Taylor lost to King 10-6 in last year’s semi-finals, but has stormed through the 14-game league season unbeaten since February and is the 1/3 favourite to take glory on Sunday night.
Tags: Premier League Darts, Preview
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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.
