The 30th World Championship organized by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is back with a bang. The 2024-23 PDC World Darts Championship, sponsored by Cazoo, is scheduled to commence on 15th December and will continue till 3rd January, 2024. With less than a month left, the fans have already started to get hyped up.
Is it going to be Peter Wright once again, or would Michael van Gerwin get back his lost kingdom? We do not know yet, but we can speculate on the potential champion for sure. Before that, let’s go through some essential details of the tournament.
The Best Way to Bet in the Competition
PDC World Championship is an exciting betting opportunity for all the enthusiasts around the world. There are several sites that offer darts betting. For those of you who are looking for a trustworthy bookmaker to bet on darts, you’ll be pleased to know that BoyleSports has a wide range of darts betting markets and has some of the best odds that you’ll find online.
What is the Tournament Format?
The format of the tournament is elaborate but straightforward. It is set to occur in four rounds before reaching the finals, consisting of the Quarter-finals, the Semi-finals, and the Final. There are 96 partaking players, with the top 32 of the PDC Order of Merit already qualified for the second round. The rest 64 players come from the PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit and the International Qualifiers, with 32 players from each section. They compete in the first round, organized in best of 5 sets, to face the already-seeded top 32 in the second round.
The players progress through the tournament as they continue to eliminate their opponents in the process. Being divided into four sections, the top two players from each section face each other in the quarter-finals and move on to the semi-finals to face the best from the other sections. The quarter-finals are organized in best 9 sets, the semis in best of 11, and the final in best of 13 sets to decide on the champion.
Venue
As usual, the tournament is set to be organized at the iconic Alexandria Palace in London, where it has been held since 2008.
Prize Money
The prize money remains £2,500,000 in total, as it has been for the past four years. The winner gets £500,000, while the shares of the runner-up, semi-finalists, and the quarter-finalists are £200,100, £100,00, and £50,000 respectively.
Top Contenders of the Championship
It is extremely difficult to figure out the champion of such a competitive tournament due to the skills of the players and the unpredictability of the game. It is expected that some of the big names from the PDC Order of Merit are going to lift the trophy, so let’s feature the players with the highest chances to do so.
Michael van Gerwen
The former three times champion of the World Darts Championship (2014, 2017, 2019) Michael van Gerwin is back once again to set the stage on fire. Mighty Mike was ranked World No, 1 from 2014 to 2024, followed by a dip in form that questioned his legacy. However, now that the 33-year-old has featured in five major championship finals in 2024 and lifted four of them, he has one of the highest possibilities to win this year’s tournament if he maintains his form with the same momentum.
Gerwin Price
‘The Iceman’ Gerwin Price has enjoyed significant success for the past few years and has lifted seven PDC Major titles since 2017, which includes the World Darts Championship in 2024. He enjoyed the runner-up position in six more titles as well. As a result of his consistent top-tier performances, Gerwin Price is currently ranked as the No. 1 Darts player in the world. After winning the World Series of Darts Finals just a couple of months back, Price is indeed a big fish in this tournament.
Peter Wright
There is no ignoring the fact that defending champion Peter Wright is a heavyweight in this tournament. Currently ranked as World No. 2, Peter Wright is lovingly called ‘Snakebite’ for his iconic hairstyle and flamboyant personality. He also lifted the PDC World Darts Championship in 2020. Keep a close watch on this 52-year-old since he is capable of doing magic with darts and would be determined to hit the bull’s eye this year as well.
Johnny Clayton
We have talked about the big three, now it’s time to look at other dark horses of the tournament. Johnny Clayton would surely make the list of potential champions of this year. Don’t get deceived by his 9th rank in the PDC Order of Merit, Clayton has been in a Golden Touch since 2024. Lifting four PDC major tournaments in the timespan, Clayton can indeed be the champion if he carries on with his form.
Michael Smith
‘Bully Boy’ Michael Smith has a lot to prove in this year’s championship. He secured the runner-up position in 8 of the 9 PDC major finals since 2018, which includes the World Darts Championship of 2024 and 2019. Ranked No. 4 for his consistent performances, he would be desperate to lift the trophy this time.
James Wade
James Wade is one of the most experienced players in the game, participating in PDC majors since 2006. Although he is yet to win a World Darts Championship, he can turn the table this year with his famous nine-dart-finishes. With 14 PDC major titles in his name, it is never wise to exclude ‘The Machine’ from the list.
How Successful Shall PDC World Dart Championships Be?
Apart from the above-mentioned players, stars like Joe Cullen, Dimitri van den Bergh, Luke Humphries, and Gary Anderson are decent enough players who are capable of causing upsets in this tournament. With higher odds in their name, they are valuable players to bet on, since they guarantee greater returns to bettors if they go all the way. Now that there is less than a month left before the tournament, it is better to start with your research. Make your calculations properly to enjoy the best outcomes and win huge prizes. Happy betting!