￡100,000 Nine-Dart Bonus in World Darts Championship
Author:
Roy Brindley
A ￡100,000 jackpot pay-out will be triggered at this year’s Cazoo World Darts Championship if one player can hit two nine-dart finishes during the tournament. PDC official partner Selco Builders Warehouse will award the first player that successfully hits two perfect legs at Alexandra Palace ￡50,000 to mark their historic achievement.
2007 World Champion Raymond van Barneveld has hit two nine-dart finishes at the Alexandra Palace. ?Taylor Lanning/PDC
An additional ￡25,000 will be given to one lucky member of the public as part of a promotional plan. The same amount will be donated to the leading builders’ merchants nominated charity, Cancer Research UK.
No player has ever recorded two perfect nine-dart games during the World Championship. Last year three players – Willie Borland, Darius Labanauskas and Gerwyn Price – each hit one nine-darter. Price, the world number one, has hit four televised nine-darters in the PDC during 2022. Remarkably, he landed two on the same night in the Premier League in Belfast.
A Tough Ask During Tough Times
The Welshman said: “It’s a great initiative by Selco which adds extra interest to what is already an incredible tournament. It certainly got the players talking last year, and no doubt it will generate plenty of interest this year too.”
“All the players will be doing everything they can to make the Selco pay-out happen, not only for themselves but for the fan and the charity as well,” the 37-year-old four-time major televised ranking tournament winner added. “With the general cost of living making life tough for everyone at present, I am sure the money would make a tremendous difference to the general public winner and the charity.”
Price, the 2021 World Champion, is 6/1 to regain the crown. The best darts betting sites believe Michael van Gerwen is the more likely winner. Successful in 2014, 2017 and 2019, the Dutchman is top-priced 5/2 to take the title for the fourth time.
Lucky 13 and a Third for Jackpot?
If there is a player capable of hitting two nine-dart finishes during the forthcoming competition it is surely the confident van Gerwen. The 33-year-old has registered eight perfect games in competition during his career. The first came in 2017, and the most recent was in this year’s Players Championship Finals less than three weeks ago.
It must be noted only one of van Gerwen’s nine-darts finishes came in the World Championship. That was in 2012. Similarly, there was not a single nine-dart finish recorded in the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 World Championships. Nevertheless, there have been 13 nine-dart finishes at the event, and two players contesting this year’s competition have registered two apiece.
2011 and 2012 World Champion Adrian ‘Jackpot’ Lewis is one. He is 250/1 to regain his form and take the title for the third time. Lewis faces Daniel Larsson in his opening match. The best darts betting sites quote 33/1 about this showdown featuring a nine-dart finish. 2007 World Champion Raymond van Barneveld has also recorded two nine-dart finishes at the Alexandra Palace. The veteran is 80/1 to take the title this time around.
The Odds Are Not Good for the Bonus
Ultimately, the sponsor’s ￡100,000 looks relatively safe. William Hill bookmakers offer 13/10 about there not being a single nine-dart finish at this year’s event. Other betting firms quote odds of 7/4 about there being two or more during the three-week event.
The 2022/23 World Darts Championship starts on December 15 and will conclude on January 3. There will be a three-day break during the Christmas period. All matches are televised live on Sky Sports and also streamed live at the best sports betting sites.
