Darts!!! Its here again!

[elvaago]

Well now, the second world championship is on the way. What are everyone's thoughts on it so far? Jelle Klaassen is out, Michael van Gerwen is out, it's an old man's game at the moment it seems, with Adams, Hankey, King and Eccles going through to the quarters.

Who will win it? Will it be Adams? He seems to be in best form.

[lagermike]

Well now, the second world championship is on the way. What are everyone's thoughts on it so far? Jelle Klaassen is out, Michael van Gerwen is out, it's an old man's game at the moment it seems, with Adams, Hankey, King and Eccles going through to the quarters.

Who will win it? Will it be Adams? He seems to be in best form.

I am going to go for the man we call royalty, the King, Mervyn King....

[rambon]

It's been pretty poor so far I thought, but I haven't seen that much.

Quarters so far
Adams vs Hankey - I'll take Adam's consistency
Eccles vs King - Eccles hasn't been pushed, but King finished his 2nd Round match well

2nd half of draw doesn't really inspire much. Ex-champ Walton will do well to beat Robson tonight.

It's a long way off the PDC though isn't it?

Funniest bit so far was a BBC interview with a Dutch guy who was saying that the Dutch kids still have that hunger, even without Barneveld to look up to... Correct me but hasn't he just won THE World Championship. BBC censorship there I think!

I'll go for Adams, King, Robson and A.N. Other in the semis

[lagermike]

The standard is a bit laughable compared to the PDC boys, I was watching Co Stompe yesterday and if he scored a 60 he was doing well!! Shocking, positively shocking!

[rambon]

The argument between King and Veitch was funny as well. Even that wasn't as good as the argument between Mason and Taylor at the PDC

[Alex0paul]

I am going for the wizzard Simon Whitlock to win it. If not then it'll be King

[PaulTheSoave]

So true, I also heard one player saying its the biggest darts tournament of the year. Its a second rate do! Nothing more

It's been pretty poor so far I thought, but I haven't seen that much.

Quarters so far
Adams vs Hankey - I'll take Adam's consistency
Eccles vs King - Eccles hasn't been pushed, but King finished his 2nd Round match well

2nd half of draw doesn't really inspire much. Ex-champ Walton will do well to beat Robson tonight.

It's a long way off the PDC though isn't it?

Funniest bit so far was a BBC interview with a Dutch guy who was saying that the Dutch kids still have that hunger, even without Barneveld to look up to... Correct me but hasn't he just won THE World Championship. BBC censorship there I think!

I'll go for Adams, King, Robson and A.N. Other in the semis

[cueman]

The BDO really is like an amatuer version of the PDC world championships. Half the players can't even get an average much above 80, the highest average so far is well below 100. Most of the PDC players score 90+ averages on a regular basis with many peaking at around the 96-100 mark. Taylor and Barney and a few others hit regular 102+ averages and that is the standard you need to win any PDC event.

Also with the BDO event, all the talk was about Van Gerwin yet he played pretty poorly and it says a lot about the rest of the players that a 17 year old who had never played in the event was the favourite. Only Martin Adams is really showing any real signs of quality and if he bottles it again this year he deserves never to win the title.

[Aggrolite]

I hate arguing about this, but take Taylor, Barney and Part, on his day, in the PDC and it's pretty even. Look at the first three rounds of the PDC and you won't find many hitting averages much better (besides the three above...and mcgowen this year for some reason).

I think arguing about this is pointless though. i enjoy watching both, and would love it if they re-united (dreamworld), but for now i'm happy to have nearly a month of world champ darts to watch. It's impossible to tell which is better unless they consistently play each other in the same tournments in a year, but the bitterness and pettyiness would never allow that. People like Sid Widdal and Tony Green just make this worse. John Part should be an example to everyone. Plays in the PDC, but dosen't try to diminish the BDO and enjoys working with them as well.

[rambon]

Well last night Robson fought his way through, Whitlock was beaten by the last remaining Dutchman de Ruiter, Hanvidge (spelling?) and Nixon both came through as well.

The difference between the top half and bottom half is pretty marked

Still think it will be Adams, King, Robson but to be joined by God knows who in the semis.

I'm quite surprised someone like John Lowe at the end of his career hasn't stepped out of PDC back to BDO to see how he could do. He wasn't given a life ban from the BDO as one of the instigators of the move to the PDC was he?

[elvaago]

Interesting to see the top half containing all the seeds that should be there, while the bottom half contains none of the seeds that ought to be there.

My money's on Wolfie.

[rambon]

Interesting to see the top half containing all the seeds that should be there, while the bottom half contains none of the seeds that ought to be there.

My money's on Wolfie.

The King looks pretty focused this year, my money would be on him I think.

Wolfie will choke again I think in the semis

[rambon]

Adams vs King in the first semi final, as predicted by most people interested here

I'm going to go for Robson vs Nixon in the other sem-final

Followed by a King-Robson final, which King will win

Can I have points in the Predictions competition please for this?

[PaulTheSoave]

I have read an article today where it was said if Mervin King will reach the semi final he is obliged to come back next season for the BDO championship due to his contract he signed with the BDO. The problem now is, his sponsor De keukenconcurrent (firm for kitchen design and producers) has gone over to the PDC including all sponsored players. This will have legal implications for King or lose a big sponsor. Klaassen is still bound to the BDO, because his contracted stated, if he would win the BDO he is obliged to play another 3 years for The BDO. Last year Barney was also held to sign a contract for the BDO, if he would reach the semi or final he was obliged another 3 years for the BDO championship. He refused to sign and The BDO left it for what it was. And he went over. The solution for those players (also van Gerwen) who are sponsored by the keukenconcurrent (PDC) and have contractual obligation with the BDO to let them play in both world championships. Were it not, Barry Hearn is going to change the dates of the PDC WC next year, being the same period as The BDO!

[PaulTheSoave]

I was coming to say The BDO final is total crap, but it seems Adams is bottling again! Could this be the biggest turnaround ever in darts?