Power Expected To Surge Again In 2011 Premier League Of Darts

Darts fans will be licking their lips as the 2011 Premier Darts League gets underway at the O2 Arena this week with eight of top players in the world competing against each other over the next 15 weeks. The finals and semi finals will be played at the prestigious Wembley Arena on 19th May.

As most will know the venue changes each week with the players travelling all over the country not only to compete against each other but also to continue the promotion of the game which has become hugely popular over the last few years. Each week matches are televised and promoted by Sky Sports to a packed out venue and a huge TV audience who have between them turned these ordinary dart playing lads into ‘superstars’.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzR7O8Doq7g[/youtube]

Defending champion and current favourite to win for a sixth time is obviously Phil Taylor but having lost his world crown, without even getting to the World final this year his odds are slightly more generous than they would normally be. Taylor who is usually odds on is around 6/4 against to win, with Scot, Gary Anderson, who was runner up in the recent world championship, next best at 11/2 with new world champion, Adrian Lewis at 6/1 along with 2009 Premier League champion, James Wade and the highly rated Aussie, Simon Whitlock. It is interesting to note that Dutchman, Raymond Van Barneveld is one of three outsiders at 14/1, a price he shares with former BDO Champion Mark Webster, with the rank outsider being the ‘Bull’ Terry Jenkins at 25/1. There is no doubt that this year the tournament will be the most exciting to date.

The format requires each player to play against each other twice with two points awarded for a win and one for a draw. The top four players in the league table at the end of the first 14 weeks will go on to the Finals night with the player on top of the league at that time playing the fourth and the second player playing the third in the semi finals over a straight fifteen legs. The two winners meet in the final which is contested over nineteen legs. Last year Taylor defeated James wade by 10-8 in the final during which he scored an incredible two nine dart finishes. Taylor went through the entire league last season undefeated; winning every match he played barring two which he drew.

Venues and dates

Feb 10 – O2 Arena, London Feb 17 – Nottingham Feb 24 – Belfast Mar 3 – Exeter Mar 10 – Manchester Mar 17 – Glasgow Mar 24 – Brighton Mar 31 – Cardiff Apr 7 – Newcastle Apr 14 – Wembley Apr 21 – Birmingham Apr 28 – Liverpool May 5 – Bournemouth May 12 – Newcastle May 19 – Finals Night at Wembley Arena.

Article Source: sooperarticles.com/sports-articles/darts-articles/power-expected-surge-again-2011-premier-league-darts-301291.html

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Read more previews and get the best Premier League Darts odds as well as insights in to all major darts tournaments.Author: James R Murray