The 2023 World Darts Championship got off to a big start on Friday night, with defending champion Michael Smith pushed to the limit in his opener, despite a famous win last year.
Current world number one Smith came back from being down 2 sets to 1 against Dutch player Kevin Doets to win a high-quality second round game.
“I kept my focus and I hit a couple of key shots at the right time. That’s what I’ve been doing in practice, and this result has given me a big confidence boost,” Smith said afterwards.
Saturday will Duleek's Keane Barry make his first Ally Pally appearance of the competition, with a game against Filipino thrower Reynaldo Riveria.
The reward is a tantalising tie with #2 seed Michael van Gerwen on Tuesday night.
Who are the other Irish players involved in the World Darts Championship?
There was an interesting draw for the Irish players in the tournament. Two Irish players were drawn in Section One. Limerick's Willie O'Connor will take on India's Bhav Patel to earn a game against 17 seed Chris Dobey.
Steve Lennon is in the same section and will take on Owen Bates in his first game. Win that and Lennon will face nine-seed Jonny Clayton.
Dylan Slevin of Borrisokane will face German Florian Hempel in the same section of the draw.
Live darts: World Darts Championships results
Friday December 15 (7pm)
- Kevin Doets 3-0 Stowe Buntz (R1)
- Cameron Menzies 3-0 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R1)
- Simon Whitlock 3-2 Paolo Nebrida (R1)
- Michael Smith 3-2 Doets (R2)
World Darts Championship Order of Play
Saturday December 16
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- Lee Evans v Sandro Eric Sosing (R1)
- Connor Scutt v Krzysztof Kciuk (R1)
- Jules van Dongen v Darren Penhall (R1)
- Dave Chisnall v Menzies/Rodriguez (R2)
Evening Session (7pm)
- Jamie Hughes v David Cameron (R1)
- Keane Barry v Reynaldo Rivera (R1)
- Scott Williams v Haruki Muramatsu (R1)
- Gary Anderson v Whitlock/Nebrida (R2)
Sunday December 17 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- Ricky Evans v Simon Adams (R1)
- Jim Williams v Norman Madhoo (R1)
- Matt Campbell v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
- Joe Cullen v Van Dongen/Penhall (R2)
Evening Session (7pm)
- Dylan Slevin v Florian Hempel (R1)
- Niels Zonneveld v Darren Webster (R1)
- Jermaine Wattimena v Fallon Sherrock (R1)
- Luke Humphries v Evans/Eric Sosing (R2)
Monday December 18 (7pm) - World Darts Championship
- Mario Vandenbogaerde v Thibault Tricole (R1)
- Gian van Veen v Man Lok Leung (R1)
- Martin Lukeman v Haupai Puha (R1)
- Gerwyn Price v Scutt/Kciuk (R2)
Tuesday December 19 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- Ian White v Tomoya Goto (R1)
- Ritchie Edhouse v Jeffrey de Graaf (R1)
- Keegan Brown v Boris Krcmar (R1)
- James Wade v Campbell/Ilagan (R2)
Evening Session (7pm)
- Steve Beaton v Wessel Nijman (R1)
- Mike De Decker v Dragutin Horvat (R1)
- Ricardo Pietreczko v Mikuru Suzuki (R1)
- Michael van Gerwen v Barry/Rivera (R2)
Wednesday December 20 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- Radek Szaganski v Marko Kantele (R1)
- Steve Lennon v Owen Bates (R1)
- William O'Connor v Bhav Patel (R1)
- Ross Smith v Zonneveld/Webster (R2)
Evening Session (7pm)
- Ryan Joyce v Alex Spellman (R1)
- Richard Veenstra v Ben Robb (R1)
- Christian Kist v Luke Littler (R1)
- Peter Wright v J Williams/Madhoo (R2)
Thursday December 21 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- Mickey Mansell v Xiaochen Zong (R1)
- Luke Woodhouse v Berry van Peer (R1)
- Madars Razma v De Decker/Horvat (R2)
- Rob Cross v Vandenbogaerde/Tricole (R2)
Evening Session (7pm)
- Andrew Gilding v Kist/Littler (R2)
- Danny Noppert v S Williams/Muramatsu (R2)
- Gabriel Clemens v Van Veen/Leung (R2)
- Damon Heta v Lukeman/Puha (R2)
Friday December 22 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- Brendan Dolan v Mansell/Zong (R2)
- Jose de Sousa v Edhouse/De Graaf (R2)
- Krzysztof Ratajski v Hughes/Cameron (R2)
- Dirk van Duijvenbode v Brown/Krcmar (R2)
Evening Session (7pm)
- Dimitri Van den Bergh v Slevin/Hempel (R2)
- Martin Schindler v Wattimena/Sherrock (R2)
- Raymond van Barneveld v Szaganski/Kantele (R2)
- Chris Dobey v O’Connor/Patel (R2)
Saturday December 23 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- Kim Huybrechts v Veenstra/Robb (R2)
- Callan Rydz v Pietreczko/Suzuki (R2)
- Jonny Clayton v Lennon/Bates (R2)
- Daryl Gurney v Beaton/Nijman (R2)
Evening Session (7pm)
- Ryan Searle v White/Goto (R2)
- Josh Rock v Woodhouse/Van Peer (R2)
- Stephen Bunting v Joyce/Spellman (R2)
- Nathan Aspinall v Evans/Adams (R2)
Wednesday December 27 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- World Darts Championship 3 Third Round games
Evening Session (7pm)
- 3x Third Round
Thursday December 28 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- 3x Third Round
Evening Session (7pm)
- 3x Third Round
Friday December 29 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- 3x Third Round
Evening Session (7pm)
- 1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round
Saturday December 30 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- 3x Fourth Round
Evening Session (7pm)
- 3x Fourth Round
Monday January 1 - World Darts Championship
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
- 2x Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (7pm)
- 2x Quarter-Finals
Tuesday January 2 (7:30pm)
- Semi-Finals
Wednesday January 3 (8pm)
- Final
Prize Money
96 players will compete over three weeks for the Sid Waddell Trophy and be in with the chance of winning the £2.5m in prize money at the Ally Pally.
Players earn £7,500 for simply competing. Lose in the second round and players will bring home £15,000. Third and fourth round losers earn £25,000 and £35,000 respecitvely.
Those who make the quarter-finals win £50,000. Losing semifinalist pocket £100k while the runner-up earns £200,000
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