The 2023-24 Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship

Potential for there to be 8 and 7 darters also!

There had only been one 9 darter in a world championship and very few on tv before 2001. And 3 dart averages over 100 didn't happen all too often.

Barry Hearn takes over the PDC in July 2001....

Maybe, the game in that video was 501 tho.

There's no problem with darts.

It's a mental game. It's nowhere near a "solved" game.

Oo close, even though Humphries absolutely hammered yer man

going again withn Littler to win & hit 20+ 180s

I didn’t say that it was a solved game but it is an interesting theory brought forward by AJ.

Q School also founded in 2011 giving a much more linear progression for players into the pro game, also lead massive leaps in standardised coaching etc, not to mention the removal of alcohol from the stage, that had to add another few points to the averages (or maybe nit).

In fairness any changes to the difficulty of a sport tend to be because of what the very best players are doing (whether that be Tiger Woods, Pete Sampras or Steve Backley in the examples I came up with earlier), not because of what the lesser players are doing.

I just had a theory that's it's trending to a future point where there'll be players for whom 12 dart legs is the norm, but no-one seems to agree. Which is grand. On with t'darts.

If Humphries wins, with all the hysteria around his opponent, yet all the pressure on him as the new world number 1, it will be a phenomenal achievement.

Humphries 7-5 Littler for me.

Humphries has shown he can do it consistently this year. I'd be stunned if he doesn't turn up tonight but be may not be as good as last night.

What Littler will turn up tonight is fascinating. Can he produce something like Humphries did last night? Can he handle the pressure?

All I know is that I'm up for Luke.

(Littler)

I'm definitely in the Humphries corner tonight. Mostly for the reason that Humphries may not get a better shot at a world title whereas Littler looks to have the potential to bag a whole pile of them

Could be Littlers only final. No idea how he will handle the fame, the money, and the schedule. Lots of travel and being away from your family.

In a more extreme case, he could fall into drugs or anything.

Sigh. AJ put forward a theory that in 20 years, 50 years, 100 years, whatever, that because everyone will be at a certain level, the excitement won't be there, because everyone will always take out their game in 12 darts and therefore the only way to beat them will be to throw 9s. Therefore taking the excitement out of it because everyone will be throwing 12 darters all the time.

I personally disagree, while players will undoubtedly get better and better, i think there will always be a human element and the crowd will always probably have a factor.

If you don't find it interesting that's absolutely fine, just a bit of a conversation on a forum yeah? Anyway, onto the final.