So the free darts tips are still looking good for the UK Open, even after a slight blip yesterday. Now we’re down to the final 8 without Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, Simon Whitlock and Raymond van Barneveld. It’d down to James Wade to keep the pride of the PDC top 6 intact. Can he do it? Well, he’s going to have to dig deep.

For the final day of free tips for the UK Open, we’ll be turning to Betfair’s prices, as they tend to be the best out there for the UK Open and with our free darts tips, we want to give the best prices possible. Plus, their £25 free bet promotion is certainly one of the best out there. Free darts tips and a free £25 bet? Not something I would turn my nose up at.

Denis Ovens versus Mark Hylton.

Now this is definitely not a match many would have predicted for the quarter-finals. Mark Hylton has had a quiet year on the floor after his great run at the World Championships, while Denis Ovens, aside from one floor tournament final, has just been plodding along as usual. However, both men have played well to get this far and knocked out some big names along the way.

Again, this is another tight one, but experience might just be the key factor here. It’s another huge match for Hylton, while Ovens has been here before. This match definitely won’t be pretty, but if Ovens can keep his cool, he should win and that’s why he’s a marginal favourite with the bookies. The fact Ovens holds a 5-0 head-to-head lead also helps with the decision here.

Denis Ovens to beat Mark Hylton: 5/6 : Betfair

Recommend: 2.5 units.

Robert Thornton versus Mark Webster.

The battle of the men who should be out. John Part had his chances to eliminte Robert Thornton, while Mark Webster somehow got back from 8-4 down to beat Co Stompe yesterday. They then had slightly more comfortable wins last night, getting them to this stage. Again, it’s a slight shock to see Thornton here, but he’s been playing well at the UK Open and Webster is always looking to go deep in the televised PDC tournaments after his experience in the Premier League.

Thornton holds the lead in the head-to-head 2-1, but it the matches are close. The popular consensus would be to take Webster due to his Premier League experience, but then you’d be fogettting most of his performances. Thornton has played well to get this far and took out the dangerous Colin Osborne in the last round, so it’s no walkover for the Welshman.

At the end of the day, Webster is far too short a price for someone who hasn’t been playing to the best of his abilities, while Thornton is far too big a price for someone who’s been playing some very good darts at times. It’s a no-brainer when you see 6/4 for the Scotsman to progress to the semi-finals of the UK Open.

Robert Thornton to beat Mark Webster: 6/4 @ Betfair.

Recommend: 2 units.

Wes Newton versus Dave Chisnall.

Not the most unexpected match-up, as everyone knows what both men are capable of. However, Newton’s road here is impressive, especially the 9-1 victory over Raymond van Barneveld last night. The fact is, both men could be the future of the game and Newton verus Chisnall is going to be a match we see more and more in the later stages of PDC tournaments.

The two men have met on the floor in PDC tournaments 3 times with Newton having the edge 2-1. However, all three matches were tight affairs and the legs won is 17-14 to Newton. So this is going to be a tight one.

While the head says Newton, the price for Chisnall is too big and that’s where the value for this match is. Chisnall is a big game player and this is his biggest game since joining the PDC at the start of 2011. He’s already been a World Championship finalist, so he knows how to get himself up for the big games. It’s going to be close, it might even end up scrappy, but the value lies with Chisnall at 7/5.

Dave Chisnall to beat Newton: 7/5 @ Betfair.

Recommend: 1 unit.

James Wade versus Paul Nicholson.

Without a doubt the tie of the quarter-finals of the UK Open. Nicholson has dispatched Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson in ths space of 12 hours to be here. James Wade might just be his next victim. Nicholson is in the kind of form that saw him take the 2009 Players Championship Final in Purfleet. He’s hammering in the maximums, taking out big finishes with aplomb and is not scared of anyone.

Basically, James Wade is looking to recapture his form of old and clinching the UK Open would be the perfect way to go about it. He’s been in great form for the past few weeks and facing Nicholson would scare him in the slightest.

It’s gonig to be a close match, a tough match for both men, but most importantly an entertaining match. I can see Wade’s experience might give him the edge, but the prices just look too far apart, considering the form Nicholson has shown. We have to look for the value here and the value lies with The Asset. 6/4 is too big for someone who’s taken out the Premier League winner and third place finished in one day.

Paul Nicholson to beat James Wade: 6/4 @ Betfair.

Recommend: 1 unit.

And that’s all the free tips for the UK Open this year. We’ll have more darts tips soon at the World Matchplay in Blackpool. But until then, enjoy the UK Open, have a great end to your weekend and, as always, happy betting!

So, for our free UK Open tips, we’re not 12-2 with a profit of +19.99 units. Now, I don’t know about you, but for two days of the UK Open and 14 free tips, we’re looking strong.

So, let’s continue with the free UK Open tips and continue the winning run through the Speedy Hire UK Open.

Like the rest of this tournament, we’ll be turning to Betfair’s prices, as they tend to be the best out there for the UK Open and with our free darts tips, we want to give the best prices possible. Plus, their £25 free bet promotion is certainly one of the best out there. Free darts tips and a free £25 bet? Perfect!

We’re down to the last 32 of the UK Open, so that means 16 matches. Again, I can’t do write-ups for all of them because of time restraints and the fact that the bookies seem to be having a lie-in today, so the darts tips might not be what you’ve come to expect from me. Rest assured, the darts tips are still as good as ever, there just isn’t a write-up for all 16 games!

Joe Cullen to beat Peter Wright: 6/5 @ Betfair

Cullen is a dark horse in this draw. He’s getting stronger and stronger in his PDC career and he’ll see this as a decent draw. He had a tough match last night, but that should stand him in good stead for taking on Peter Wright. Wright, who has actually been on good form at the UK Open, is an enigma. He can put in some solid performances, but then follows it up with a stinker. if Cullen can get his scoring going, it should be a win and a place in the last 16 of the UK Open.

Recommend: 2 units.

Co Stompe to beat Mark Webster: 5/4 @ Betfair

The draw hasn’t been easy at the UK Open for Darts Betting Tips’ favourite, Co Stompe. He had to face Simon Whitlock, but he was send him from Bolton with his tail between his legs and now he faces another Premier League opponent. Webster has been all over the place form-wise and Stompe showed a level of form, especially in the doubling, that should be enough to take care of the Welshman. Add in that the last time these two met on TV (excluding the Champions League, as it wasn’t really televised), Stompe won 13-9 at the World Matchplay, so things tend to favour the Dutchman and the price looks a bit too big.

Recommend: 2 units.

Andy Boulton to beat Matthew Edgar: 10/11 @ Betfair

Boulton, with his experience from the BDO, has shown some nice form, taking out Vincenvent van der Voort, who some people were putting up as a possible contender for the UK Open due to his good form in recent years. Well, Boulton’s experience and form should be enguh to take out the less experienced Edgar. I think the bookies are way off the mark with this price and it’s a darts tip to end darts tips! Well, maybe not quite, but I think it’s a good ‘un.

Recommend: 3 units.

Mark Walsh to beat Denis Ovens: 4/5 @ Betfair

While both men had good wins in their third round matches, Walsh’s win over King was impressive when you factor in that King has been looking to make a comeback. Oven’s win over Painter, while impressive, shows how far Painter’s form has fallen. Walsh is a generous price here and if he can keep his steady form going, he should be able to extinguish The Heat.

Recommend: 2.5 units.

And that’s all your free tips for the UK Open for today. There will be an evening session, but we’ll be back for finals day at the UK Open with more free tips. Until then, enjoy your Saturday and happy betting!

So an encouraging start to the UK Open, some big profits and now that the big guns are in the mix, we’ve got the potential for a great evening of darts. Plus, some big games in store with Terry Jenkins facing off with Adrian Lewis and Co Stompe meeting Simon Whitlock. The only downside to last night? Darts Betting Tips’ favourite Mensur Suljovic forgettign what time it was and timing out for his first round match!

For this tournament, we’ll be mostly usingBetfair’s prices, as they tend to have the best prices when it comes to darts betting. But not only that, Betfair will give you a free bet of £25 when you sign up. So, get yourself along, bet £25 and if it loses, you’ll get your £25 back. Happy days!

However, for tonight’s matches we’ll be using 888.com
mostly, as Betfair is only concentrating on the televised matches. 888 are great believers in good darts markets, so head on over where they’ll give you a no lose bet of up to £20. So, sign up over there and have your first £20 on the first of our tips. If it loses, no harm done and you can have your £20 back to stick on our second tip, which WILL win!

Again, like last night, a lot of matches on offer, so I won't be writing them all up for you. Plus, the bookies have been slow in pricing up the UK Open third round matches, so time is of the essence to get this out to everyone in time! So, let's get to my picks for the third round of the 2011 UK Open and let's hope the winning continues.

Andrew Gilding to beat Andy Hamilton: 11/4 @ 888.com

Gilding had a great 4-0 win over Brendan dolan, then won his secound round match 4-2. So, good form, he’s used to the surroundings and Andy Hamilton has been in pretty shocking form recently. Gilding just needs to hold his nerve and he’ll run The Hammer close. The price is just too big against someone who is in such poor form.

Recommend: 1 unit.

Mark Hylton to beat Andy Jenkins: 4/6 @ 888.com

Hylton won both his matches 4-2 last night and took out the experienced Brian Woods. Admittedly, both men weren’t setting the world on fire, but Hylton came through unscathed and will be looking to show his World Championship run wasn’t a fluke. Jenkins has been off the boil, hasn’t been on TV as much as he has been in the past and he’s certainly on the slippery slope.

Recommend: 2 units.

Denis Ovens to beat Kevin Painter: 4/5 @ 888.com

Ovens is in a bit of form on the floor, while Painter really has been off the boil. The last time he was on TV he put in a shocker at the World Championships. Ovens is the form player so the price looks nice.

Recommend: 2.5 units.

John Part to beat Roland Scholten: 1/2 @ 888.com

I’ve been waiting for John Part to make his appearance here this year and he’s got a tougher draw than he would have hoped, but the form Part has shown at the start of the year should be more than enough to dispatch his Dutch opponent.

Recommend: 5 units.

Wes Newton to beat John Henderson: 8/11 @ 888.com

Wes Newton has been tipped in some places to win this at a big price. He ended 2010 with a bang and he’ll want to put in a great performance against Big Hendo. The price is bigger than I would have thought considering Henderson’s distinctly average performance on the TV stage last night.

Recommend: 2 units.

Steve Beaton to beat Jamie Caven: Evens @ 888.com

Beaton came through an extremely tough first round match last night against Scott Rand and took out a couple of huge outs under pressure to clinch the win. caven is such a patchy player that someone steady like Beaton should really be favourite.

Recommend: 2 units.

And that’s it for Friday night’s UK Open action. Thanks to 888.com for getting their prices up before their competitors. It shows their dedication to their users, so check them out and take advantage of the free bet they’re offering.

Enjoy the second night of the UK Open and, as always, happy betting!

We finished the Premier League with a winning night and we’ll be looking to continue that into the UK Open. Now, with the strange open draw format, we will only be able to send tips out for the first round of matches every day. So, tonight’s tips are going to be for the first round of the UK Open only. Then we’ll have the third round tips on Friday and so on up until the final day’s play. It’s awkward, but hey, we’ve been donig this for a while now, so I’m sure you’re used to it.

For this tournament, we’ll be mostly usingBetfair’s prices, as they tend to have the best prices when it comes to darts betting. But not only that, Betfair will give you a free bet of £25 when you sign up. So, get yourself along, bet £25 and if it loses, you’ll get your £25 back. Happy days!

Now, we have a lot of matches tonight, so I wouldn’t be doing my usual write-ups for each match. i know you must be gutted about that, as my prose tends to be witty and entertaining, but it will be coming back when there’s not 64 matches to sift through!

So, without further ado, here are the first tips for the UK Open.

Steve Beaton to beat Scott Rand: 8/11 @ Betfair

Rand is in decent form on the floor, but Beaton’s experience should prevail here.

Recommend: 2 units.

Mark Hylton to beat Brian Woods: 8/11 @ Betfair

Woods has failed to set the PDC alight since he got through Q School, while Hylton is in a decent vein of form.

Recommend: 2 units.

Shaun Griffiths to be John MaGowan: 4/6 @ Boylesports.

The youngster, Griffiths, is putting in some good performances on the PDC Youth Tour and he’ll be looking to build on the early promise against the veteran MaGowan.

Recommend: 1.5 units.

Aaron Monk to beat Steve Hine: 4/5 @ Betfair

Another case where youth should overcome experience. Monk will want to build on his inaugural World U-21 Championship and what better place to do it than the UK Open? His high scoring will help in this short format.

Recommend: 2 units.

Justin Pipe to beat Gary Welding: 8/13 @ Stan James.

Underachiever Justin Pipe will want to get some form back and he should have enougfh to grind down Welding. Pipe is a quality player on his day and the UK Open is the perfect format for him.

Recommend: 4 units.

Chris Aubrey to beat Shane O’Connor: 10/11 @ Boylesports.

A bit of form for Aubrey in the Youth Tour should see him through here.

Recommend: 1 unit.

Paul Whitworth to beat Richard North: 4/7 @ Stan James.

A bit of experience Whitworth should take him past the inexperienced North.

Recommend: 2 units.

Magnus Caris to beat Kevin McDine: 6/5 @ Stan James

The ever-green Caris is in decent form in the floor tournaments and now that he’s back full-time in the PDC, he’s only going to be getting stronger as the weeks go on. McDine has been in a bit of a slump as of late and I don’t see how he’s favourite.

Recommend: 2 units.

Andy Boulton to beat Jimmy Mann: 4/5 @ Stan James.

X-Factor hits the UK Open! The extremely experienced Boulton will want to show off in front of the cameras and this is his time to shine against Mann.

Recommend: 2 units.

And that’s it for the first round of the UK Open. Remember to check back for the tips for the third roud of the UK Open and if you fancy a bet on the outright market, you’ll find all the best prices at Betfair, as well as a free £25 bet.

Enjoy the return to regular PDC tournaments and happy betting!

I’ll only have selections for the semi-finals, as the turn around between those and the final doesn’t leave much time for the bookies to get their prices up and for me to sniff out any value. So, for now, these are the last tips unti the next big tournament, which is the World Matchplay. So, enjoy and let’s finish the UK Open on a high note.

We’re +3.87 units for the tournament, which is still a very nice result and I really do hope you’ve been on them all to the stakes I’ve advised. That’s the other important thing to remember: don’t just bet the same on each one.

Also, if you’re looking to have a punt on the World Cup, check this out for some free bets:

World Cup Free Bets Guide.

Before we start dishing out the tips for the second half day four of the UK Open, I want to mention the bookmakers that will give you some free money for depositing there. Is there anything better than free money? Well, more free money. So, use my tips along with these free sign-up offers and we’ll keep the great run going!

Victor Chandler as a well established name in sports betting and they really get behind the great sport of darts. They’ll give you up to a £100 free sports bet, as well as casino chips is you sign up there. There’s not a better offer available and I’ve taken advantage of this for tonight’s tips, and I think you should too. Hey, if the tips win, great, but if, for some strange reason, they don’t, you’ve lost nothing!

Boylesports are another great bookmaker for darts. They have a huge variety of markets and they have a nice £20 deposit bonus. You deposit and bet £20, they match it. Simples!

Stan James are big supporters of darts and we find their markets to be amongst the best when it comes to darts betting, which is why we proudly support them. Plus, their £25 match bet is a fantastic offer, probably the best out there at the moment. So, why not sign up, deposit and have a nibble on our first tip of the night and Stan James will match it:

Seriously, if you don’t have accounts at any of these bookmakers, sign up, deposit and use your free bet to have a dabble on tonight’s tips. Now that that’s out of the way and you’ve got your free bets, let’s get the tips going.

Now, let’s get onto the tips.

Over 7.5 180s in Gary Anderson Vs Tony Ayres match: 10/11 @

Recommend: 1.5 units @ 10/11

Highest checkout in Gary Anderson Vs Tony Ayres match over 123.5: 5/6 @

Recommend: 1.5 units @ 5/6.

Anderson is one of the most prolific 180 scorers in the game and we should see him fire in a fair few against Tony Ayres. While I don’t expect Ayres to score too many, his contribution should be enough to get us over the line, in what is a very lenient line indeed. The bookies have it so low because it’s such a one-sided match up and will be over quickly, most likely, but they don’t realise just how quick Anderson can fire them in. Add into the fact that he’s good enough at trebling to set up some nice out shots, both bets look good to me.

Denis Ovens +6.5 vs Phil Taylor: 21/20 @

Recommend: 1 unit @ 21/20.

Can Denis Ovens take 4 legs from Phil Taylor? Well, Boylesports don’t think so, as he’s odds-on everywhere else! His average of 100.96 in his demolition of Wes Newton looks good enough on paper to at least hold his throw a 4 times and although Taylor’s 180 average against Adrian Lewis would be enough to see him through handily enough, I think 4 legs is in his graps. 10-4, 10-5 might be the likeliest outcome, so the handicap is quite generous, considering.

That’s it for now. I hope you’ll sign up to the newsletter if you haven’t already so that you keep up to date with the latest tips, especially with the World Matchplay around the corner. Enjoy the final tonight and let’s hope for some fireworks. Happy betting!

If you’re looking to have a punt on the World Cup, check this out for some free bets:

World Cup Free Bets Guide.

If you’re like me, you’ll want to take advtange of all the great offers the bookies have for the World Cup, so check it out!

Before we start dishing out the tips for day four of the UK Open, I want to mention the bookmakers that will give you some free money for depositing there. Is there anything better than free money? Well, more free money. So, use my tips along with these free sign-up offers and we’ll keep the great run going!

Victor Chandler as a well established name in sports betting and they really get behind the great sport of darts. They’ll give you up to a £100 free sports bet, as well as casino chips is you sign up there. There’s not a better offer available and I’ve taken advantage of this for tonight’s tips, and I think you should too. Hey, if the tips win, great, but if, for some strange reason, they don’t, you’ve lost nothing!

Boylesports are another great bookmaker for darts. They have a huge variety of markets and they have a nice £20 deposit bonus. You deposit and bet £20, they match it. Simples!

Stan James are big supporters of darts and we find their markets to be amongst the best when it comes to darts betting, which is why we proudly support them. Plus, their £25 match bet is a fantastic offer, probably the best out there at the moment. So, why not sign up, deposit and have a nibble on our first tip of the night and Stan James will match it:

Seriously, if you don’t have accounts at any of these bookmakers, sign up, deposit and use your free bet to have a dabble on tonight’s tips. Now that that’s out of the way and you’ve got your free bets, let’s get the tips going.

Now, let’s get onto the tips.

Over 9.5 180s in Gary Anderson/Andy Hamilton match: 10/11 @

Both men, on their day, are heavy, heavy scorers and 5 maximums each isn’t impossible, especially as the match has the potential to go the distance. I thought the line would be a bit higher, so let’s take advantage of it.

Recommend: 2.5 units @ 10/11.

Over 9.5 maximums in Phil Taylor Vs Adrian Lewis match: 10/11 @

Again, it’s a battle of two heavy scorers. Now, the problem is the number of legs in the match, but Taylor, even over 10 legs, is capable of beating the line on his own. It’s a fair line, a fair price, but I think it’s very beatable for two of the heaviest scorers in the game.

Recommend: 2 units @ 10/11.

Only the two bets for the afternoon session, but I think they’re good enough that we don’t need to have any others. Remember, it’s quality, not quantity!

Enjoy the darts, especially the Anderson/Hamilton match, which I think will be a cracker! Happy betting!

It was a strange day of darts, with Wayne Mardle getting stuffed by Phil Taylor and really only Gary Anderson showing some great form out of the favourites for the title aside from Taylor. But we can’t complain, as we’re on a winning streak and the fourth round matches have gave us some nice betting opportunities.

Before we start dishing out the tips for the third day of the UK Open, I want to mention the bookmakers that will give you some free money for depositing there. Is there anything better than free money? Well, more free money. So, use my tips along with these free sign-up offers and we’ll keep the great run going!

Victor Chandler as a well established name in sports betting and they really get behind the great sport of darts. They’ll give you up to a £100 free sports bet, as well as casino chips is you sign up there. There’s not a better offer available and I’ve taken advantage of this for tonight’s tips, and I think you should too. Hey, if the tips win, great, but if, for some strange reason, they don’t, you’ve lost nothing!

Boylesports are another great bookmaker for darts. They have a huge variety of markets and they have a nice £20 deposit bonus. You deposit and bet £20, they match it. Simples!

Stan James are big supporters of darts and we find their markets to be amongst the best when it comes to darts betting, which is why we proudly support them. Plus, their £25 match bet is a fantastic offer, probably the best out there at the moment. So, why not sign up, deposit and have a nibble on our first tip of the night and Stan James will match it:

Seriously, if you don’t have accounts at any of these bookmakers, sign up, deposit and use your free bet to have a dabble on tonight’s tips. Now that that’s out of the way and you’ve got your free bets, let’s get the tips going.

Now, let’s get onto the tips.

Dennis Smith to beat Denis Ovens: 11/8 @

I think we landed a nice touch with Dennis Smith in round three, as he is one of the mid-upper tier plays, just like Denis Ovens. I don’t think Ovens was too convincing against Arron Monk, while Smith seemed decent enough in seeing off Colin Monk. I honestly believe Dennis Smith has the beating of Denis Ovens and I think the 11/8 is a fantastic price, as I’d have it much closer between the two.

Recommend: 2 units @ 11/8

Wayne Jones to beat Jelle Klaasen: 11/10 @

A strange price considering the inconsistent form Klaasen is in. Jones has been playing solid darts and seems to flourish in environments like the UK Open. Klaasen blows hot and cold and Jones might be able to pounce on him from the get go. His form in floor tournaments should carry him through this match and I think the price is far too good to pass up.

Recommend: 2 units @ 11/10

Colin Osborne to beat Adrian Lewis: 7/5 @

Both men are evenly matched, but I’m worried about how Lewis is finishing after his season in the Premier League. Osborne loves the tournament and had a good result in his first match of the tournament, destroying Dylan Duo 9-3. Lewis had a good win, too, but the price of him is just shocking condiering who he’s playing and his recent form. Ossie should run well if the draw favours him and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go deep if he can avoid the likes of Taylor and Whitlock.

Recommend: 1.5 units @ 7/5

That’s all we have at the moment, but with the World Cup just around the corner, I wanted to mention this:

World Cup Free Bets Guide.

If, like me, you’re wanting to be on the World Cup, remember to take advantage of the free bets all the bookies are dishing out. The link above details all the great promotions going on at the moment and I hope you don’t miss out on them. My personal favourites are the ones where you can predict the brackets and win a small fortune.

So, enjoy the darts, get your World Cup betting portfolio started if you’ve not done it already with all those free bets and, most importantly, happy betting!

Sorry that the tips weren’t up earlier, but the bookies have been running scared about pricing the UK Open up early. They tend to wait now until the exchanges have settled before making their books. It’s a bit pathetic, but understandable, as they are a business and need to make their money some way. Still, it would have been nice to get some prices two hours after the draw was made, but it wasn’t to be.

Before we start dishing out the tips for the second day of the UK Open, I want to mention the bookmakers that will give you some free money for depositing there. Is there anything better than free money? Well, more free money. So, use my tips along with these free sign-up offers and we’ll keep the great run going!

Victor Chandler as a well established name in sports betting and they really get behind the great sport of darts. They’ll give you up to a £100 free sports bet, as well as casino chips is you sign up there. There’s not a better offer available and I’ve taken advantage of this for tonight’s tips, and I think you should too. Hey, if the tips win, great, but if, for some strange reason, they don’t, you’ve lost nothing!

Boylesports are another great bookmaker for darts. They have a huge variety of markets and they have a nice £20 deposit bonus. You deposit and bet £20, they match it. Simples!

Stan James are big supporters of darts and we find their markets to be amongst the best when it comes to darts betting, which is why we proudly support them. Plus, their £25 match bet is a fantastic offer, probably the best out there at the moment. So, why not sign up, deposit and have a nibble on our first tip of the night and Stan James will match it:

Seriously, if you don’t have accounts at any of these bookmakers, sign up, deposit and use your free bet to have a dabble on tonight’s tips. Now that that’s out of the way and you’ve got your free bets, let’s get the tips going.

Some very, very tasty match-ups in the third round, not least between old foes Wayne Mardle and Phil Taylor. It proves how great the open draw format can be. Anyway, I think I’ve found some great value for tonight, so let’s get to it!

Arron Monk to beat Denis Ovens: 5/4 @

Arron Monk is one of the young up-and-coming players on the PDC ProTour and looked decent enough last night. He has a good throw, solid scoring, although he can be a bit wayward at times. However, he’s exceptional on his doubles and looks to have a great future in the game. Denis Ovens hasn’t looked to spectacular recently. He blows hot and cold, which makes sense for a player called “The Heat”. Still, Monk should give the veteran a good game and it would not surprise me to see the youngster win here and start to make a name for himself in the bigger PDC tournaments.

Recommend: 1 unit @ 5/4.

Michael Smith to beat Matt Clarke: 5/4 @

Smith has been in great form as of late, beating some big names in the PDC to get here and recently beating Dave Chisnall, the BDO World Championship runner-up. Whlie Clarke is a decent player, Smith will be wanting to ride this wave of great form and he came across so confident last night that it’s strange to see him the underdog in this match.

Recommend: 2 units @ 5/4.

Dennis Smith to beat Colin Monk: 9/10 @

I like Dennis Smith for some strange reason. He’s a very heavy scorer and is usually quite consistent. The same can’t be said for Colin Monk. For years, Monk was one of those guys you could rely on to put in a good performance, but he’s slightly tailing off in his later years, soon to be surpassed by his son, Arron. Both men had good wins last night, although I think Smith’s 6-1 over Robbie Newland showed what the man with the ponytail is capable of.

Recommend: 2.5 units @ 9/10

That’s all we have at the moment, but with the World Cup just around the corner, I wanted to mention this:

World Cup Free Bets Guide.

If, like me, you’re wanting to be on the World Cup, remember to take advantage of the free bets all the bookies are dishing out. The link above details all the great promotions going on at the moment and I hope you don’t miss out on them. My personal favourites are the ones where you can predict the brackets and win a small fortune.

So, enjoy the darts, get your World Cup betting portfolio started if you’ve not done it already with all those free bets and, most importantly, happy betting!

It’s dubbed the FA Cup of Darts and that’s because there’s the open draw format, where Phil Taylor could meet any of the big names early on in the tournament and where a qualifier from the Rileys qualifiers, or a player from the BDO regions that voted in favour of Barry Hearn’s proposal, could go deep, or even win it. While it’s highly unlikely that will happen, simply because of the gulf in class between everyone and Phil Taylor, the chance is there and there have been shocks galore in every tournament and this year will definitely be no different.

Before we start dishing out the tips for the first day of the UK Open, I want to mention the bookmakers that will give you some free money for depositing there. Is there anything better than free money? Well, more free money. So, use my tips along with these free sign-up offers and we’ll get the UK Open off with to a flier.

Victor Chandler as a well established name in sports betting and they really get behind the great sport of darts. They’ll give you up to a £100 free sports bet, as well as casino chips is you sign up there. There’s not a better offer available and I’ve taken advantage of this for tonight’s tips, and I think you should too. Hey, if the tips win, great, but if, for some strange reason, they don’t, you’ve lost nothing!

Boylesports are another great bookmaker for darts. They have a huge variety of markets and they have a nice £20 deposit bonus. You deposit and bet £20, they match it. Simples!

Stan James are big supporters of darts and we find their markets to be amongst the best when it comes to darts betting, which is why we proudly support them. Plus, their £25 match bet is a fantastic offer, probably the best out there at the moment. So, why not sign up, deposit and have a nibble on our first tip of the night and Stan James will match it:

Seriously, if you don’t have accounts at any of these bookmakers, sign up, deposit and use your free bet to have a dabble on tonight’s tips. Now that that’s out of the way and you’ve got your free bets, let’s get the tips going.

I won’t be picking anyone to win the tournament. Since there’s an open draw format, we can’t just look at the draw to find value. Also, Phil Taylor is on such great form that betting against him, regardless of who you’re backing, isn’t really great value.

Now, the other problem we have when it comes to tipping is that because of the nature of the tournament, we can’t tip every round. What I will try and do is tip up the matches that start the day off, before draws are made. So, without further ado, let’s find some value!

Richie Burnett to beat Louis Blundell: 23/20 @

Both men have similar form recently in floor tournaments, but Burnett is a bit of an odd one – he can still play some great darts and he is a former world champion, even if it was a long time ago now. I would have him slightly shorter and I think the 23/20 at Boylesports is good value.

Recommend: 1 unit @ 23/20

Alex Roy to bear Mark Lawrence: 9/10 @

Simply put, the bookies can’t make up their minds on this and Stan James are a bit out of line with their price and we can take advantage of that. Roy is a quality player on his day and although he’s cocky, he is able to back that up when the mood takes him. Now, he’s playing somewhat of an unknown quantity, but Roy’s experience should see him through at a very tasty price.

Recommend: 2 units @ 9/10.

Kirk Shepherd to beat Adrian Gray: 9/10 @ @

Shepherd has been playing some decent darts on the TV, whilst Gray hasn’t built on his initial promise. I have to admit, I’m one of those people that wrote Shepherd off, but he’s not playing bad darts, especially on the TV and he’s picked up some good results here and there. Even though this is over a short distance, I think the 9/10 is very generous against a player who hasn’t done much on TV in recent tournaments.

Recommend: 2 units @ 9/10

Mick McGowan to beat Wayne Mardle: 5/4 @

Wayne Madle has been shocking over the last 12 months. Now, that’s partially down to illness, but he’s been found out and his ranking shows that. McGowan is a consistent player who will push Mardle and will definitely punish him should Mardle get up to his old antics of not being able to finish. Taking Mardle on is a hard task, as he’ll be pumped up, but we might get the result we need, especially as Mardle’s been off our screens for a while.

Recommend: 1 unit @ 5/4.

That’s all we have for now. I’ll be back before Friday’s matches start seeking out the value and I’m positive I’ll get you some. For now, remember to use the free bets to your advantage, get on this selection and, most importantly, enjoy one of the best tournaments of the year!

Happy betting!

Outright Selections: Jamie Caven 0.5pts EW – Beaten 10-3 in QF by Colin Osborne

Wayne Jones 0.5pts EW – Beaten 9-7 in R4 by Colin Osborne

Vincent Van Der Voort 0.5pt EW – Beaten 9-6 in R3 by Wayne Jones

Merv King 0.5pts EW – Beaten 9-8 in R3 by Michael Barnard

Summary: Caven performed best of our selections in reaching the QF where he froze a little on stage I felt. Jones was beaten by Caven’s conqueror Colin Osborne in the previous round who played inspired darts all week. We were a bit unlucky that 2 selections were drawn to play in R3 but VDV was well beaten and King also deserved to lose by all accounts. All in all a disappointing tournament but hopefully this is a temporary blip.

Profit/Loss: -4pts

Match Bets:

R1 – Mark Jodrill to bt David Smurthwaite: 2pts @ 8/11 WON

R2 – Michael Barnard to bt Steve Maish: 1pt @ 6/5 WON

R3 – Michael Van Gerwen to bt Andy Hamilton: 1pt @ 6/5 LOST

R3 – Louis Blundell to bt Andy Roberts: 1pt @ 11/10 LOST

R3 – Peter Wright to bt Mark Webster: 0.5pts @ 9/4 LOST

R4 – Roland Scholten to bt Wes Newton: 1pt @ 11/10 LOST

R4 – Peter Manley to bt Mark Webster: 1pt @ 5/6 LOST

R5 – Wes Newton to bt Alan Tabern: 1pt @ 7/4 LOST

QF – Kevin Painter to bt Alan Tabern: 1pt @ 11/10 WON

QF – Ronnie Baxter to bt Terry Jenkins: 1pt @ Evs WON

SF – Kevin Painter to bt Colin Osborne: 1pt @ 5/4 LOST

Summary: A 4/11 strike rate is not what we are aiming for and certainly won’t continue in the future. Overall a small loss of -1.75pts but the problem with this tournament seems to be the quick turnaround in matches and the lack of specials as bookmakers haven’t enough time to get them out. Hopefully once the Matchplay starts and The Desert Classic we will see an upturn in our fortunes.

Our betting tips for Las Vegas will start over the next 24 hours, so keep watching and we’ll try and make us all a lot better off come Sunday night.