What are the rules of the PDC World Darts Championship, and how is it structured?

The PDC World Darts Championship is one of the biggest events in the darts calendar. It is an annual event organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and features the best darts players from around the world.

The championship is held in December and January each year, and takes place at the Alexandra Palace in London, England. The tournament features a field of 96 players, who compete over several weeks to determine the champion.

The format of the tournament is a knockout competition, with each match being played as a best-of-set format. In the early rounds, each set is played as a best-of-five legs format. The later rounds are played as best-of-7, best-of-9, best-of-11, best-of-19, and the final is played as a best-of-13 sets format.

The winner of each leg is the player who reaches a score of 501 points first. The players take turns to throw three darts each, and the total number of points scored is deducted from the starting score of 501. The players must finish on a double, which means that the last dart thrown must land in the outermost ring of the dartboard.

The winner of the PDC World Darts Championship receives a trophy, a cash prize, and the title of world champion. The tournament is broadcast live on television around the world, and attracts a large audience of darts fans.