The 2023 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts gets underway at Wolverhampton's WV Active Aldersley on Saturday, as Michael Smith begins his defence of the Eric Bristow Trophy.
The 17th staging of the Grand Slam will see a star-studded 32-player field battling it out for £650,000 in prize money across nine days of action from November 11-19.
With the players split into eight groups of four in the initial round-robin phase, the tournament begins with a bumper double session on Saturday November 11.
Reigning champion Smith will begin his defence of the title against 2022 World Youth Championship runner-up Nathan Girvan, one of seven debutants in this year's field.
The world number one will also face three-time finalist James Wade and Poland's number one Krzysztof Ratajski in Group A, as he bids to become only the fourth player to lift multiple Grand Slam titles.
“It would mean everything to retain my title this year,” admitted Smith, who has won 16 consecutive group stage matches at the Grand Slam, in a record dating back to 2017.
“Over the last five or six years the Grand Slam has been very kind to me. I think I’ve gone unbeaten in the group in the last five years, but I’ve probably jinxed that now!
“Every year I seem to have a poor run between August and September, and then I seem to come back into my own at the start of November, and I feel like my form is coming back now.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back there. Hopefully I can deliver again this year and go back-to-back.”
World Champion Smith will be among the headline acts in Saturday's evening session, as players in Groups A, C, E and G kick off their respective campaigns.
Another stellar showdown will see three-time champion Michael van Gerwen take on 2021 quarter-finalist Fallon Sherrock, in a repeat of the Nordic Darts Masters decider two years ago.
Sherrock received her MBE at Windsor Castle earlier this month, and now the Milton Keynes trailblazer is set to brush shoulders with darting royalty in her Group G opener.
“Every time I play Michael it’s always a good game, whether it’s an exhibition or in a big TV event," insisted Sherrock, who will also face 2018 World Champion Rob Cross and Martijn Kleermaker in the group stage.
“I want to play the best players in the world, because you’re only going to get better by playing the better players.
“The way I performed towards the end of the Women’s Series this year, and hitting the nine-darter on the Challenge Tour has given me a lot of confidence.
“I am going into these big stage events expecting to play well now, rather than hoping to play well. I am really excited!”
Group C also takes centre stage on Saturday evening, as World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries plays Steve Lennon, while two-time finalist Gary Anderson meets Dutch star Dirk van Duijvenbode on his Wolverhampton return.
Newly crowned European Champion Peter Wright takes on American newcomer Stowe Buntz in his opener, with 2014 runner-up Dave Chisnall up against a resurgent Stephen Bunting in the other Group E tie.
The afternoon session sees players in Groups B, D, F and H commence their challenge for the title, as three-time Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Price sets his sights on a fourth Aldersley triumph.
The Welshman locks horns with Northern Ireland’s Nathan Rafferty in Group D, after Ryan Searle has faced Dutch debutant Gian van Veen, a European Championship semi-finalist in Dortmund last month.
Masters champion Chris Dobey will lock horns with 2022 World Youth Champion Josh Rock in a fascinating Group B tie, as the Bedlington star looks to add to his title haul in the West Midlands.
“I’ve been playing well. My consistency is there, so I definitely feel I have a good run in me,” claimed Dobey, a quarter-finalist at the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and European Championship in 2023.
“No games are easy and it’s a very strong group, but I’m ready for the challenge, and there is no reason why I cannot go there and top the group.
“It’s going to be a tough ask, but I’m confident going into it, and I know where my game is at. I think they will be worrying about me more than I am worrying about them.”
Wales’ World Cup champion Jonny Clayton will also feature in Group B, and the World Matchplay runner-up kicks off the round-robin phase against the returning Berry van Peer.
Elsewhere, World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall opens his Group H campaign against Women’s World Matchplay champion Beau Greaves in another highly-anticipated tie.
Aspinall – a runner-up to Smith in Wolverhampton 12 months ago – headlines a highly-competitive group, which also includes Australian number one Damon Heta and Germany’s rising star Ricardo Pietreczko.
World number seven Danny Noppert will play PDC Asian Champion Haruki Muratmatsu in his first Group F assignment, as UK Open champion Andrew Gilding and Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan also go head-to-head.
The group stage continues on Sunday, with Saturday's winning players facing off and the losing players also meeting each other, before the final round-robin games take place across Monday and Tuesday.
The top two players from each group will progress to the knockout stage, with the last 16 action beginning on Wednesday November 15 and running through to the semi-finals and final on Sunday November 19.
The Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
2023 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts
Group Stage Draw
Group A
(1) Michael Smith
James Wade
Krzysztof Ratajski
Nathan Girvan
Group B
(8) Jonny Clayton
Chris Dobey
Josh Rock
Berry van Peer
Group C
(4) Luke Humphries
Dirk van Duijvenbode
Gary Anderson
Steve Lennon
Group D
(5) Gerwyn Price
Ryan Searle
Gian van Veen
Nathan Rafferty
Group E
(2) Peter Wright
Dave Chisnall
Stephen Bunting
Stowe Buntz
Group F
(7) Danny Noppert
Andrew Gilding
Brendan Dolan
Haruki Muramatsu
Group G
(3) Michael van Gerwen
Rob Cross
Martijn Kleermaker
Fallon Sherrock
Group H
(6) Nathan Aspinall
Damon Heta
Ricardo Pietreczko
Beau Greaves
Schedule of Play
Saturday November 11
Afternoon Session (1300-1700 GMT)
Group Stage x8 – Groups B-D-F-H First Matches
Damon Heta v Ricardo Pietreczko (H)
Andrew Gilding v Brendan Dolan (F)
Ryan Searle v Gian van Veen (D)
Chris Dobey v Josh Rock (B)
Danny Noppert v Haruki Muramatsu (F)
Nathan Aspinall v Beau Greaves (H)
Jonny Clayton v Berry van Peer (B)
Gerwyn Price v Nathan Rafferty (D)
Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Group Stage x8 – Groups A-C-E-G First Matches
James Wade v Krzysztof Ratajski (A)
Rob Cross v Martijn Kleermaker (G)
Dave Chisnall v Stephen Bunting (E)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Gary Anderson (C)
Luke Humphries v Steve Lennon (C)
Peter Wright v Stowe Buntz (E)
Michael van Gerwen v Fallon Sherrock (G)
Michael Smith v Nathan Girvan (A)
Sunday November 12
Afternoon Session (1300-1700 GMT)
Group Stage x8 – Groups B-D-F-H Second Matches
Saturday’s winning players in each group meet, and Saturday’s losing players in each group meet.
Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Group Stage x8 – Groups A-C-E-G Second Matches
Saturday’s winning players in each group meet, and Saturday’s losing players in each group meet.
Monday November 13 (1900-2300 GMT)
Group Stage x8 – Groups A-D Final Matches
Tuesday November 14 (1900-2300 GMT)
Group Stage x8 – Groups E-H Final Matches
Wednesday November 15 (1900-2300 GMT)
Second Round x4
Thursday November 16 (1900-2300 GMT)
Second Round x4
Friday November 17 (1900-2300 GMT)
Quarter-Finals x2
Saturday November 18 (1900-2300 GMT)
Quarter-Finals x2
Sunday November 19
Afternoon Session (1300-1700 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Evening Session (1900-2100 GMT)
Final
Format
Group Stage - Best of Nine legs
Second Round - Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 31 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 31 legs
Final - Best of 31 legs
Prize Fund
Winner £150,000
Runner-Up £70,000
Semi-Finalists £50,000
Quarter-Finalists £25,000
Second Round Losers £12,250
Third in Group £8,000
Fourth in Group £5,000
Group Winner Bonus £3,500
Total £650,000