If you just want the headline, here it is: the PDC World Championship uses a best-of-set format that changes as the tournament progresses. In the early rounds, men’s matches are best of 5 sets. Each set is itself a best of 5 legs. So you need to win 3 legs to win a set, and then 3 sets to win the match.
But wait—it gets longer as we go! From the quarter-finals onward, the number of sets required to win jumps to a best of 7 sets in the quarters, best of 9 in the semis, and the grand finale? That’s a best of 13 sets marathon. Yes, you read that right—the final can go on until someone wins 7 sets. It’s like a darts ultramarathon, but with more liquid courage in the crowd.
