The final countdown

Just a few more days until I go to Cardiff for the Premier League Darts playoffs. It really will be tough but I feel I'm playing great darts and the confidence is flowing.

Here how I see things going on May 26:

Premier League Darts
Semi finals
van Barneveld v Wade 11-8 (van Barneveld to win 5/6)
Taylor v Lewis 11-5 (Taylor to win 1/12)

Final
Van Barneveld - Taylor 16-14

PartyBets.com have me at 11/2 to win the title so I recommend you take them up on that now!

Wish me luck.

A well-earned break

Well, I made it. I'm through to the Premier League Darts playoffs and it's time for a bit of a rest.

I'm actually now on holiday until May 12 and that means no obligations, no plans, no schedules. I'm free to do whatever I want and that means playing some poker on PartyPoker.com, going round the golf course and enjoying time with friends I haven't see for a long time. The weather is getting better as well, so that means I can enjoy the sun and spend more time with the kids as it's their holiday as well.

On May 13 and 14 I'll be back on my game and putting in a lot of practice in preparation for the US Open, as well as an exhibition for a sponsor.

Then it's to Cardiff on May 26 for the Premier League Darts playoffs. Wish me luck!

Barney's Bets
Champions League
Manchester United v Chelsea 2-1 (8/1)

UEFA Cup
Zenit St Petersburg v Rangers 1-0 (11/2)

EURO 2008
Top scorer - Luca Toni, Italy (9/1)

Tennis - French Open
Mens - Nadal (4/6)
Ladies - Henin (11/8)

Who's aiming for the playoffs?

It's getting really exciting in the Premier League Darts.

Here's what I think will happen over the final two rounds before the playoffs:

Week 13 - April 24 (Odyssey Arena, Belfast)
Peter Manley v Adrian Lewis 5-8 (4/5)
Wayne Mardle v Phil Taylor 2-8 (2/13)
Raymond van Barneveld v James Wade 8-5 (13/10)
Terry Jenkins v John Part 7-7 (4/1)

Week 14 - May 1 (Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle)
James Wade v John Part 8-5
Adrian Lewis v Wayne Mardle 8-6
Phil Taylor v Peter Manley 8-3
Raymond van Barneveld v Terry Jenkins 8-6

And if you fancy betting on the Champions League, here's how I think the semi final first legs will go:
Champions League - Semi final first leg
Liverpool v Chelsea 1-1 (11/2)
Barcelona v Man Utd 1-2 (9/1)

Very frequent flyer

I’ve just got back from a two-week trip to England and Germany. As well as my weekly Premier League Darts matches there were some other work commitments. Unfortunately there’s no time to rest as it’s straight back to the UK for week 10 of the Premier League in Aberdeen.
With the Premier League it’s a really exhausting schedule at the moment and it seems as soon as I’ve come back from one trip I’m off again. Taxi in, taxi out; hotel in, hotel out; match and then flight home.

I know my regime is very different to my opponents in the Premier League, who, apart from Canadian John Part, are British. It is, of course, my choice to be based in my home country of Holland but this means I must consider travel a lot more.

Working week

Currently, Tuesday is my day to relax. When I say relax I do still practise and on this day we’ll try to set up a session with another player. Normally they are other Dutch players but sometimes the Brits come over. In fact, two weeks ago James Wade came over for a very productive session.

On a Wednesday morning there’ll be more practice in the morning before flying over to the UK for Thursday’s Premier League match. Friday will be spent travelling to the weekend’s game, normally a Pro Tour competition, and then back home when the tournament’s over. If there’s no Pro Tour I’ll take any chance to take time out with my family.

And then there’s going to the gym every day and fitting in training wherever possible.
It can be gruelling with lots of darts and lots of travelling so I have to make sure I peak at the right time. For me, the Premier League is the most important so as well as my practice time I’ll use Pro Tour events as extra practice and opportunities to work on my game. This means I’m right for the Premier League.

League leader

It’s great to back at the top of the Premier league, especially with Phil Taylor playing so well. Tomorrow I’ll face Peter Manley. We both are feeling the pressure but for different reasons as Peter, despite having a good first half of the tournament, is bottom. He hasn’t been playing bad, it’s just the quality of every player is so high. Because of this I think Peter may be a little vulnerable and it’s a good chance for me to get the win. I feel very confident in my game right now.

No luck at the tables

Remember the PartyPoker.com tournament I told you about in my last post? Well, things didn’t go to plan. I wasn’t involved for too long before going all in and unfortunately my gamble didn’t pay off. That’s poker. I did enjoy my time, though, and will definitely do better next time.
Look out for Barney180, that’s me. I’m normally in $6 Sit & Go tournaments on Wednesdays or Fridays.

Barney's bets

Here are my predictions for the week 10 and 11 matches in Premier League darts:
Week 10
Lewis v Taylor 4-8
Manley v van Barneveld 5-8
Part v Mardle 8-5
Wade v Lewis 8-6

Week 11

Wade v Mardle 7-7

Part v Lewis 6-8

Manley v Jenkins 7-7

Taylor v van Barneveld 7-7

And in the football, here's what I think will happen in the Premier League this weekend:

Arsenal v Liverpool 2-1

Aston Villa v Bolton 1-1

Blackburn v Tottenham 1-2

Fulham v Sunderland 2-0

Man City v Chelsea 1-1

Newcastle v Reading 2-0

Wigan v Birmingham 0-1

Everton v Derby 3-1

Middlesbrough v Man United 1-2

West Ham v Portsmouth 0-0

If you want a bet, go to PartyBets.com. All the best.

Home is where the dart is

My main priority (outside of darts, of course) over the past week has been the move into new offices for me and my management. As I mentioned in my last post these rooms are just minutes from my home and allow me to practice whenever and with whoever I want without any outside distractions.

Previously, I would train in pubs and in other public places. And while it's great to meet my fans and chat and sign autographs, when I have to practise I have to be dedicated.

When I practise I either play against other players in match formats or with my manager where we play darts games or try to break personal records or analyse my technique and look for improvements.

This new office will also prove to be a great place to meet sponsors and fans. I may never leave!

The power of Taylor

I was very disappointed with my performance against Phil Taylor in our Premier League Darts match. I wasn't in the game at all and he won 8-3. I must admit that if Phil plays like that all the time, he's unbeatable. I think he had one of his best games ever with an average of 111 and some unbelievable out shots of 167, 144 and two 121s.

Now that it's gone all the result now means to me is that I need more practise and more focus. You must clear your mind when you have matches like that; forget them and move on.

The future's Lewis

My next Premier League Darts challenge is against Adrian Lewis on March 13. He's a great young player who I really admire. He has a very natural throw and sometimes seems capable of throwing a treble 20 without even looking. He's got great scoring power, which makes him dangerous, and good rhythm. He's a fast player which is something I look and suits my own game.

For me, it's a key match in the competition. A win will give me 10 points out of a possible 14 which is strong total for the halfway point in the group stage. I feel players will need around 16 or 17 points to reach the playoffs and as anyone can beat anyone I've got to be satisfied with my position at the top of table so far.

See you at the tables

Away from darts, this Sunday at 20:30 ET I'll be taking part in a $2,000 prize pool poker tournament at PartyPoker.com - and you can be there playing against me.

Qualifiers are taking place this week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 20:30 ET this week, with an $11 buy in. Six players from each qualifier will win a place in the Sunday event where I'll be involved.

Please note, this event is only open to PartyPoker.com's Dutch players. Register now to book your seat in the qualifiers. And if you're not a member of PartyPoker.com you will need to sign up, make a deposit and register as soon as possible.

While I enjoy poker and normally play to relax, in this situation I'll be very focused. When I play anything I want to win and it's no different for poker. Without giving too much away, I'm a careful player. It doesn't matter how big my stack is, it won't change my game and I'm not one to be bullied out of a hand.

Barney's bets

PSV vs Ajax
The biggest match in Dutch football takes place on March 19 after being postponed due to a strike by police.

My feeling is for a 2-2 draw between these two sides. PSV are top of the Eredivisie but I think they're looking more vulnerable than they have so far this season. Also, Ajax, in second spot, are playing really well right now and will really go for it as they need a win if they are to catch their rivals.

Barcelona vs Valencia
This is the games of two Dutch coaches, with Frank Rijkaard in charge of Barça and Ronald Koeman leading Valencia. Valencia, I think, are big trouble. Koeman's come in this season and changed the team around and it hasn't worked with the team sitting in mid-table. I can only see a win for the Catalan side, probably 2-0, as they have more individual quality.

Will Koeman be fired by the end of the season?
The past five or six years, Valencia have done so well and established themselves as a big club in Europe. The fans now demand success and right now this is a bad season for them. I think it will be difficult for Koeman to keep his job. The team doesn't look like qualifying for Europe and unless he wins the Copa del Rey I think the Dutchman will be looking for a new post next season.
If you fancy a bet on any of my predictions, visit PartyBets.com now.

Speak soon.

No rest for the wicked

As I told you before, I needed a break after the World Championships. I was hungry for the sun so I booked a 12-day holiday with my wife, Silvia, to Dubai. And what happened? Five days of rain. I could not believe it. Have a look at this photo if you don't believe me.

Anyway, after my return to Holland, I got back into practice mood and spent time mainly with Dutch talent Joey ten Berge. They’ve been really productive sessions.

Top of the league

This season’s Premier League Darts tournament has begun and I’m very proud to say that after two rounds I’m top of the table.

My first match was against Wayne Mardle. I can’t explain it but it was very hard to stay concentrated at the start. I was lucky that Wayne missed some doubles in the beginning of the match and later on I played better, winning the match with 8-4.

The second match against world champion John Part was much better. It was funny as we had lunch together on the day and then had to go out and beat each other in the evening. Until the break it was 3-3. I had some chances to win a leg against the darts but didn’t. When we came back on stage I immediately delivered some good scores and hit the doubles very well. Again, it finished an 8-4 win and I really am feeling the rhythm is coming back.

I am very confident about the next games. On February 14 I play Peter Manley in Manchester, February 21 is Terry Jenkins in Coventry and I face James Wade on February 28 in Bournemouth.

As you can imagine, until May my complete focus is on the Premier League. For those wanting to see me take on Phil Taylor, I play him on March 6 in Nottingham and in Liverpool on April 10. In Liverpool there will be more than 6,000 spectators. I know already it’s a match you won’t want to miss.

Besides the Premier League, I will play some Players Championships matches in the UK, Belgium and Holland.

Practice is perfect

Within a few weeks the Barney team will get new office and a practice room. I am very excited about the new practice facility. It will make the preparation for the tournaments a lot easier as the building is about two minutes from my home.

There is also the possibility of playing some poker with friends when I get some free time. As some of you already know I sometimes play poker online. It would be nice if you could sit at the same table and I could take on some of my fans. Maybe PartyPoker.com will organize something and make it possible? I’ll let you know.

Barney’s bets

My latest tip? Me! I mentioned earlier I’m currently at the top of the Premier League Darts competition so here are the latest odds from PartyBets.com for outright winners of the tournament:

P Taylor 9/4

R van Barneveld 5/2

J Wade 5/2

A Lewis 8/1

J Part 12/1

T Jenkins 20/1

W Mardle 33/1

P Manley 33/1

As you can see, The Power is favourite but I’ll be doing my best to change that. If you fancy a bet, go to PartyBets.com now.

As always, thanks for your support.

Game on for 2008

Greetings to all Barney fans! As my first post of the new year I want to start by hoping 2008 has started well for you all.

OK, straight away I’m going to talk about the World Championships. Of course, I am very disappointed about how it went for me. Kevin Painter played brilliantly but my performance was far below what I can play. Also, I was struggling with the flu and that didn't help, that's for sure. I felt very weak on stage and that's very hard when you play a guy like Kevin. It's so disappointing when you work so hard in practice and preparation to defend the title.

2007? It was double top

The last couple of months of 2007 could have been better for me, but overall I am satisfied about the achievements. The best matches I played were probably the final in the 2007 World Championships against Phil Taylor and the final in the Masters of Darts against Peter Manley. Also, I am very proud to be No.1 in the rankings within just two years of joining the PDC.

After the World Championships I did some promotional stuff with Phil for the PDC World Championships Darts 2008 videogame and last week we had the annual PDC dinner. I was very proud to win the award for Best Floor Player of the Year. I'd like to congratulate James Wade for winning the Player of the Year title thanks to his winning of the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix. That Mervyn King received the Best Newcomer was not a surprise. I’ve known him now for many years and he is very good player who will be in the Top 10 soon. It is amazing how some players are developing themselves in such a short time. A great example is Kevin McDine who I think will have a great 2008.

I will use this month to recover and I’m taking some weeks off with a holiday in Dubai. I need some time to relax, to spend some time with the family, watch some movies and play some poker.

Best foot forward

At the end of January I will prepare myself for the Premier League 2008 which starts in Glasgow. What a field of talented players we have this year and I think you will have to play very well to reach the playoffs. Besides the World Championship it is, for me, a very big challenge to win the Premier League. Every major tournament is important, though and if you look at the PDC Calendar it is enormous. Sometimes you have to make a choice of which tournaments you play, like players in other sports. Hope to see you in a tournament, because I can use all the support.

Barney's bets

One of tennis's top events is underway right now - the Australian Open. It's really hard to see anyone apart from Federer retaining his crown, he really does dominate the sport. The only hope for his opponenets is that the Swiss master has had little preparation for the tournament because of illness. Davydenko and Nadal are worth watching, as is Ferrer. Hewitt's on home ground so he could be worth an outside look.

If you fancy a bet, go to PartyBets.com now. All the best.