Luke Littler gunning for huge prize as Grand Slam of Darts format explained

Luke Litter is set to begin his title defence at the Grand Slam of Darts this weekend. The 18-year-old won the title with an emphatic 16-3 triumph over Martin Lukeman last year.

Littler is chasing more than just the huge prize money on offer at the event as he prepares for his opening match against Karel Sedlacek. The world champion's numerous feats over the past year have put him within touching distance of overtaking Luke Humphries as world number one, which victory in Wolverhampton would see him achieve. "Until I get that world number one spot, I will never call myself the best player in the world," Littler told PDC. "I don't want to think about it too much, but I know I could be world number one before the World Championship. I've just got to keep plugging away and keep producing my best darts." Here, Express Sport takes a closer look at the Grand Slam of Darts.

When is the Grand Slam of Darts?

The Grand Slam of Darts is being held at the WV Active Aldersley. The tournament gets underway on Saturday November 8 and will run until Sunday November 16.

What is the Grand Slam of Darts format?

The Grand Slam of Darts comprises 32 qualifiers, with 10 players qualifying through their appearances in televised major finals. The other 22 qualifiers have won titles on the PDC, Championship Darts Corporation, Women's Tour, European Tour and at PDC qualifying events.

The tournament has a distinct difference from most darts events. The 32 players are divided into eight groups of four, with each player competing in three group games. Each group contains a seeded player from the top eight in the world rankings.

The top two from each group advance to the next round, where the tournament follows a standard knockout format. Group games consist of a maximum of nine legs. This increases to 19 legs for the second round and a huge 31 legs for the remainder of the tournament.

What is the Grand Slam of Darts prize money?

The tournament winner receives £150,000 in prize money. However, there is also a chance for the champion and several other players to receive a £3,500 bonus as the winner of their group.

Winner - £150,000

Runner-up - £70,000

Semi-finals - £50,000

Quarter-finals - £25,000

Second round - £12,250

Third in group - £8,000

Fourth in group - £5,000

Group winner bonus - £3,500

What is the tournament schedule?

The group stage will be played over three days from November 8 to 11. The second round games will then be played between November 12 and 13.

The quarter-finals also take place over two days across November 14 and 15. The tournament schedule sees both semi-finals and the final being held on Sunday November 16.

What are the Grand Slam of Darts groups?

Group A

Luke Humphries (1)

Nathan Aspinall

Michael Smith

Alex Spellman

Group B

Chris Dobey (8)

Damon Heta

Martin Lukeman

Jurjen van der Velde

Group C

Stephen Bunting (4)

Martin Schindler

Luke Woodhouse

Alexis Toylo

Group D

James Wade (5)

Gerwyn Price

Ricky Evans

Stefan Bellmont

Group E

Luke Littler (2)

Daryl Gurney

Connor Scutt

Karel Sedlacek

Group F

Gian van Veen (7)

Josh Rock

Wessel Nijman

Lisa Ashton

Group G

Michael van Gerwen (3)

Gary Anderson

Niko Springer

Beau Greaves

Group H

Jonny Clayton (6)

Danny Noppert

Lukas Wenig

Cam Crabtree