Darts ace Kevin Painter will be at snooker’s 888casino Shoot-Out for the first time this weekend and is looking forward to seeing how the green baize stars handle the enthusiastic crowd.
Painter, nicknamed The Artist, loves snooker and is a close friend of world number two Mark Selby. He’ll be at the Blackpool Tower Circus Arena on Friday for the first night of the one-frame knockout tournament.
“I’ve been to a lot of snooker events before including the World Championship,” said former Players Champion Painter. “This will be my first time at the Shoot-Out and having watched it on Sky for the last few years I can see it’s a totally different atmosphere. It’s much more like a darts event, with the crowd getting involved.
“I imagine some of the snooker players don’t like it, especially the older guys who are used to playing in quiet arenas. They’re not using to people shouting out when they are down on the shot. I’m looking forward to seeing how they deal with it because that type of atmosphere is something we contend with in darts.
“They have to treat it as a bit of fun and there are no favourites because the matches are so fast.”
The Sky-televised event will see top green baize stars like Mark Selby, John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Jimmy White and Steve Davis battling for the £32,000 top prize in the tournament which features ten minute frames and a shot clock.
With the event virtually sold out, EXTRA TICKETS have been released for all sessions of the tournament, which runs from Friday to Sunday. The tickets in the upper tier of the arena, some of which have a restricted view, are being sold at discounted prices, starting at just £10.
Call 0871 620 7052 (calls cost 10p per minute, plus network extras) or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets
A spokesman for World Snooker said: "We have been delighted to see tickets for this exhilarating tournament snapped up by the fans, who clearly can’t wait to experience the incredible atmosphere which is unique to this event. We are pleased to offer those who haven't got seats yet the chance to buy tickets for the upper tier. These new tickets will not last long so fans are urged to book straight away.”
