The infamous Ally Pally wasp made its return again as a World Championship star appeared to be ‘stung’ as he lost the opening set – and you can bet on the critter’s next move
The infamous Ally Pally wasp appeared to make its return in the opening game of Monday’s evening session.
Martin Lukeman faced German Max Hopp as the 2024 Grand Slam runner-up attempted to rekindle the form that had appeared to desert him recently. But his task was made even harder as he appeared to be stung during his first set defeat.
Lukeman didn’t get a single dart at the double as Hopp ran riot in the first set, but while Hopp was winning the opening leg of the game, ‘Smash’ appeared to react to something flying around him and landing on him.
Fans took to social media to confirm whether the wasp had made its vengeful comeback, which has become more of a talking point since it was announced by the tournament’s title sponsor Paddy Power that you can bet on the wasp’s action.
Starting from Monday, December 15th onwards, the bookmaker is offering six different available novelty bets on the wasp, with the shortest odds of 1/4 for the wasp to be seen on the broadcast again.
For the wasp to delay greater than one minute or more, there are odds of 9/1. At 16/1 is the wasp to be seen on three or more days of the broadcast.
Higher odds of 22/1 are for the wasp to land on the Treble 20. It’s 28/1 for the critter to sting a player on a broadcast, and 28/1 to sting MC John McDonald on stage. The biggest odds of 100/1 are offered if the wasp is hit by the dart in mid-flight.
Following the release of Paddy Power’s market and Lukeman appearing to be bothered by a flying nuisance, one fan posed the question of whether the 28/1 would be paid out.
“Ayyyy Paddy Power give us a VAR CHECK on that wasp. Lukeman was defo stung!” one user said. “ALLY PALLY WASP GOT LUKEMAN,” another fan insisted.
Ally Pally’s wasp infiltration is nothing new, with swarms of the insects aggravating and attacking darts and snooker players alike over the years.
The first sighting of the wasp this year came on the opening night as Luke Littler was forced to duck and dive out of the way of the buzzing pest landing on him.