Snooker is a year-round sport that has become a global sensation, particularly in China, where a new generation of players is challenging the old order of English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish pros.
There are several high-stakes competitions held throughout the year, the most important of which is the World Championship, which takes place in April at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.
The World Championship is one of the “Big Three” snooker events in the world, along with the UK Championship, which takes place in December, and the Masters, which takes place the following month and is limited to the best 16 players in the world. The World Champ, on the other hand, is the largest of all competitions, lasting 17 days and featuring best-of-19 frame matches leading up to a best-of-35 frame final. Every professional aspires to win this event, and it is where you will often see players shine.
Aside from these three ranking competitions, there are eight more ranking tournaments held in Germany, Wales, Australia, and China. There are presently five tournaments in China, which reflects the game’s popularity in the country and this part of the globe. Following these tournaments, there are a total of 13 Players Tour Championships held across the world, with ranking points awarded to players who finish as high as possible.
Which Snooker Bets Are the Most Popular?
To begin, you can wager on who will win each snooker competition (outright). Customers can put a wager before the competition begins or they can wager on the winner as the tournament progresses. Indeed, it can be advantageous to wait until an event has begun before attempting to predict the winner. “To reach the final”, “winning quarter”, or “highest break” are examples of outright bets that are also at your disposal on bookmakers here with the most extensive snooker betting markets. If there is a clear favorite to win, “betting without the favorite” may be used to create a more competitive betting market.
Then there is match betting, which is the most common sort of wager. Here, you might choose to bet on a snooker player to win a specific match. During a tournament, you might want to have an accumulator with numerous individuals winning their respective games. The advantage of an accumulator is that the odds are higher because the different selections are rolled up.
You can also place a wager on the frame handicap. Let’s pretend that Player A and Player B are the first to go for 5 frames. If Player A is 1.91 and has a -2.5 frame handicap, you will need him to win 5-2, 5-1, or 5-0 to cover the spread. Having Player B’s +2.5 handicap implies you would need him to win only three frames on the handicap. The handicap may appear confusing, but it is a terrific way to wager on a snooker match, especially if bookmakers predict a one-sided encounter. It is a matter of determining whether the bookie’s prognosis for a specific match is correct.
What’s the Best Way to Earn Money Betting on Snooker?
Betting on the tournament winner necessitates a certain amount of luck. After all, in a tournament, there are some matches that get to the final frame, and those matches might be determined by a stroke of luck or a cue ball kick. Some bettors will choose more than one participant to win a tournament. It is logical to look at a tournament’s draw since you don’t want to endorse multiple players who are all drawn in the same half. Indeed, it is common to back two players from the opposing half, and there is frequently a market for “name the finalists”.
However, betting on the less popular competitors can often result in a profit, and you will see a range of different winners throughout the year. At the end of the day, all of the top professional players play to the same quality, and it is often a question of who has the day or who does not. It is also important to think about the tournament’s format. Some players excel in a best-of-nine frames match, but they may struggle in the World Championship and other major competitions where matches are played over long periods of time. Some players, on the other hand, thrive in specific locations, such as the Crucible, which is known for its exciting atmosphere, with players like Barry Hawkins, Mark Selby, and Stuart Bingham enjoying a longer format and being willing to be patient with their snooker game.
Speaking of the World Championship, it is important to pay attention to the tournament’s qualifying stage. It’s a fiercely tough event, and it is not uncommon for a qualifier to barely make it to the Crucible and then perform spectacularly. That was certainly the case in the 2016 World Championship, as Ding Junhui battled his way to the final after dropping out of the Top 16, only to lose to Mark Selby in the final. It just goes to show that the more you follow snooker, the better your chances of winning money are.
How to Place In-Play Snooker Bets
Snooker betting is extremely popular, especially when it is done in real-time. This means that the odds are constantly changing, and punters can profit by placing winning bets based on what they see. It is vital to understand that the odds are dependent on the traders’ opinions as well as the stakes they have taken on each participant. When a match goes in-play, a well-backed favorite may be odds-on, but if that player is acting strangely, you can back his opponent after assessing the situation.
When it comes to snooker, there are a plethora of in-play betting options. You can bet on the “next frame”, “race to 20 points”, and even “next color potted winners”, among other things. It is vital to keep in mind, though, that many of these live markets are utterly random, and the house edge means you will almost certainly lose money over time.