Snooker Betting Guide

Snooker is a great sport (some may argue if you wear a waistcoat and don’t raise a sweat it’s just a “game”, but we beg to differ) and because it allows plenty of thinking time it can be difficult for players to close out matches and win the final frame they need to win. This can make for some incredibly exciting, tense, elongated matches and the thrill of watching is even bigger if you are betting on the outcome.

The recently expanded snooker season that now sees players competing for almost 12 months of the year may not be to all the players’ liking but it has certainly given us punters plenty to bet on. What’s more, it means you can study the form a little more accurately and if you’ve watched the lesser tournaments you may be in a position to make a killing when the big ones come around. The table below shows some of the best bookmakers around for betting on snooker so check them out, especially if there is a big tournament on because they’re sure to have plenty of great offers.

Popular Snooker Betting Markets

Betting on snooker is very easy and whilst you can bet on just about anything – such as what colour ball will be potted next – the bets below are the ones you will probably find yourself coming back to.

  • Match Odds – Which player will win a given match. All the major events are knockout tournaments so there is no draw – just pick which player you think will prevail.
  • Tournament Outright – Think you’ve seen an outsider showing signs of improvement or that maybe the favourite can’t be stopped. Whichever it is, if you’ve got a hunch a player will win an event betting on them to win is as simple – and fun – as it gets. You can also bet each-way, meaning you get paid at ½ the odds if the player loses in the final.
  • Highest Break – There are various popular break-related bets, such as which player will make the highest break in a match or tournament. You can also bet on whether or not there will be a 147 (or higher) in a particular event.
  • Correct Score – One way to get longer odds is to bet on the exact score in frames of a given match, for example betting on Ronnie O’Sullivan to win 10-3.
  • Handicap – You can bet on a player with a handicap, so, for example, the underdog might be given a 2.5 frame head start, meaning that if they lose by two frames or less – or win – your bet pays out.

Major Tournaments

  • World Championship – By far the biggest event on the snooker calendar is the World Championship, held at Sheffield’s Crucible theatre every April and May. First held in 1927 it boasts the biggest purse and most extensive television coverage.
  • UK Championship – The second biggest tournament is the UK Championship which was first held in 1977 in Blackpool and is currently played in York at the start of December each year.
  • British Masters – The Masters forms snooker’s triple crown alongside the other two biggies and is usually held in London. Although not a ranking event it is without doubt the third most prestigious tournament in the game and is contested in mid-January each year.
  • International Championship – This fledgling tournament was introduced in 2012 so lacks history but with big prize money and the same ranking points as the UK Championship it has been dubbed the first “overseas major”. It is held in Chengdu, China.