snooker betting
Snooker is one of the UK’s oldest as well as most famous sports, yet the rules and point system can be confusing for beginners, which is why we are here to walk you through the fundamentals of snooker so you can confidently start betting on the game! Snooker is a fantastic sport once you learn how to play it. Snooker is a sport in which you may encounter some of the most intriguing and lively personalities in the world.
Snooker, which originated in the United Kingdom, has seen a comeback in China and the Far East in recent years. Snooker may still have its origins in the UK, but it is a rapidly expanding sport. This simple guide will teach you all you need to know about snooker, including how to watch and wager on it, as well as how to play a frame or two. Here is an account of the regulations, scoring system, and most popular betting markets available.
Snooker Basics – How does it work?
Snooker is a 2 player game in which the goal is to pot balls into table pockets. The table is covered in green baize, while players use their snooker cues to strike the white ball or cue ball. The ultimate goal is to have the balls of different colours fall into the pockets with your cue ball.
Every colour ball represents a numeric value on the table. The ‘frame’ is won by the player who gets the most scores in a single round. Depending on the competition, a snooker contest will comprise a certain number of frames. Some games may be best of five frames, but the World Snooker Championship finale will be best of 35 frames.
Each player takes a turn shooting with their cue. They earn an extra turn if they pot a ball. If they miss, their opponent will be called to the table. Each ball, as previously indicated, has a number value based on its colour. These are the values:
Colour of the snooker ball | Number values |
Black | 7 |
Pink | 6 |
Blue | 5 |
Brown | 4 |
Green | 3 |
Yellow | 2 |
Red | 1 |
At the beginning of a snooker match, there are 15 red balls and one ball of each of the remaining colours. Before going for colour, a player must first pot a red. They return to red if they pot a colour after that. This continues until the player wins or loses a pot, at which time the opponent returns to the table, and the game resumes on red.
What are breaks?
A break occurs when a player spends a significant amount of time potting reds and colours alternately in order to get a high score. You may wager on players reaching century breaks, which are streaks of over 100 games.
What exactly is snooker?
When a player believes they won’t be able to pot a ball, they try to make things difficult for their competitor. A player may choose to ‘snooker’ their opposition by, for example, putting the cue ball below the yellow. After that, the opponent must find their way around the table in order to strike a red. It’s a foul if they fail to hit a red and strike a colour, and the very first player gets either 4 or 8 points. If the cue ball lands in the pocket, it is also a foul, and the opponent receives 4 points and table control.
Snooker wagering
Snooker betting is a great way to learn about the game and keep track of new players. The match bet is perhaps the most prevalent snooker gamble. This is when you place a wager on the person you believe will win. There are zero draws in snooker, like in hockey and football. If the scores are tied after the final black ball is placed in the pocket, the two players will compete for one last black ball. So you will wager on one of the players to win or the other player to succeed.
Handicap betting in snooker is especially popular since it evens out the odds when one player is clearly the frontrunner.
Snooker over/under betting is another popular wager when players believe the match will be tight. If the match is a best-of-5 match, for example, you may wager on fewer than 3.5 frames getting played. If the match is concluded before a fourth frame is necessary, you win your wager.
Betting on snooker combinations
In large events, there are lots of snooker players worth betting on. Due to snooker being a very individual sport, the favourites will typically win. Unlike badminton or tennis, wherein you have to compete against another person’s power, ability, and agility, snooker is mostly a cerebral game.
It implies that players might commit errors, costing them frames or even games without the adversary doing anything. Snooker, on the other hand, has fewer surprises than other sports since the greatest players seldom make mistakes at the peak of the game. As a result, some bettors choose to employ combination betting to improve their odds while supporting favourites. If you check the first round of the Masters, for example, you will see a list of favourites taking on non-ranked players. Their chances of winning will be poor — perhaps 1.10 or 1.20. As a result, you may group your favourites with a snooker combo bet. You may increase your chances to better than evens if you believe 4 players will all win their matches. Of course, you will have to win the bet with all four participants, so that’s the risk you are prepared to undertake in order to get better odds!
The most important snooker competitions
- The Masters is perhaps the most prestigious non-ranking competition. Every snooker player dreams of winning this trophy at least once in their career. The Masters, which began in 1975 and boasts a prize pool of £600,000, is one of the most prestigious snooker tournaments in the world. Although it is not a ranking competition, the best 16 players around the world are chosen to participate in London. Every January, the Masters is held.
- Another prestigious tournament is the UK Championship, which has a prize pool of £850,000. This tournament, which began in 1977, takes place every year around November-December.
- The World Snooker Championship, which takes place every year in April and May, is the sport’s largest event. With just 32 players from across the world making it to the first round, the prize pool is worth £500,000. Long matches are staged in the competition, with first-round matches consisting of best-of-19 frames. This means that bouts might span many hours, with changes in shape and temper all part of the fun.
- The China Open is becoming increasingly important as snooker’s popularity grows in China. The event in Beijing has a £1 million prize pool, and the world’s finest players are expected to compete.
Live or in-play snooker betting
Snooker betting is quite popular, especially when a match is being played in real-time. This implies that the odds are constantly shifting, and punters may benefit by placing winning bets depending on what they observe. It’s crucial to note that the probabilities are dependent on the traders’ opinions as well as the stakes they have put on each participant. As long as you believe the favourite will win, he will likely win when the game gets into play, but if you believe he has a poor performance, you should back his opponent. In-play or live betting markets for snooker are plentiful. You may wager on the Race to Twenty Points, Next Frame, or even Next Color Potted winners. It’s crucial to keep in mind, though, that many of such live markets are entirely random, and the house advantage means you will almost certainly lose cash over time.