Guide to Snooker Betting
Introduction to Snooker
Snooker is probably best described as a variant of an older game called billiards, which is itself based on an even older game called carom. It’s a cue sport played on a large rectangular table covered in a material called baize, which is a woollen cloth and is typically coloured green for snooker tables.
Main Rules
In the well-known game of pool, the balls are divided into two types. These are indicated either by different colours or by a solid colour and stripes. When the player breaks the pack by striking the white cue ball into them, one of the types is selected, and the player then attempts to sink only those.
Snooker is different. All of the balls on the table are available to play by either player, but there’s a particular order in which to play them. At the beginning of each turn, a player may only strike a red with the cue ball. If he sinks a red, then he may select a follow-up shot on a coloured ball.
These colours all have specific values ranging from 1-7, in the following order: red (1), yellow (2), green (3), brown (4), blue (5), pink (6), and black (7). Obviously, the player will attempt to score as highly as possible from each turn, and so it’s desirable to play the black wherever possible.
The coloured balls are replaced (or respotted) in their places on the table until the reds have all been sunk. Once this happens, the colours must be sunk in order from yellow to black. A perfect frame of snooker is when a player plays reds and blacks exclusively, and then all of the colours in order, in a single visit to the table.
This is called a 147, in reference to the points (15 reds with 15 blacks and all the colours combine for a score of 147). The 147 is a flawless frame of snooker and is a rarity outside of the professional game, where it usually carries a substantial cash bonus for the player who scores one in competitive play.
Main Competitions
The snooker calendar is chock-full of events all around the globe, and in the past decade or two, has taken the Asian world by storm, particularly in China. Nevertheless, the major tournaments still take place in Europe, and here’s a run-down of them.
- Snooker Masters
Inaugurated in 1975, the Snooker Masters is the second oldest tournament in the game, right after the World Championship. It isn’t a ranking event but is nevertheless considered to be among the most prestigious tournaments in the world. - World Championship
The Snooker World Championships is the oldest and most esteemed tournament in the snooker calendar. It began way back in 1927, with Joe Davis emerging as the champion. Today it boasts the biggest prize money purse in the sport, with over £2 million in prizes, including half a million for the winner. - UK Championship
Together with the Masters and the World Champs, the UK Championship forms the Triple Crown of snooker. It’s the youngest of the three, having been set up in 1977. Along with the World Championship, it’s a ranking event (unlike the Masters). It currently boasts a total prize purse in excess of £1 million, making it a massive draw. - Premier League
The Premier League began back in 1987 and has undergone a number of rebrandings and reformatting. From 2013 on, it has been officially called the Champion of Champions, although many still call it by its older name. - Scottish Open
Another championship that underwent numerous changes of name, this competition began in 1981. It’s now a ranking event in the snooker calendar and is considered very highly in snooker circles. It boasts almost half a million pounds in prize money, with the winner netting a cool £70,000.
Where to Bet on Snooker
Given the explosion of snooker in recent years, it’s hard to find a bookie that hasn’t got odds on the game. It has rocketed in popularity, especially in the Asian world. Betway, Paddy Power, William Hill, and all the others you could care to name cover the game of Snooker. Wherever you like to take a punt, you should be able to find snooker on the books.
The tips are all there online, and your option of sites is vast. Live snooker betting is the way forward for snooker betting sites, and it’s hard to imagine a better way of having snooker betting explained than by simply jumping in.
- Attractive sports & casino bonuses
- Many betting boosts
- Excellent odds
- A safe Crypto bookmaker
- Sports markets with high odds
- Convenient payments
- Modern website design
- Big welcome bonus
- Great selection of sports
- Great bonus portfolio
- Excellent odds
- Various betting features & boosts
- Trusted and reputable brand
- Excellent sports betting features
- Various markets
- Most trusted brand
- Excellent betting environment
- Cool & useful features
We get it. Folks have their ways of betting and tend to stick to what they know. Nevertheless, there’s no harm in a little extra information, so we put together a little explanatory list.
- Match winner
It’s a classic option. You note a match-up, and you figure your player has the wood on the other guy, and you take the straight odds. A really great option if your guy’s the underdog, too. - Tournament winner
Selecting an overall tournament winner can net some great wins, but you have to know your stuff. A lot can happen in a tournament, and even heavy favourites can crash out along the way. - Total frames
This is a Totals bet or an over/under. Snooker betting sites will offer you a number of frames, and you just go above or below that number. Usually, they’ll add a decimal to remove the chance of a draw or just nullify the bet and return your cash. It’s a solid option for the right odds. - To win the first frame
Some players start strong, and others grow into the game as it progresses. The best snooker betting sites will often give decent odds on the first frame in a match, and you could turn a nice profit this way. - Handicap markets
The handicap bet is often called the spread. It’s a way to spread the odds so that an underdog gets a bit of an advantage. Once the frames are completed, the spread is added to get the result of the bet. Online snooker betting sites always have the handicaps on offer. - Match centuries
This kind of bet can operate in a few ways. You can drop a bet on the overall number of centuries in a match, which is the most common. You can also bet on how many would be scored by either player, and this may lift your odds a tad too. - Correct score
This one is another, which can mean different things. Most often, it’s a bet on the number of frames overall. So, in a 19-frame match, the result could be between 10-0/10-9 either way. It’s a risky punt, but then the win will be pretty good too. Alternatively, you could be betting within a specific frame. And there again, it’s a tricky shot with big returns. - 147 break in the match
The handicap bet is often called the spread.It’s a fantastic thing to see in a match, but it’s a heck of a wager. The bet is that a player will pot all 15 reds followed only by blacks and then all the colours in their order in a single visit to the table. It happens just a few times per season, but if you get it right, the returns will be fantastic. - Highest break in a match
The handicap bet is often called the spread.The highest break is a popular bet and available with most snooker betting sites. It’s a wager on which player will reach the highest score in a single visit to the table. Bear in mind, this isn’t the same as the overall score of a frame, but a score from a single visit. If you lay this bet and also a 147 bet, you’ll have won them both if your player scored the 147. - To reach the final
The handicap bet is often called the spread.This is often a good option, especially when there are two or three players dominating a season. In short, you simply wager that a player will make it to the final. It’s less risky than the outright win option since either in-form player could get ahead of the other in the final.
Why Bet on Snooker?
There’s no shortage of sports out there to bet on, and that’s the way we like it. But, we decided to take a moment to think through some features of snooker and bullet points them for you. It might become a favourite sport for you; you never know.
- Pros:
- Highly tactical play
- The player form is crucial
- Makes for lots of betting options
- Close study will reward the careful bettor
- Great markets available widely
- Cons:
- Not as physical as some other sports
- Takes time to understand the game
Important Factors to Consider
If snooker has a stand-out feature, it has to be the technical feel to everything. It’s all about the details. Here are a few of the things to keep an eye open for. They’re things that matter more in the game than you’d probably think.
- Look out for players form – Form is a big deal in all sports and seems to be more psychological than physical in most cases. Certainly, in snooker, it’s massive. A player who’s been having trouble with his game will almost never prevail over a player who’s finding it easy. Snooker is a head-to-head game, so there’s nowhere to hide for a struggling player.
- See statistical details – Game stats always matter and, alongside form, are crucial to performance. For instance, some players seem to do well at certain venues or against other specific players. It makes a lot of sense to keep an eye on those numbers.
- Learn the style of the players – Some players are the dogged type and fight each point to the bitter end. Other players are more of the flair type and put together big breaks in the blink of an eye. Knowing how these players interact can mean the difference to your wager.
- Analyze the draw – This one is big in snooker. If two players you fancy are in the same group with the draw, one will likely knock out the other. Mark where the draw falls, and place your bets accordingly.
Snooker Facts and History
There are differing accounts of the origin of snooker, but a few facts are considered certain. During the period of British occupation of India called The Raj, soldiers stationed there played several kinds of cue sports to pass the time.
Among these games were various types of pool and billiards, both of which are developed from a 17th-century game called carom. Somewhere along the line, these soldiers combined aspects of pool with billiards and arrived at a game very like modern snooker.
The game is played on a billiards table, but with six pockets like a pool table. This winning combination proved very popular among the soldiers and was subsequently brought back with them when they returned to England. It proved to be just as popular back home.
Almost immediately, snooker clubs began popping up all over the UK. This quickly led to competitions between these clubs, and in 1916 the English Amateur Championships were held. Not long after, the first Professional World Championship was held.
Snooker thus had its first champion, in the figure of Joe Davis. Since his day, champions have come and gone, but the game has steadily risen in the popular imagination. To this day, snooker clubs are common throughout the UK.
When the BBC began broadcasting in color in the late 60s, snooker was a big hit on television. In part, this was because of the multi-colored balls, but also because of its natural tactical side. Viewers were invited to engage with the on-screen battle.
Conclusion
The game of Snooker is made for television and is also the ideal game for a wager. It simply lends itself to betting, and indeed the snooker betting scene is enormous. With the recent spectacular rise of the game in China, the viewing figures are through the roof for the sport, and there’s no doubt the same is true of the online betting scene.
Whether you’re completely new to the game or know a little about it, snooker is so much more than a pastime. The more you watch, the more its complex and strategic nature comes out.
FAQs
How to bet on snooker?
You have quite a few options open to you. You can go for snooker outright betting, spreads, or take a more specific punt on the outcome of a particular frame, for example. The choice is yours!
Where can I bet on snooker?
The world’s your oyster in terms of alternatives. All the big names have a book for snooker, and most of the smaller guys too.
How do I win big on snooker?
There are some mild bets out there, and those can be fun. To win big, though, you have to know your onions and take a shot on something you’ve spotted, such as a particular player’s form leading up to the event.
Is there much of a snooker betting scene?
It’s massive, simply massive. With every tournament, millions of pounds flow through the scene, especially online. This has rippled across the globe, and the waves have reached the shores of the US online betting scene too.
Certified Betting Expert